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Surf Bird

Allagash Brewing Company
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🌍 United States · Pale Lager · One of 157 Pale Lagers in hopIQ

Surf Bird is a pilsner-style lager hopped entirely with New Zealand varieties, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin and Riwaka, and fermented with a Belgian lager yeast. Maine-grown pilsner malt and flaked brown rice keep the body light. It pours pale straw with a tall white head. Citrus, grapefruit zest and tropical fruit such as mango lead, with grassy, floral and herbal hop notes and a hint of pear and white pepper over soft pale grain, finishing crisp, dry and lightly bittersweet.

ABV
5.4%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
pale gold4
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Lean body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Dry finish.
drysweet
Bitterness
Soft bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Crisp mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

The texture leads here, with everything else held in gentle reserve.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Pale Lager.
Hop character
citrusy
tropical
floral
grassy
herbal
Malt character
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Surf Bird

◎ Appearance

Surf Bird presents a pale straw color with excellent clarity and a bright, luminous quality characteristic of well-crafted pilsner lagers. A tall white head forms on the pour and demonstrates good retention and fine lacing. The carbonation is lively and persistent, creating a visually inviting and refreshing presentation.

pale straw, crystal-cleartall white headfine lacinglively carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with prominent citrus and stone fruit character, leading with grapefruit zest and tropical notes of mango. The New Zealand hop varieties bring forward grassy and floral herbal dimensions, layered with subtle pear and white pepper aromatics. Soft pilsner malt provides a clean, delicate grain backdrop that allows the hop profile to shine without interference.

citrus, grapefruit zesttropical mangograssy, floral herbswhite pepper spice

◐ Taste

The palate enters crisp and clean, with the tropical fruit and citrus notes from the aroma translating into flavor with clarity and definition. Mid-palate reveals the interplay between the light, softly sweet grain body and the dry, herbaceous hop character, with white pepper adding subtle complexity. The moderate 22 IBU bitterness arrives with restraint, creating a balanced finish that is lightly bittersweet rather than aggressive.

citrus, tropical fruitdry herbal hopssoft grain sweetnessrestrained bitterness

◑ Finish

The finish is crisp and dry with a clean, lingering bittersweet note that fades steadily. The aftertaste remains refreshing and light, with a gentle herbal and peppery echo that does not overstay its welcome.

crisp, dry finishlightly bittersweet aftertaste
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
82
Taste
78
Appearance
80
Finish
75
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Surf Bird

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve well-chilled at 4–6°C. Carbonation and crispness are the main event — cold preserves both.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store cold and drink fresh. Lagers are at their crispest within 3–4 months.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Surf Bird

About Pale Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Pale Lager?

Euro Pale Lagers are clean, refreshing lagers with 4–5.5% ABV and IBU 10–25. Soft malt sweetness, light hop bitterness and high carbonation make them supremely drinkable.

Finding a similar Pale Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same citrusy, dry, tropical character as Surf Bird will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Pale Lagers in hopIQ

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