Lagunitas PILS (Czech Style Pilsner) - Lagunitas Brewing Company

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

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

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

elNopalero

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This Czech-style pilsner pours a solid clear golden color with thin foam. There’s a crisp hop aroma with a pleasing biscuit toasted malt aroma undertone. It’s crisp and refreshing with hints of sweetness rounding it out while still remaining decidedly light and (especially surprisingly for Lagunitas) toned down. I’ve had hoppier, grassier pilsners. Pleasing, smooth, and overall well-rounded.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2012 07:49:00 | More by elNopalero

Gatch

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Flanny's in Tempe, AZ.

A: Clear, golden yellow.

S: Dry, malty.

T: Great dry, lightly toasted malt. Clean, crisp.

M: Smooth but sharp, good carbonation, easy drinking.

O: Great example of the style. I'm not a huge fan of Pils because I haven't had the proper examples of the style, but I could drink this all the time.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2012 06:56:43 | More by Gatch

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap poured into an 8oz glass.

Pours a very light and clear yellow Color with a small white head and some light white lacing. Nose is very light, slightly malty but very nondescript.

Taste is lightly sweet and malty, but overall its your standard Czechpils, however it just doesn't stand up to any of the real ones in Prague. Mouthfeel is a bit too light with a, on of carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 01:15:33 | More by kingcrowing

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at David Copperfield's; served in a shaker pint.

A: Soft straw body with a finger of pure white head.

S: Crisp, fresh cut grass and bready malts rise from the glass. There is that "suggestion" of hops that is more common in German pils than Czech ones.

T: Smooth, straw and toasted bread flavours. Hops are present, but a really pulled back, which is surprising for Lagunitas.

D: Its one-note, but its a good note. Easy drinking, refreshing stuff here. Nothing more, Nothing less.

Overall: Its a solid American-made pils. It won't blow your mind, but I certainly wouldn't mind having a case of this during the warmer months.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 13:59:44 | More by JohnnyChicago

jsprain1

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Clear golden, white frothy head is one finger thick and lasts pretty well. A few wisps of of lacing.
S- Light crackery malt, a bit of earthy hops, and a bit of light citrus.
T- A really balanced pleasant pilsner. Crackery, with some bread dough notes. There are more herbal notes in it than the nose indicated. A good bit of a orange character.
M- Medium body for style, medium, maybe a little higher, carbonation.
O- A good balanced pilsner. At 6.2% it might not be a the session beer it tastes like, but a really pleasing pilsner.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2011 22:44:39 | More by jsprain1

dgilks

Australia

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

Clear dark straw colour with a creamy white head. Great head retention. Nice lacing.

Mild straw-like pilsner malt aroma with some light fruity touches. A hint of sulphur.

Crisp, clean malt with some light floral hops. Clean moderate bitterness. Very good.

Medium-light body with moderately-high carbonation. Nice and crisp.

A well balanced and tasty pilsner packed full of flavour.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2011 06:18:15 | More by dgilks

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: clear golden. Quarter finger head which leaves a peripheral thin head.

S: sour, malty and barely. Not a whole lot on the nose.

T: Grassy and floral malt/hop taste with a bitter/sour finish. Honey notes mixed in.

M: light body, moderate carbonation.

Overall: This is a nice pilsner. Average overall. Fairly high alcohol content.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 01:56:05 | More by kylehay2004

scottfrie

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the brewery.

A: Served a darkish golden with a fuzzy white head that quickly faded into a thin scum that left wisps of lacing.
S: Light smelling with notes of sweet citrus, lemon and pale malts.
T: Sweet with a good dose of citrus, bread crust, minerals and pale malt. The aftertaste is that of crackers.
M: Medium body, clean mouthfeel, light tingly carbonation.
O: Refreshing enough and really easy to drink. Pretty standard all around.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 03:07:25 | More by scottfrie

avaldivia

California

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

On tap at lagunitas.

