If you poured yourself a glass of Jever Pils and set it next to a glass of Heineken, you probably wouldn’t see too much of a difference. Both beers are in the pilsner style, after all. If you took a sip of each, however, you’d surely notice a difference: the Jever has a far more pronounced hop character than the Heineken does.

Jever Pils, of course, comes from the town of Jever, a seaside community in Friesland, which is part of northern Sachsen, Germany. It’s not too far from the Netherlands (which has a Friesland of its own), and it’s not a stretch to imagine this dry hoppy pils as a staple on the beaches of North Germany. Indeed, the six-packs sent to America certainly stress a nautical theme.

Brewing beer is serious business indeed in Jever, and has been for over 150 years. The Jever brewery sells several different brews, though Jever Pils is their most famous, and sold as an “Original Friesland Pilsner”. Shipments to America come in green bottles, unfortunately, so it’s best to purchase your Jever from an unopened case that hasn’t been exposed to light. A hoppy beer like this will skunk in no time if not properly handled. And that would truly be a waste of a fine beer, indeed.

Jever Pils pours to a pale golden color with a light head formation of densely packed bubbles and a strikingly herbal hop nose. The head may be thin, but a fine layer of Brussels lace does cling to the sides of my glass as the liquid descends. Right away, I’m impressed by the crisp, biscuity malt character here, a definite prerequisite in a good pilsner.

What really sets Jever apart from the pack, however, is its wonderfully dry herbal hop character. It doesn’t take long to make itself known, at first dancing on the tongue as a minty-grassy herbal Hallertau hop buzz. Gradually, though, it steadily increases into the finish, which is long, dry, and wonderfully bitter.

The original pilsners (such as Pilsner Urquell) came from what is now the Czech republic. They’re hoppy beers, too, with a distinct soft malt character all their own. They won’t be mistaken for a beer like Jever, however. A truly classic north German pils, and one that really has to be experienced to be believed. I could easily drink this one over and over again without getting tired of it. A little pricey at $9 a six-pack, but worth every penny, and then some. Don’t miss it.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.