Pilsner Urquell

Brewed by Plzensky Prazdroj (SABMiller)
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
Plzen, Czech Republic

My friend Ron calls the best beer ever made. I think he’s listened to too many radio commercials. Certainly it’s a fine pils, but the not the best. Good crisp drink, with a light gold color, thin white head, and tight carbonation. Mild malty, doughy aroma. Nice malt & hop balance, but not a very strong flavor. Clean finish. It’s just "okay," Ron.

I’ll rate the fresh samples i’ve had. Although the hops and body have diminished in the last few years the sharp spicy saaz aroma is one of the tops. Dark clear straw color. Nice malt body that has also thinned as of late. Still a nice dry bitter finish. When fresh - still one of the best examples.

King of all pilsners! If I was a pils drinker and it wasn’t so expensive I wouldn’t drink anything else (except for milk). Strong flowers and perfume in the aroma. Orange/golden colour, large forthy white head, good lacing. Sweet for a pilsner, soft, very full, lots of flavors, malt, flowers. Long sweet and hopbitter finish.

Plenty of head, dark golden pilsner like color. As the bottle says, it’s the original pilsner. The one all are based off of. Aroma was skunky as expected from a green bottle import that had no doubt been on the shelf for a while. Oakes is probably right that if this beer were fresh, it would be superb. The palate on this beer was not very fulfilling to me. Left an empty dry feeling in my mouth with a metallic finish. This beer’s flavor was very full. Lots to be found in this beer, unfortunately, most of it was covered up by the skunky taste. Overall a very drinkable pilsner that I will consider in the future. MUCH better than some of the american pilsners i’ve had.

Bottled (660ml). People seem to love this or hate it. I can't believe the number of comments about it being stale or skunked - how can a supposedly world class beer distributed in a such a state. Mine wasn't skunked, but I just don't find it that exciting. I'm not really a big lager fan and I don't find it a crisp as many do. There's a lot a maltiness in there. So I don't love it or hate it, I just find it unexceptional. I prefer Budvar and some other Czech pilsners. I suppose it might be different if I were drinking it fresh in a bar in Plzen, but I doubt I'll be doing that any time soon.

Bottle.Cclear amber color with large white head. Aroma has medium hop tone. Flavor is hop and and malt with a medium bitter hop finish

On tap - Slaughtered Lamb Greenwich Village. A slightly creamy aroma more characterful than most pilsners. The colour is golden but over-carbonated. Flavour is slightly creamy and wheaty. Not bad for a pilsener and apparently much copied.

A nice fresh, clean pilsner with a long and dry finish. A solid, reliable classic.