A: Light golden color with a huge head for a lager. The head fades very quickly however.

S: Light with just a bit of hop character.

T: Damn. That is a delicious, refreshing pilsner. Nice malty flavor with just a hint of hops. Absolutely enjoyable.

M: Light and crisp. This is a great summertime beer. Incredibly refreshing.

O: This is my go to lager. Affordable, easily obtainable, and wonderful. Great beer to have when warm outside.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 16:49:21 | More by avaldivia

SkunkWorks

New York

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Portside in Port Jefferson, NY. Served in a pint glass.

Look: light gold body, thin white head, decent retention and lacing. Looks like a pils.

Smell: hoppy citrus zest, fresh grass, and pilsner malt.

Taste: a little too sweet for a pilsner. Malty body with some grassy, citrusy hops. Its not as dry as I would've liked and the malt is too forward.

Feel: light bodied, easy drinking, crisp carbonation, refreshing on a hot day and could be something you'd session if it wasn't 6.2% ABV, which seems high for a pils.

Overall: this is okay but calling it a Czech Pilsener seems misleading. It tastes like an American pale lager, so don't buy this thinking you're getting an authentic Czech Pils. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2011 18:52:53 | More by SkunkWorks

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It was served to me on tap with a golden yellow tone and a decent enough head that fizzles in short order. The aroma is malty up fronmt with a biscuit-like and grainy scent as well. It came in with a moderate body and the taste also had a nice, pleasing malty pils attitude with a thin hop bitterness. Overall fairly well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2011 00:30:12 | More by puboflyons

rarbring

Sweden

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A clear yellow beverage, a white head, little lacing.

Smelling of fresh fruits, green apples and lemons. Some fresh cut grass.

Upfront a dextrose sweetnes, then aplles and pears, hay and nettles.

Medium high carbonation, small bubbles, soft and a bit sticky.

Clean and nice, possibly borderline too sweet - for me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2011 22:37:42 | More by rarbring

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A heavy carbonated pale orange with an average white head. The nose is spicy and a little skunky. The taste is true to style. The mouthfeel is dry but very drinkable. Over 6%, on tap, beach in the background. This is not my favorite style, but I'm thirsty and this goes down pretty well.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2011 01:59:05 | More by LazyL

Beernf

California

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

On tap at Bar Food in Santa Monica, CA.

Lagunitas Pils is a standby beer if you are too drunk to really taste another beer for real. It has some basic characteristics that make it easy to drink, like other pilsners. Its not offensive, unless it warms up and then there is some funk to it that I am not a fan of. However, out of a tap when its nice and cold, i like drinking it. Goes well with most food, not sweets though. I guess if you are going to go for a Pilsner, its better to support a small indie brewery than to just order from the corporate beer makers eh?

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 03:32:48 | More by Beernf

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kennedy's pub in San Fran. served in a shaker pint glass.

Appearance: Golden to darker straw yellow with a white head that dies down to eventually nothing. Very mild lacing here and there initially, but eventually that goes away as well.

Smell: Crisp earthy hops blended with some malt. Smells like a pilsner should, but a bit richer in smell. There is a hint of citrus to those hops, but it's still very Germanic....what is it? It's not quite floral, it's not herbal. It screams pilsner and that's the best I can describe it.

Taste: What this beer does not have in appearance it makes up for in taste. Very balanced crisp Czech/German style hops and biscuity malts together. The hop bitterness comes out just enough ahead but in a very satisfying way. The hop flavor is like the smell, some hints of west coast citrus, but that earthy and classic Czech/German flavor is there. I wish I could describe it better but I cannot. Equally good when first poured and towards the end of the glass. Very refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Right balance of carbonation and smoothness. Coats the throat nicely and leaves - making me ready for the next sip or swallow. Nice.

