Lagunitas PILS (Czech Style Pilsner) - Lagunitas Brewing Company

rickyleepotts

Arizona

4.35/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I pretty much like everything this brewery makes. I didn't care for the Brown Shugga' the first time I had it, but we tried it again on the blog so I put more attention to the overall flavor profile. They just released Laguintas Sucks, which is a really nice citrus forward IPA. Oh, and their cappuccino stout is delicious. I have had this one before, but I am excited to try it with attention to the flavor. This one has been sitting in the fridge for a few weeks, and we will be drinking it ice cold. Bring it; i'm thirsty!

In the Glass: It's clean, thin, and gold in the glass. Looks like a domestic, to be honest. The beer does offer a decent lace that I wasn't expecting. I've had this before, and gave it a 5/5 on Untappd. It's been a while, so I hope I still like the flavor.

Nose: That smells like beer should smell. It is clean, and you really get the Saaz hops coming through. It is almost grassy/earthy on the nose. Smells like beer smells in Europe. I guess this IS a Czech pilsner! I really like this style, too. I call beers like this "chugging" beers.

Flavor: It's not sweet, but it's close. It is bittersweet, maybe. The flavor explodes when you take the first sip, and then it changes and becomes more complex as you swallow leading to a wonderful dry aftertaste. I have a few double pilsners in the fridge. I actually prefer this one over them. This is just lovely!

Mouthfeel: It starts off thin, then gets dry toward the back of the palate. Not a lot of bubbles here, which I might have expected just thinking about previous pilsners I have had. But the flavor profile literally changes as you swallow and the aftertaste is incredible. I will stop mentioning the aftertaste and will just go talk about it!

Aftertaste: I swallowed the beer five minutes ago… and the aftertaste is still there. The flavor ends dry on the palate, and then there is a swallow or two of sweet. When the sweetness leaves, and the dryness kicks in. Imagine the flavor you get after licking bamboo. That is what I am tasting here. Not sure if I have ever licked bamboo, but that is the flavor that I am thinking of. It is earthy and dry, and hangs on for a long time. Great flavor!

I rated this beer 5/5 on Untappd the first time I had it. Not sure when that was, but I am giving it the same rating again today. It looks boring in the glass, but the Saaz hops really make this a powerful and delicious brew. The founder of the brewing company thinks this is the best beer they make. He might be right! Drink this fresh, drink this cold, and enjoy! Bottoms up, people.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 17:55:10 | More by rickyleepotts

silverking

Florida

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

It pours a nice, clear gold. The head is white a fluffy, almost mallow-like. The lacing is practically non-existent. Lots of grassy malt aromas and bread dominate the nose with a touch citrusy hops. Relatively low carbonation and a light mouthfeel. The hops show some more in the flavor, but malt is the highlight of this one. The finish does have some nice bitterness to it. Hmmm. It fails to "wow" me, but I'm far from dissapointed.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 00:07:05 | More by silverking

zachloveshisbeer

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

Oh it's OK, but not their best effort. As far as a Czech pils is concerned, this one is a little high on the abv and low on the citrus flavour. It poured a nice, pale yellow colour with a hint of malt and light hop aroma. I drank it and felt like it just wasn't on-par with the other brews from these guys, which you should all be aware, are some of the best craft brews on the market today. I would probably pair this one with a nice summer salad or some old cheddar to increase its character. It is one heck of a lot better than any macro, but it's still not the best Czech pils I've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 16:54:34 | More by zachloveshisbeer

Moose90

Colorado

3/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz Bottle into Pint Glass
Can't decipher freshness date

A - Pale straw, bright gold. Pours aggressively with a big head that slowly subdues, lacing left behind is evidence of the higher ABV.

S - Typical pilsner. But I also get some fresh sweet malts, almost like a fresh fried donut, strange. Some hops coming out, but not much.

T - Smooth and subdued, grass, hay and some hop character here.

M - Clean, may be over carbed a tad, but still very refreshing and smooth, the ABV is not apparent, though there is a lingering sticky-sweetness on the finish.

O - Not a big fan of the style, but I love Lagunitas so figured I'd give it a go. Its a good beer, relatively solid representation of a Pils.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 01:13:49 | More by Moose90

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

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

Pale golden/straw colored beer with a thick white head. Aroma is quite grainy and cerealish with a soft herbal hoppiness. A bit floral and lightly noble in character. Flavor is quite non-descript though. Pale malt, soft bitterness and a light floral character. As a pale lager it works, but it’s one of Lagunitas’ weaker brews.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 10:45:25 | More by Serge

kangarooAdam59

Maine

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

Recieved in the bottle at Vignola's (Portland, ME):

Into a pilsener:

A: nice pale yellow body yielding a decent one finger white foamy head that appeared and lasted for thirty seconds before slowly dieing into the body.

S: hops in front with faint lemon in the background.

T: exactly the same.

M: light, crisp and some typical slight (Czech Pilsener) harshness on the tongue (though I expected it, it wasn't necessarily enticing).

