Lagunitas PILS (Czech Style Pilsner) - Lagunitas Brewing Company

admccabe

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Nice labeling, poured into pint glass where it had a light head to accompany the light amber/golden color
S- I'm still trying to refine my sense of smell when it comes to beers. I thought I was smelling some sort of grain, like wheat, barley?
T- Had a nice mix of sour/bitter taste, I tasted something similar to grapes.
M- It had a lingering bite, wasn't unpleasant.
O- I'm glad I tried this beer, I'm still exploring different pilsners, so this was on my list. I'd buy it again, but I'm still searching for the pilsner that will be my "goto".

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 20:26:07 | More by admccabe

pineaxesaw

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Right now I am going through a phase of trying authentic czech style pilsners, and this pilsner stays very true to its style. It has a much deeper golden color, then a Bohemian or Vienna style lager. The spice notes are quiet to come through but once you taste them, your happy they have used some high quality Saaz hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 00:45:30 | More by pineaxesaw

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

12oz on tap

pale light gold, no head or lacing to speak of. smell is sweet roasted grain, light wheat, peanut butter. light grainy pils taste, "balanced" by very bitter hops.

tasty hoppy pils from lagunitas. their trademark intense hop bitterness is here unsurprisingly

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 23:01:34 | More by jimmah120

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.84/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

more of a sturdy pils than most, which i of course appreciate. this pours clear radiant yellow color, maybe a copper hue to it, but just barely. the head is frothy and rich and lasting, although only about an inch tall. the nose is grassy, distinctly Czech on the hop front, and light pizza dough malt like a good pilsener should have. nice crisp taste, with more body than most and more alcohol than most too, although you cant really taste it. the grains are nice and fresh, slightly toasted maybe, and the noble hops are spot on, summery and only moderately bitter. awesome carbonation, really thirst quenching. the finish is super clean, down easy, especially when ice cold. this is a good springtime drinker, not freakishly interesting, but it is really tasty. my dad would adore this, im impressed by its quality but not particularly moved by it. also, like the wilco tango, this is one of the few lagunitas beers where the yeast strain doesn't detract from the overall effort. hey, that's 2 in a row!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 21:25:23 | More by StonedTrippin

mscott1975

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Nice creamy 2 finger head that leaves nice lacing around the glass. Color of the beer is your standard lager yellow. Carbonation bubbles continue to float towards the top throughout the entire 'session'.

Smell: Not much to speak of. A faint metallic smell is all I can muster and maybe a little hay like smell. Although, I don't really think the style lends itself to strong aromas.

Taste: I really wish I could be more descriptive but it's pretty standard pilsner taste. Sweet, bready malt.

Mouthfeel: A little thicker and more robust than I would have expected for the style. Nice and creamy on the palate and is pretty easy to drink. This beer clings to the back of the tongue like a stronger lager which makes sense at 6.0%.

Overall: I like my pilsner's and lagers in general to be a little more crisp and refreshing than this one. If I'm going the lager rout I'm choosing Victory Prima Pils or Stoudt's Munich Gold. It's a well crafted beer but I probably won't be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 03:04:18 | More by mscott1975

lsummers

California

3.66/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had some good expectations for this one but it just didn't hit home.

Looked great with its one finger tall head that left some nice lacing. Smells nice but not anything too special. Taste was a touch hoppier than what I usually like in a pilsner. Hops are Lagunitas's style but the type of hops didn't quite do it for me.

Overall I'm glad to have tried it even if I didn't much care for it. I think it's got a spot in someone's fridge just not mine.

Edit - Retry

I revisited this one after a half year from trying it. I went in not expecting any particular style and found this very pleasant. The hops do well in a lager and it does smell pretty nice. Like a fresh wet field of hay. Tastes great too, a touch of bite from some floral hops leads into a more wheaty malt and nutty honey. Overall I am definitely going to retry and see how I feel again seeing as something was off the first time having this beer.

Edit - Another Retry...

Still liking this one, it's such a different tasting pils that I have to give credit to it. One that anyone whom likes slightly more hopped up styles should try. And to think that Lagunitas used to be one of my least favorite breweries. It's amazing how important retrying is.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 04:40:59 | More by lsummers

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This brew pours a perfect straw, golden color with a fluffy white 3 finger head which lasts for several minuets. Good carbonation. Medium lacing on the glass lasts until the end.

The smell is malty, soapy, straw, wet hay and cut grass.

