Dissecting the smells of Victory’s prima pilsner was a little difficult.  Perhaps the sinus infection blocking my nostrils has something to do with this though.  In general terms, it smelled like a hopped up Pabst Blue Ribbon.  A citrusy hoppy mixed with an earthy maltiness is the best I can do.

The pour was beautiful…crisp golden with thin streams of carbonation dancing up to the surface, moderate head; maybe a centimeter or less, quickly dissipated into spotty lacing.

The taste.  Alright…I was a bit surprised.  Again, maybe it was the sinus infection, but it wasn’t quite as great as I was expecting.  The favorable reviews (Men’s Journal rated this brew as one of the top 5 American beers) led me to believe I would be tasting liquid gold!  Anyway, it was extremely dry, over-hopped, and overwhelmingly bitter.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a bitter beer:  Any regular reader of my reviews knows this.  But I do enjoy it when brewers incorporate a subtle sweetness somewhere in the drinking experience of a bitter beer for balance.

Unfortunately, as per my nose suggested, the flavor reminded me of a batch of Pabst that had been botched by a drunk brewmaster who accidently knocked a load of citrus hops into the mix.  As far as American Pilsners go, it is my opinion that Sam Adam’s Hallertau Imperial Pilsner, reviewed here a few months ago, beats out the Prima Pilsner by leaps and bounds.  Don’t get me wrong…Victory puts out some good beer.  I’m not bashing the brewery.  Just the other day I thoroughly enjoyed their Golden Monkey golden ale.

Nonetheless, this beer can be a great stepping stone out of the world of conglomorated indutrial beer into the much tastier world of craft beer.  Thoughts?  Comments?  Agree/  Disagree?