Lagunitas PILS (Czech Style Pilsner) - Lagunitas Brewing Company

Pencible

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a clear light gold with moderate white head.
S: It smelled like bready and earthy caramel malt, with a little lemon hops.
T: It tasted like earthy lemon and grassy hops, with bready yeast and light caramel malt. It had a mostly clean and mild bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was slightly thick with lots of carbonation. Pretty fizzy body.
D: This was not a bad pils, but really nothing exciting. The scent and taste were fairly appropriate, and the body was ok. The finish was smooth enough, so it was pretty easy to drink. Only worth a tick.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 18:37:45 | More by Pencible

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a clear bright golden color pils with a large foamy head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma consists of light floral hops with dry notes and a lightly sweet malt base. Taste is a mix between some dry hoppy notes with sweet malt base with light cereal notes. Body is quite with a somewhat oily texture and some good carbonation. Interesting though a bit too sweet for my taste and maybe even drier hoppy notes would have been preferable. I also don’t’ get the high ABV on such a sessionable beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 21:06:23 | More by Phyl21ca

McStagger

California

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

First beer in my fancy new tulip tasting glass.

A: Aggressive pour leads to two fingers khaki white carbonation. Head retention is moderately high, with nice lacing. Beer itself is a brilliant jaundiced straw. Fairly moderate carbonation.

S: Smacks of honey, caramel, husked grain and a bit of tart fruit. Mild herbal notes detected as well. The grain really dominates the nose.

T: Husked, milled grain are immediately enveloped by grassy, herbaceous notes the translate into a floral, spicy back with a long, bittering finish.

M: A bit fuller in the body than many Bohemian style Pilseners, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The added alcohol and malts definitely help to balance the increase in hops that this beer gets.

O: Nice Americanized version of the style. Easy drinking, but still packing a good punch of flavor and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 04:59:34 | More by McStagger

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

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

Pours a crystal clear pale golden color with a decent sized bone white head that exudes remarkable staying power. Smells of spicy grassy hops with a honey and pilsener maltiness to balance it out. Sweet grainy and honey with just enough spice and grass flavor to provide some balance. Medium body with a spirited level of carbonation and a spicy almost tart mouthfeel. Decent pilsner, but its not up there with the hallmarks of the style. I'd like to see a richer maltiness to play against the aggressive (for the style) use of hops in this brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:12:44 | More by johnnnniee

tdm168

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a medium gold; thick, white, dense head; with good retention.

S - grassy, lemon, straw, faint biscuit-y malt

T - bread, sweet, straw, bitter

M - crisp, smooth, good carbonation

This is a solid pilsner. It's sessionalbe, drinkable, and smooth. It's worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 03:04:38 | More by tdm168

KingRascal

4.2/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Look: Pale clear gold with a thin white head

Aroma: Heavy wheat aroma without an overbearing smell

Taste: Smooth pilsner taste with a crisp wheat finish

Feel: Crisp and well carbonated with a smooth finish

Overall: One of the best pilsners I've had so far

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 17:04:08 | More by KingRascal

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

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

Had this on 2012-05-13 in Columbia, PA

A - Very clear golden-straw with a short-lived 1-finger head and mild lacing.

S - Pale malt, light hop floral, light lemon and light spice. Pretty mild but pleasant.

T - A decent malt backbone and more hop bitterness than indicated in the smell. There's some leafy hop and spicy hop flavors. Just a splash of citrus. Dries quickly and leaves a lightly sour, spicy and mildly bitter finish.

M - Light-medium body and medium-high carbonation. Effervescent and refreshing.

O - A pretty good pils although not as interesting as the Victory Prima Pils I had recently. Still, a good refreshing beer after today's long hike.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 18:50:32 | More by Tucquan

eclaycamp

Kansas

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce short bottle, poured into a pilsner glass. With the pilsner style, which is typically light in color, it's easy to see if the glass you are using has been properly cleaned. And I'm a bit ashamed to admit that my glass doesn't pass the test. That's my fault, not the brewer's. The beer pours a nearly brilliant light gold, with wave upon wave of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Most Pilsner style beers are really light in color but this one is darker than those that I’m used. I got sort of aggro with my pour but alas I don't get an real sort of head. I do however, manage to over-pour and spill down the sides of my glass. Bummer. I like a nice frothy head (one you can float a bottle cap on as Jim Koch is fond of saying) with my pilsner beer. Initial aroma is of … well hold on a sec as I’ve managed to give my nose a bath. This review is just going swimmingly. I primarily get some light candy corn malt sweetness, with some flowery hibiscus like hop character in the background. On the aroma side of things the hop character is really muted, especially for a beer that’s done in the Czech Pilsner style. The hops in the first taste are both in the front and rear; malt flows through the middle. There’s a nice bitterness but it’s very mild and low key. Not surprisingly, mouthfeel is light and refreshing, with ample carbonation. I get a little bit of carbonic bite with this beer, but it’s not unpleasant, and not surprising given the carbonation levels. The carbonation sweeps in quickly, ridding your mouth of the beer before you have a chance to ponder what else it may hold. I think that’s a good thing, as the beer has quite a bit of residual sweetness, and without the carbonation levels this could end up cloying. Sweetness may also be coming from the alcohol, as at 6.2% this is bordering on a 1.5x Pilsner … that may be also why I’m getting some sweetness out of it. Kudos for keeping the phenolics out of this one. Instead it goes down quick and easy. Lawnmower beer seems like too lazy a descriptor, so I’m left searching for something else. Lavender hops yield to candy corn sweetness, before both are quickly evaporated in a wave of carbonation that leaves a lingering, slightly sulfuric, afterfinish. I’d like a bit more hops in this one, especially in the nose, as they are there but they play a supporting role to the sweet malt profile. Not a badly done beer, but there are other pilsners out there that I prefer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 23:05:27 | More by eclaycamp

Jerone

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden and slightly hazy with some bubbles coming to the top where there lies a pillowy off-white head that sticks around and leaves fair lacing.

S - Hops and malt with a surprising yeasty smell that I like.

T - A good floral hop spice is supported by a biscuit malt along with a yeast flavor that gives a touch of banana or bubble gum flavor, just enough to make it different.

M - Verging on medium body with fairly high carbonation but very drinkable.

O - A great beer that is maybe my new favorite pils, or perhaps tied with noble pils.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 21:39:10 | More by Jerone

jtingue

New York

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance. