Many times I’ve been on the lake at last light, and if I didn’t wet the net then often the catch of the day was the adult beverage I indulged in when back on “dry” land. As far as ugly pikes go, they wouldn’t be a “cast” member on my reality fishing show. Too big, too many teeth, just too damn ugly. * But the fine fishers at Ugly Pike seem to be enamoured with the species, so more power to them.
But here’s the thing. If you’re expertise is in catching a muskie the size of a small child, does that qualify you to brew beer? Even if you drink a lot of beer after? Let me put it another way, here at COMDB we have sampled a lot of beer in our day, and we aren’t done yet. But in no way, shape or form are we qualified to brew beer. We are, to put it bluntly, at the ass end of the supply chain when it comes to beer, as in the eager and constant consumer. Ugly Pike is a podcast, not a brewer. They are the brand, so their relevance is what’s on the can, not in the can. They have Newark doing their brewing. The Ugly Pike Pilsner was brewed by Dragan who are now de facto defunct, dead in the water, gone under so to speak. ** Is this some subtle foreshadowing as to the rating of this brew? Subtle is not an adjective used often when it comes to us COM.
And not to confuse the issue more, although some say I’m quite good at that, but it appears this beer was first issued as a 5% lager but is now a 4% lite. Newark doesn’t even carry it on their menu or mention it on their website. What’s that all about?
It does pour a clear light golden, the head minimal at best. It has a malt mild aroma with a bit of hoppiness on the nose. First taste is light malt with a hoppy tang to it, a lager sour? I’m not sure whether the tang is intentional or an off taste. The tang fades a bit to morph into a mildly bitter finish or is that a dry finish. This brew has lots of looks. It’s hoppier than most lagers, it does have a light malt base that’s OK, the hops aren’t bad just different. I’m not looking for honey or dessert sweet but a touch of the ol’ lager sweet would be sweet.
Whitewater did a Last Light just right. *** This one is an OK beer I guess, but it left me wondering about that seemingly out of place tang. Let’s put it this way, this was my last Last Light.
*Editor’s Comment: Muskellunge is the largest member of the pike family. Its name was derived from what the Ojibway called it, mashkinonge, meaning “ugly pike” in English. Muskies typically range from 15 to 35 pounds but can grow as large 70 pounds. A fish that big is definitely out of our Reviewer’s league.
**Editor’s Comment: Before closing their doors in 2023, Dragan Brewing had the contract for Ugly Pike Pilsner, and Sittler Ten Point Lager. The Sittler partnership was taken over, with much fanfare, by Something in the Water.
***Editor’s Comment: In October 2023 Last Light lite lager from Whitewater was reviewed and achieved super suds status.
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