Texas brew review: Shiner says come on, get hoppy

“Hoppy” is a word some beer drinkers are allergic to.

Harkening back to the old Keystone “bitter beer face” images in their minds, some think that all hops equal bitterness. Although this can be quite true with beers like IPAs, American pale ales and many other styles, the distinction of “hoppy” is not what many think.

Still, there are plenty of beer drinkers who automatically avoid something tagged with that distinction.

It’s that much more telling how far we’ve come in a beer-drinking society when a brewery like Shiner plows forth with a new “Birthday Beer” called Hoppy Pilsner.

Just a few years ago, the typically German-leaning Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner’s official handle) released Wild Hare. It was the first of their beers that could ever really be construed as hop forward (and its first ale), Shiner was clearly reflecting beer drinkers at large.

Shiner has always had the reputation of being a safe craft beer. Shiner Bock is an obvious gateway for many drinkers as their beer curiosities increase. Its other beers have always been tip-toes into more experimental fare without being too scary. Shiner had largely been safe, it was always assumed, because that’s what most people want.

However, once Wild Hare came out in 2012, Shiner started to push itself a little more.

It followed that beer with the decidedly un-German Belgian-style white ale White Wing that has now become a permanent addition to Shiner’s portfolio.

Shortly after came a Chocolate Stout and an IPA. If you thought hops weren’t becoming more acceptable, look no further than Shiner producing an IPA for the first time in its century-plus existence.

This latest Hoppy Pilsner is exactly what it purports to be. It has plenty of traditional earthy hop flavor that comes off as herbal and grassy. It finishes clean and tastes as bright as its color suggests.

It doesn’t have quite as much latent bitterness as other Texas German pilsners like Real Ale Hans Pils or Austin Beerworks Pearl Snap, but there is still a little that helps provide depth.

“Hoppy” is still a dirty word for some, but that’s becoming less and less common. Over time, beer drinkers’ palates are becoming harder to challenge and their jumps into more dynamic brews are happening faster.

Shiner’s reflection of that trend is apparent and welcome.

Quick Sips

Backcountry officially opens: When Firewheel Brewing sold its location (and apparently its Facebook page) to Colorado’s Backcountry Brewing in December, nobody was quite sure what to make of it.

We’ve become used to megabrewers gobbling up smaller breweries, but seeing another small brewery purchase the remnants of a failed brewery isn’t nearly as common. Regardless of the implications, Backcountry will hold its grand opening 4-10 p.m. Saturday at the brewery in Rowlett. backcountrybrewery.com

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Texas brew review: Shiner says come on, get hoppy."