Drinkability: Oh ho - this is a dangerous one. Despite the slightly higher ABV, I'm not noticing it until the entire glass is done. I think I've found a new favorite pilsner. While it's nothing pretty too look at, it is interesting enough as a pilsner I keep wanting another sip, and when it's gone, I really want another one. I could see this going very well with a lot of different foods. A very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2011 05:11:42 | More by damndirtyape

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Light golden color, darker than I was actually expecting. Small amount of head, almost no lacing to speak of .

A: Grains, a small amount of honey and not much else. Smells light and sweet. Pretty unexciting aroma.

T: Hit of sweet malts up front that give way to a nice mellow hoppiness. A well balanced beer, light and summery.

M: Medium bodied with a fair amount of carbonation.

D: A drinkable but unremarkable beer. Light, crisp and easy to drink, but not a pilsner worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2010 14:38:46 | More by DaveBlack

glid02

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Young Augustine's in Atlanta.

Pours a clear golden color with a half-finger white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of light malts but more like a kolsch than the usual crispness I get from lagers. Also present are good amounts of leafy hops and lighter amounts of citrus aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Somewhat muddled light malt flavors that lack a nice crispness kick things off and are joined quickly by leafy hop flavors. Midway through the sip very faint amounts of citrus hops work their way into things before fading out into a mildly bitter ending. The citrus hops are just a bit more intense in the flavor than they are in the aroma.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with solid carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I feel as though this beer really doesn't have an identity. It's not crisp enough to stand as a traditional pilsner and the hops (while I'm glad it's not completely overhopped) are too much for a traditional pilsner but not enough to turn it into a very drinkable beer. A decent beverage but nothing worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2010 01:29:19 | More by glid02

atsprings

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Flying Saucer served in a standard pint glass a crisp orange with a thin diminishing head. Aroma was mild sweet malts and Earthy hops. The taste is a mild balance of sweet hops and mildly bitter lingering hops. The beer is quite smooth, crisp and refreshing. This is certainly an enjoyable pilsner, one I could surely see ordering again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2010 03:14:24 | More by atsprings

UDbeernut

New York

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap poured into a pint glass

A: straw yellow, 1" head with decent retention, slighht lace

S: grass and flower

T: light malt quickly entinguished with over the top bitterness, grass. Spot on for the style.

M&D: light to medoum mouth, drying. Can do about 5 or 6 and not skip a bit. Does have a slightly more abv than a session. Otherwise it would be perfect for a summer weekend bbq.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2010 20:49:59 | More by UDbeernut

TommyW

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Clear gold with a sticky white head.

S- Faint grass and mild floral hops; a little faint overall.

T- Bready malt with hay and grass. Clean floral hop presence, but it's a little on the weak side.

M- Medium body with a light carbonation.

D- Not a badly balanced beer, but the hop presence just didn't remind me of what a good Czech Pils should be.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2010 12:26:53 | More by TommyW

boss302

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lagunitas Pils, draft, 5.3%Abv. This beer was newly tapped and quite fresh.
A4,S4.5,T4.5,M4,O4.5

A Big thick white head. Deep golden color and crystal clear. Head receeded, but continued to cover the beer all the way to the end of the glass.

S Nice fresh flowery noble hop Aroma. Just as a Czech pils should be.

T Malty, with sufficient hop bitterness to tip the balance toward the hops. Hops dominate, but are not harsh and are true to style.

M This a pale beer, with full flavor and medium body due to quality malt. Carbonation is a little high, but doesn't detract.

O Light colored beers are very difficult to make well because there is nowhere to hide errors. If you get a chance to try a good one, don't miss the opportunity. This is one of those beers. Highly recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2010 02:17:45 | More by boss302

taigor

New York

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap poured into a regular pint glass.

A - Poured clear golden color with medium head that slowly dissipated leaving slight lacing around the glass.

S - Grains predominate with a hint of citrus, honey and hops.

T - Hoppy bitter with a dry finish. Unexpected for Czech Pilsener.

M - Light bodied with medium carbonation.

D - Easy going and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2010 11:13:20 | More by taigor