Brewery: | Excel Brewing Company |
Location | Breese, IL |
Style | Vienna Lager |
ABV | 5.0% |
IBUs | 22 |
Best Quote During Tasting
I get the urge to chug a beer and smash the glass when I'm at your house.
Justin:
Aroma - The malts are toasted bread and pie crust while the hops are perceptible as perfumey and floral. |
Score: 9/12 |
Appearance - El Pistolero pours a clear, light amber with a bright white head made up of small and large bubbles. The head stays firm as the beer is consumed and leaves nice lacing. |
Score: 3/3 |
Flavor - The beer is sweet but not overly so. Sweeter than my preference. It's got a great malt backbone of graham cracker and pie crust with the hops having much more bitterness than on the nose but still retaining their floral quality throughout the finish. |
Score: 16/20 |
Mouthfeel - Medium + carbonation and a medium body makes this one a crisp palate cleanser. |
Score: 4/5 |
Overall Impression - Lagers aren't supposed to be something we like but dammit if some of them just taste delicious. This is an example of a Mexican Lager (Vienna style) with darker malts and hops that you can taste. It rates high because it's a great example of the style. I could definitely pound a few of these poolside and recommend you give it a try. |
Score: 9/10 |
Justin:
Aroma - Sweet malty goodness with a fair amount of bread crust. A slight hop aroma produces pleasant floral aromas. |
Score: 9/12 |
Appearance - Deep clear amber in color with a fluffy white head that slowly resides. Looks highly carbonated. |
Score: 3/3 |
Flavor - Malt produces a fair amount of nutty and toasted bread notes, and a slight bit of caramel sweetness. The floral hops give a fair amount of bitterness that creates a great balance with the sweetness from the malts. |
Score: 17/20 |
Mouthfeel - Medium-high carbonation and medium body. Very crisp. |
Score: 4/5 |
Overall Impression - Wish I had this one on my honeymoon. I drank plenty of the style while in Mexico, but I'm not sure any of them were as refreshing as El Pistelero. This is just one of a number of beers Excel has done where I feel they not only nail the style, but improve it quite a bit. I talk a lot about beers that are great for drinking on a patio during great weather, and this one is another one that will enter my rotation this summer. |
Score: 9/10 |

Justin Phelps
Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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