In the American craft beer scene, Pilsners/Lagers are kind of like everybody’s weird uncle, they are ignored, perhaps only recognized at family gatherings, and we begrudgingly admit association.  Perhaps this attitude is a bit wrong…for the uncle and the beer.  More on this in an upcoming post…this is beer review, after all.

Pilsner Urquell is a bit of a classic.  As the name suggests (so Mike pointed out to me) it is the original pilsner.  Brewed in Czechlosovakia, it reeks of eastern European lager-ness from the packaging on down.

The Pour:

Urquell pours  with ample carbonation and, given a little help, a decent head.  The beer is crystal clear, as it out to be.  I mean, you could actually make beer goggles out of a couple of glasses of this brew were beer goggles literal spectacles and not a euphemism for unlikely hookups.  What is noteworthy is the color of the beer.  Pilsner Urquel is not a faint, watery, patel yellow like American macro lagers.  It is TRULY golden, seemingly boasting an absence of adjuncts.

The Nose:

It is difficult to push into the aroma of this style of beer, in my opinion, as our presuppositions from our Macro years cloud our judgment.  However, with my nose buried in my glass in deep concentration I found the aromas of bread, cake donuts, bread dough, boiling sugar, toasted bread, light grapes, melon, noble hops, and citrus.

The Taste:

At first glance, this beer could let you down…if that’s what you want it to do.  But it is more than your typical American Lager.  This brew is much hopier, to begin with, showcasing a crisp bitter bite unlike a triple hopped Miller Lite.  From these hops, I picked up lemony notes and–surprisingly–mild grapefruit flavors.  The beer is slightly mineral/metallic laced with a hearty malt backbone with plenty of earthy grainy flavors.  There is a slight spiciness towards the end of the tasting experience.  Right as the beer washed down my throat, I picked up on a raspberry flavor.  The aftertaste of the beer is pleasantly bitter.  It actually reminded me of the way the Saaz hops pellets smell.

Overall Thoughts:

Pilsner Urquell is a great beer.  It isn’t your college party’s beer, and will make a great subtle substitute as you try to convert your buddies as you watch the next football game.

Nate’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★½☆ 

Among other Golden Pilsners: ★★★¾☆