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Pilot Festbier

Pilot Beer
United Kingdom·Festbier
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A golden festival lager, brewed in 2026 for the third year running. The base is Scottish and German pale malt with Munich and Vienna malt, which according to Pilot brings golden hues and a full flavour. Noble European hops added throughout the boil provide a moreish bitterness and a crisp, dry finish. Crisp, malty and dry are the house keywords. At 5.8% it is the strongest lager in the current range.

ABV
5.8%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Clean, dry bitterness
SRM
amber9
PaceA Few
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
maltynoble hopclean
malty
noble hop
clean
bready
Aroma
The nose leads with soft, grainy Malz character from the Scottish and German pale malt base, underpinned by light notes of Vienna and Munich malt that add subtle bread-like depth.
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Pilot Festbier

◎ Appearance

A bright golden hue with excellent clarity, typical of a well-crafted lager. The head forms densely and clings to the glass with fine, persistent lacing. Carbonation is evident and well-integrated, creating a lively visual presence.

bright goldenclearpersistent head lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with soft, grainy Malz character from the Scottish and German pale malt base, underpinned by light notes of Vienna and Munich malt that add subtle bread-like depth. Noble European hops contribute a restrained herbal and floral whisper, lending freshness without dominating the malt-forward profile.

grainy maltherbal hopbread notes

◐ Taste

The palate opens with a clean, full malt presence that fills the mouth with gentle sweetness balanced by a dry, crisp structure. The 22 IBU delivers a measured bitterness that sits well integrated rather than sharp, while the noble hops provide a moreish quality that invites another sip. The finish dries cleanly, leaving no residual sweetness.

malty entrydry structurecrisp finishintegrated bitterness

◑ Finish

The aftertaste is pleasantly dry with lingering malt notes and a subtle herbal echo from the hop bill. The finish length is medium and clean, characteristic of a well-balanced festival lager.

dry aftertastemedium length
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
76
Taste
79
Appearance
80
Finish
77
Serve at 4–7°C

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Pilot Festbier

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About Festbier

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Festbier?

Festbier is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Festbier

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

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