The taste starts with a sharp bite. Then a bready and honey taste comes in followed by bitter and dry aftertaste. Dry but oily, there seems to be a complex hop signature in this brew.

The mouthfeel is thin but bready. There is a bite in the mouth due to the high carbonation and the bitter hop profile that comes in on the back end.

Overall this is a good solid drinking Pils. It is the right color for a pils and packs a nice combination of malts and hops. It lacks the grassy, gritty, grainy aftertaste of many pilsners which you can consider a plus or minus based on your personal preference. I could see myself knocking back a few of these on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 22:55:40 | More by microbrewlover

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep gold with a nice 2 finger fluffy white head that lasts. Pretty good lacing clings to the glass on the way down. Clean aroma with some grapes and slight hint of citrus. Tastes a little better than the smell led me to believe. Some malt and sweetness up front. Some breadiness. Slight bitterness in the finish that lingers afterwards. Smooth and silky in the mouth with good ammount of carbination. Nothing spectauclar, but very drinkable beer, could drink these all day.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:09:25 | More by Burkbom23

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up as part of a mix-a-six at Giant in Linglestown, PA. Poured chilled into a bass glass.

The color is clear golden with an appropriate white cap which settles to a thin ring of beads. The smell is very light with herbal aspects and mild soapy element. The feel is good with slight bitterness and mild sweetness with semi-dry and mineral finish.

The taste is gentle with light malt sweetness and mild spice from the hops with some soapiness in the background and light yeast taste with gently toasted grain flavor and dry finish. Overall a decent pils, but I would probably take or leave it, just an ordinary lager for the most part.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 16:59:45 | More by Slatetank

sam_bliss

Washington

4.14/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Like Adam and Eve, Isaac and Ishmael, Mao and Confuscious [sic], Good and Evil, Day and Night, Hittites and Visigoths, John and Lorena, or Groucho and Moe, Ales and Lagers are as different as can be. Still, we must love each for who they are, separately but equally, with liberty, and justice, for all. Cheers!

Classic PILS Lagunitas bottle. Looks like a nice clear beer. Mmmm I have not smelled a well-made lager for a while. In the US northwest we are ale-crazy and most of the lagers around are shitty macro brews. Since I am personally ale crazy too - I rarely come upon lagers that are not: (1) made by AB InBev; or (2) creative craft lagers that end up tasting unique or like ales. This one holds it's own as a Pilsener yet also displays the signature qualities of Lagunitas Brewing Company. The smell is of sweet golden bready malts. It reminds me of Germany, most likely because I have never been to Czechland. Some sourish pilsener scent overlays light fruitiness and grassy hops. The taste has sharp, slightly roasty malted grains and just a hint of coffee. A bit of salted caramel and some savory umami round out a very complete and clean malt profile. The hops have lemony and resin flavors; they are understated, as is typical of pilseners. On second thought, the hops are even a little soapy. Mouthfeel is fuller and carbonation more mild than most pilseners I have had. It's not perfectly true to the style but it works.

It's hard to know how to score a lager. The label is right: lagers are just so different from the beers I normally drink. It's hard to fathom that they are both beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 01:55:38 | More by sam_bliss

sethcroisant

Nebraska

2.46/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.25

A- weak looking head that clears out quickly. a decent bit of lacing sticks around

S- slightly fruity hops, maybe hallertau? not much malt, but it's a little sugary. boozy for a pilsner.

M- somewhat high carbonation, but it's offset by a full bodied feel.

T- intense hops that are very soapy. the particular flavor of hops is more reminiscent of a pale ale. hops oil lingers on the tongue. not much malt until the end, where it's sweet and caramel-like. slightly dry and crackery in the after taste.

O- very strange and a little off-putting. there are much better choices on the market than this.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 04:47:27 | More by sethcroisant

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.21/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - Pours a crystal clear copper with a two finger bubbly white head that leaves no lacing.

S - Starts out with pilsner malts that quickly transition to honey and corn.