O: uh . . . just another Czech Pilsener if you ask me, probably won't entertain this one again, better stuff by Lagunitas out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:26:25 | More by kangarooAdam59

berliner07

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Lagunitas delivers again. This pils is perfect in color. straw, but just enough color to be interesting. nose is very nice, with faint spice of hop. mouthfeel is typical of the style. a bit thin, but good. crisp, dry. i'll have another. excited to see more of their offerings pop up around me.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 13:22:50 | More by berliner07

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Lots of white foam. Golden color.

Smell: Lemongrass. And lemon. And grass.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Grass and lemon. Very sweet background. Almost too sweet. Crisp initially, then a bit cloying in the finish.

Overall Drinkibality: Too sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 22:09:33 | More by tjsdomer2

rangerred

Tennessee

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear light gold with a thin soapy head that quickly fades. Really no lacing either but there are tons of carbonation bubbles helping to keep a little foam on top.

Aroma is definitely to style. Almost a little skunk with lots of noble hops and grass. A little bit of bready grain sneaks through.

Flavor has lots of floral noble hops up front and sweet, bready grain. I can almost detect a tiny bit of roast on the back end. Bitterness is sharp and pleasant although there is a little more sweetness than I would like and it isn't quite crisp enough.

Overall, a pleasing pilsener but I prefer several from European breweries. Nonetheless it would be quite pleasant during the summer.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 23:28:32 | More by rangerred

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

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

A-Pours a clear glowing golden hue. Head is foamy and firm. Light lacing speckles are left along the glass.

S-Pils to the core, but the hops truly stand out. Saaz hops combine with a pleasant cracker malt character. Americanized, but still Pils-y. Quite nice.

T-Hop forward Pils with sturdy floral and grass notes. Mild sweetness and a tiny hint of spice pair with the Noble hoppiness. Easy to enjoy.

M-Fuller bodied for the style. 6.2% is nearly undetectable. The clean grassiness of the hops lend moderate bitterness.

O/D-A pretty nice Pils by Lagunitas. Not my favorite style, and not my favorite Lagunitas brew, but its tasty and it goes down clean. Another success here. Lagunitas...so solid, so dependable.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 22:53:15 | More by VelvetExtract

mjurney

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Golden color, slight hazy. Tons of small bubbles rising. Fairly nice bright white head.

Aroma is light. I get sweet pale malts, spicy nobel hops, pear.

Flavor starts off sweet pale malts, grassy and spicy hops, a little hint of fruitiness, crisp-bitter finish. Body is light-medium, well carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 07:18:42 | More by mjurney

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

12oz Bottle from the Potsdam NY IGA for 2.50$

Appearance - Clear gold colour with an above average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for 5+ minutes.

Smell - Malts, breads/grains, metallic, corn

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts and corn mixed with some herbal notes. There are some dry hop notes but not much. It ends with a grainy/herbal type aftertaste.

Overall - I was really hoping for some noble hop flavours. I was quite surprised that this is just a fairly boring euro-lager type tasting beer. Not what I expected from the usually over the top Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 00:04:00 | More by spinrsx

blackcompg

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Poured a solid finger of bumpy eggshell head, body is a perfectly clear gold, head recedes to a broken cap in a few minutes but still leaves nice webbed lacing that coats the glass.

Smell - Mmmmm. freshly baked bread, whole grains, lightly roasted malts, crispy biscuits, touch of pear - really smells nice.

Taste - Oh is this complex and flavorful, perfectly balanced - Freshly baked bread, crisp crackers and biscuits, roasted malts with malt sweetness, light pear and apple, light floral and meadowy hops, touch of dried grass and hay, and some nice minerals. There is a wonderful bready malt sweetness along which all of this rides...

Mouthfeel - Lighter side of medium, really smooth and drinkable, medium carb provides a wonderful brightness and crispness, finisnes just slightly dry and bitter, very satisfying and refreshing.

Overall - What a nice, balanced and complex czech pils. Great flavors, very satisfying, but without being filling or heavy in the least. Sweetness is muted and very complimentary to all of the other flavors here, highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 03:55:29 | More by blackcompg

BEERMILER12

Maine

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

A: Pours a clear and very slightly golden yellow color with a fingers worth of head

S: Get a good dose of hops along with a hint of lager yeast and a nice little fruitiness (probably due to the hops as well). No sign of alcohol. Very clean

T: Follows the nose, with some light malts and a punch of hops at first that mellows out nicely to some fruitiness and a slight graininess. Again, very clean

M: Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and easy going down

O: A very good American-styled pils that adds a nice hoppiness to the classic style. I recently had the Vunderbar from Smutty and these are very similar, except this one has a little more hop presence. Very enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 03:42:54 | More by BEERMILER12

ckollias

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a clear golden hue with a thin white head that quickly dissipates into a wispy almost non-existent lace.

S: Mild grains and malt aroma with hints of hops.

T: Grainy malt flavor with a slightly hoppy tart taste.

M: Medium to thick body and medium carbonation.

