James Page Brewing Company - Pils Lager

Following the fine example set by its predecessors, Page Pils Lager, this month’s featured selection and Page’s newest introduction, is a perfect summer brew; it’s medium in body, but full flavored, with the dominant taste coming from hops. It’s a delicate Pilsner that is tricky to brew: for one, it has a long lagering time -12 weeks- which allows for more mistakes.

Look for a very nice golden color (not a wimpy-looking pilsner) with both hops and malt prevalent in the nose which hints at a rich pale malt character. Note a dry and clean maltiness up front with a moderately strong hop finish. This flavorful, medium-bodied, German-style pilsner is rich in flavor and delicately balances its hop/malt profile. Very nicely done.

The James Page Brewing Co. is a small brewery - it has only 7 employees - that is quickly acquiring a large reputation. Earlier this year, the Minneapolis microbrewery signed a contract to supply beer to all of Northwest Airline’s domestic flights. It was chosen hands down to be the favorite of all of the pilots. Just kidding. Northwest’s executives sampled dozens of beers from across the country before selecting Page’s Iron Range Amber Lager.

And last year, at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado, the judges awarded Page’s Wild Rice Lager the gold medal in the specialty beer category. The beer was one of more than 1,700 beers entered in the festival. "A world class beer that accurately exemplifies specified style displaying the proper balance of taste, aroma, and appearance" is how Lori Tullberg Kelly, a spokesperson for the Great American Beer Festival, described Page’s Wild Rice Lager. Also last year, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine declared James Page Iron Range Amber the best microbrew in the Twin Cities.