T - Follows the nose. Pilsner and pale malt open up the flavor which quickly becomes followed by honey and a bit of corn. Grass and slight lemon zest finish out the flavor.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O - Overall, It was decent, But no my style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:11:36 | More by SometimesIfart

ktblue22

Vermont

4.15/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Note - I was served this beer on tap but in a series of a flight, as it was during a Lagunitas Tap Take-over at the Fireworks Restaurant in Keene. The flight was also paired with the best fish taco I have ever ever had - just to say, if you're in the area, check out their Craft Beer Thursday (first Thursday of every month)

A - yellow khaki color with a very thin head
S - crisp and dry
T- well carbonated, dry and very flavorful. Very good take on czech pilsner - fresh and crisp yet smooth and flavorful...YUM

Beautiful and drinkable - not my favorite lagunitas, but a great option for a pils if you are sick of Scrimshaw (me)

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2013 06:19:19 | More by ktblue22

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Bottle > Winter Lager glass
A - Pours a light and very clear golden color, minimal head thin lacing, but looks nice.
S - Yeast and biscuity malt, some interesting spices as well.
T - Tastes like your average pilsner with a belgian touch. Nothing too crazy goin on.
M - Thin, a little watery, and a slightly metallic feeling on your palate.
O - Not bad, but I'm not a fan of Pilsner's in general, so not going to seek this out anytime soon. It really doesnt have any hop presence at all either, kinda disappointing on that end.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:22:59 | More by Omnium

beergoot

Colorado

3.64/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Gold body topped with a thin white head; crystal clear with plenty of carbonation rising. Aroma came across with cereal grain and dry, grassy scents. Taste and feel reinforce the aroma characteristics with a clean, smooth, medium body. There's a good hop bitterness to counter-balance the malt grain and sweetness notes.

I like this pilsner. It's solid and does a fine job of matching the style except it's a bit weak in the hop aroma. But, taste, to me, is the key, and this beer is very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 20:56:52 | More by beergoot

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

3.71/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Color is a crystal clear gold. The generous head has great retention, and leaves a fair amount of lacing behind. Scents are bread and lemon, but are a bit weak. The taste is mainly biscuit/cracker, with hints of grass and citrus. High carbonation and a slight peppery flavor give it quite a sharp bite. There is a slight bitter metallic taste to it as well, though not overpowering. I think it could benefit from a strong hop profile, similar to Victory's Prima Pils. Solidly good, but not spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 20:01:54 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle with no apparent bottled on date present. The label on my bottle says this beer is packing a 6.0% abv as opposed to the 6.2% suggested on BeerAdvocate.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a standard amber / gold looking pilsner / lager looking color with tons of bubbles rushing around and leaving us with about one finger's worth of fluffy doughy draft looking head. Nice fluffy lacing on the sides as the beer goes down.

S - Clean, pale malts, faint citrus, and some very vague note of smoked oak wood perhaps. Not too much happening on the nose.

T - Smooth, light, roasted malt flavor. Slight hint of sweet piney hops are present in the back end, but not overwhelming by any means. Noticeably spicy and peppery in the finish, but again it is faint and not distracting. A pleasant sipping beer. Again, a slight oaked wood character creeps out as the beer warms a bit.

M - Smooth and clean feel, no real lingering flavors. Nicely bodied, nicely balanced, and a nice beer to sip on.

Overall, a modest pilsner from Lagunitas, the first I have tried from them, as opposed to being partial to their more hoppy endeavors, and I can definitely say this is a beer worth trying if you are into pilsners and lagers.

Lagunitas Pils Czech Style Pilsner ---3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:35:46 | More by mfnmbvp

humuloner22

2.14/5  rDev -41.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

I know I may be in the minority here. But, I have had Czech Style Pilsners in Europe and this was not anything like them. I could have gotten a bad batch, but this beer was just plain awful! It was more malt than hops and had a thickness that does not typify a Czech Pilsner to me. It was not clean and pretty low carbonation. The smell was sweet and did not have that nice sharpness that typify a Pilsner. I had a friend concur just to make sure, neither of us had had this one before but it was not remotely a good tasting beer. I rarely do this but I could not get through this one it tasted so bad. It was like a really cheaply made grain dominant beer with a large amount of malt. If they were trying to make a Czech style Pilsner, this is not one. If I can talk myself into trying this one again I will give it another chance. But, this particular lot was really bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 23:23:34 | More by humuloner22

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, golden colored with a short loose head that dissipates quickly leaving little lacing, clear

S: sweet cereal grains, honey, nice malt smell

T: sweet malt followed by a clean bitter hop finish, has a mineral water quality

M: thinner and highly carbonated

O: an OK beer, clean finish with little flavor, some hop flavor

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 22:24:25 | More by M_C_Hampton

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pilsner glass.

A: Clear pale golden yellow with two-finger, white, fizzy, creamy head that lasted more than several minutes. Okay lacing.

S: Hay, grass, hops, and malt.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Spice, toasted malt, apple juice. Very nice.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Crisp and slightly smooth.