O: This was a solid Pilsner – not my favorite style but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:53:55 | More by ckollias

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pilsener glass, bottled 6/18/2012. Pours fairly crystal clear golden amber color with a nice 1-2 finger dense white head with great retention; that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some decent spotty lacing on the glass, with a good amount of carbonation streaming up retaining the head. Aromas of honey, biscuit, herbal, floral, pepper, pear, lemon, and light earthiness. Nice aromas with good balance and decent strength. Taste of pear, pepper, biscuit, herbal, floral, lemon, cracker, grass, and light earth. Good amount of spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruits, biscuit, pepper, herbal, cracker, and earth on the finish for a short bit. Nice balance of flavors; with no cloying flavors at all. Nicely clean finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice crisp and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice pilsner. Nice amounts of flavor with good balance; and very smooth to drink. Really crisp and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 05:35:37 | More by superspak

ElSid

California

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

The Beers of California

#4

Freshness Date: None

A: Pours pis yellow, mostly transparent, with a finger of effervescent white foam.

S: The nose is of earth along with a significant component of grassy herbalness.

T: Strong elements of earth which is suggested by the nose. The malt is light, consisting of crackers, grain and hints of hay. The hops impart floral, herbal, and grassy flavors to the beer along with hints of orange rind ending with a mild bitter, spicy finish.

M: Crisp and light in the mouth with moderate to high prickling carbonation.

O: A descent take on the pilsner style although overall this brew falls short. A refreshing drink for a warm day.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 03:45:22 | More by ElSid

phishsihq

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Lagunitas Pils is wonderful Czech style Pilsner. The brew pours a clear, pale straw color, and is capped by an off-white head that disappears somewhat quickly and leaves minimal lace. A subdued nose features some sweet malt, biscuit, and traces of spicy hop aromas. Sweet malt flavors quickly blend with floral Saaz hop notes. The finish is sweet, and the beer is medium in body and moderate in carbonation. Simply refreshing!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 01:16:22 | More by phishsihq

ruckus232

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 Ounce brown bottle poured into a tall pint glass

Appearance: Clear golden color with a nice amount of white head

Smell: There is a slight sweetness to the smell nothing special though

Taste: There is a little bit of sweetness that fades into a bitterness that actually has a really nice floral type finish. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually liked the floral aspect.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 00:35:09 | More by ruckus232

TheStegg

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A great take on a Czech-style pilsner. Bone dry with a nice sharp acidity on the mouthfeel, refreshing. Saaz hops are the star here and are forward on the pallet. Pleasantly bitter and crisp with little to no malt aftertaste. A fine beer for a hot, sunny summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 00:11:27 | More by TheStegg

SaintD

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Surprising for the style. Poured a wonderful head with decent carbonation. Caramel tones and spice throughout the entire flavor profile with a fuller body than expected. Not much in the way of the remeniscent typical "bitey" czech pils hops (namely Saaz), but very different, but pleasant. Overall I really enjoyed it, but I was expecting a slightly thinner body and less caramel/spice.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:08:38 | More by SaintD

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A solid pilsener from Lagunitas. Nice bright golden body and a basic pilsener aroma. It's actually more medium-bodied than I've come to expect from the style and is slightly higher in alcohol (though it's not noticeably different as a result). There is a slight spice to it and a nice hop bitterness with a solid grainy malt finish. Easy to drink, but not quite a session pils.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 20:00:10 | More by TheRealBigC

divineaudio

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pint glass.

pours a hazy golden shade with a thin cap of coarse, off white foam. retention is good and leaves a few small spots of lacing in the glass.

s - doughy and sweet, almost like a pastry. faint fruitiness like dates or fig.

t - grainy and spicy with faint dark fruity notes. has a mild herbal bitterness that cleans up nicely and faint alcohol taste in the finish. hops definitely take a back seat here, not sure if that's intentional or not.

m - fuller in body with adequate carb. medium co2 profile.

o - as a beer, solid and enjoyable. as a pilsener, maybe off base a little bit. i suspect that this has been sitting around the store i purchased from for quite a while. even if it isn't certifiably fresh, it's still a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 21:28:03 | More by divineaudio

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

Arbitrator

California

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

Chilled bottle into a glass. Bottled about 3 weeks ago.

A: Pours a clear, golden body with 1.5 fingers of off-white head. Retains well, leaving a few dribbles of lace as it collapses into a collar.

S: Floral and crackery; mild spice and a touch of fresh-baked bread.

T: This has a nice malt presence; bread and cracker come through, and the hops produce both a light bitterness as well as abundant flavor on the back end. Finish is clean with no lingering oils. I expected some DMS per the style (see Reality Czech), but this is quite a bit cleaner and I'm happy to have that.

M: Light-bodied; it's not quite crisp (the finish lingers a few seconds too long), but it's still quite clean.

O: Good value; I almost wish it were a bit lower in ABV so I could throw back a couple a night, but I'm fine with it. This is a great post-workout beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 06:14:54 | More by Arbitrator