It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the Pabst Brewing Company. As recently as 2018 I went as far as to write a love letter to PBR that was published on this very site. So when news broke about Pabst releasing a new brand, Captain Pabst, I was definitely excited. The first release from Captain Pabst to be distributed is Seabird currently a mid-west exclusive offering only available in Wisconsin and Chicago markets. Luckily for me the good people at Pabst were kind enough to send some samples for us to check out! Fun fact, if you plug the GPS coordinates that are printed on the label of Seabird in Google maps it will take you directly to the Best place at the Historic Pabst Brewery.



Seabird is a session IPA that clocks in at a 4.5% ABV which has no IBU rating on the can. The beer comes in a 16oz can with a beautiful blue and gold label. The artwork on the can is really well done. I found my eye being drawn to it multiple times while it sat on my counter and googling tidbits of information that are printed on the label. Seabird pours a deep copper color and is not what I would call hazy at all but it isn’t clear either. In a state where the session market is dominated by All Day IPA this looks much more like what you would expect from a flagship IPA. On the nose you get a lot of standard IPA characteristics. There is a hop presence that is backed up by a floral and citrus smell that has just a hint of grassiness on it. The malt is very dialed back on Seabird. It gives the beer a very light mouthfeel which is refreshing, and still finishes with a light sticky dankness that you would expect from this style of beer. Seabird is brewed with Magnum, Citra, Cascade, and Mosaic hops and they blend together flawlessly in this beer. The hops all do a fantastic job of balancing out the other flavors that pop in the beer, primarily citrus and floral notes. In many ways Seabird has reminded what I enjoy about IPA as a style. Seabird is a classic representation of this style beer and should appeal to practically any beer drinker.



At the end of the day Seabird is an extremely well balanced drinkable beer. One of the reasons that I love pilsners and lagers so much is because they are styles of beers that are approachable and refreshing. Simply put, they are beers that are easy to drink. Seabird has managed to achieve this. So many IPA’s are abrasive and overpowering and really put forth an effort to throw you around the room a bit. There’s nothing wrong with that, and that style of beer has certainly earned its place in the craft beer world. Seabird is occupying a very different, but extremely welcome and underrepresented style of IPA. The approachable IPA that is enjoyable and you can have more than 1 of. If you’re going to watch a hockey game with friends you can have a few of Seabirds and still be aware of what’s going on in the third period of the game. Bottom line is Pabst has created an extremely enjoyable beer. I can’t wait for this beer to be available in Michigan as it will become a regular offering in my home bar. If you like IPA and Seabird is available to you grab it, you will not be disappointed.

Also make sure to check out Draft Therapy’s Review of Captain Pabst!





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