O: This is a really good Czech Pilsener. Wasn't expecting much given the BA score, but I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I tasted it.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 02:03:16 | More by SolipsismalCat

dar482

New York

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A pretty honest Czech pilsner. It comes in a light clear yellow with a heavy head that dissipates quickly. The flavor has good hops and bitterness. It's quite light and finishes decently. It leaves some bitterness on the tongue.
It's not an incredible beer, but it's a good example of Laguntias trying to do a Czech pilsner. Quite drinkable, but it does lack some rounded flavors and leaves a taste that isn't exactly right. Recommended for casual drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2013 03:05:37 | More by dar482

mattkoon

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

i got this lagunitas pils after trying the "sucks" which i really liked. the pils isnt as good but it is still a worthy beer. the color is a cloudy golden. it smells of barley with a sweet caramel mix. the taste is smooth and sweet with a crisp lightness. not as bold and flavorful as gthe "sucks" but its a different style- this is a good pils but if i had to choose id go for the "sucks" every time. also, on another note- this beer is very drinkable.... if you want something you can drink a few of you wont be disappointed with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 00:27:54 | More by mattkoon

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.74/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance- sparkling clear little to no head, no lacing

Aroma- Hay, Honey, grass, popcorn, sweet butter

taste- more of a hop forward pils. full resin hop hit at the front that drops off sharply and the carbonation cleans up the palette. It doesn't linger long. Different from corny pils

Mouthfeel- high fizz a little more bitterness than I have tasted in the style. I like the alcohol in this its a little higher than I am used to in this style.

Overall- i think this pils will please a lot of modern beer drinkers its hop forward is a little more boozy than most, its pretty in the glass. Traditionalists beware. I think I could have put a lot of this away in my college days when my drinking priorities were different. Bravo

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 07:24:12 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

magictacosinus

California

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Taking a break from all those insane ales to try a pilsner-style, this time from Lagunitas. Poured into a pilsner glass from a 120z bottle. 6.2% ABV?? Nice.

Produces a clear, golden yellow color with tons of carbonation, to the point where an aggressive pour in the glass is extremely frothy and yeast-like in appearance. About 2 fingers tall at first, it eventually dwindles down to next to nothing and leaves some lacing behind. It settles down a bit after about 10 minutes, but still retains the gentle and simple, graceful look in the style of Czech pilsners.

The smell is pretty spot-on when rating to style, with tons of golden pilsner malt aromas, lots of grain, some Saaz hops, and an enormous skunked backdrop. Actually, this last smell appears to be far more exaggerated in Lagunitas' adaptation, and more so than any I've had yet from the Czech Republic. The sugared, sweetened alcoholic aroma permeates underneath a bit of spice and zest. The yeast aroma seems to settle down a bit when you let this sit, although I am still bracing for the flavor at this point.

The flavor starts out pretty malty, as expected, but eventually some hops and alcohol creep in the aftertaste. What's crazy is how skunked this gets and how harsh - yet fun - of a drinking experience it becomes when it melds with the slight alcohol burn. I realize that this is yet another experiment from the brewery's part (especially since this is their only lager you can find more often in between their ales), so it seems ultimately that the alcohol serves to add muscles to the beer. Graininess permeates, but it's really all about the yeast and alcohol aromas here, with the hops taking a backseat in this case. The yeast is pretty vibrant, although the body, despite being excessively carbonated, could be a little less watery. The yeast becomes a bit distracting the more this warms up, and the alcohol a bit oppressive.

Not a bad attempt from Lagunitas to take on this style, and definitely full of flavor and crowd-pleasing aspects for sure. I would probably get more of these to give to people that like lighter recipes with an alcohol kick masked underneath. Worth a shot for Lagunitas enthusiasts.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 03:24:22 | More by magictacosinus

SportsandJorts

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Type: 12 oz bottle
Glass: Pint
From: Plum Market in Ann Arbor, MI
Price: $10 a 6-pack

Appearance: light straw yellow in color and clear. Small foamy head that fades quickly to a lacing on the top and sides.

Smell: Upfront spicy hops that are not at all overpowering followed by a nice mixture of malts and yeast. Smells very good.

Taste: Again spicy hops, malts and yeast. Unlike in the nose they are all lumped together and lacking in proper balance. also is a bit grassier than the nose

Mouthfeel: light and crisp. high carbonation. fairly drinkable

Overall: almost a very good beer. the taste needs a little more balance instead of everything being jumbled together and hard to pick apart.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 21:16:28 | More by SportsandJorts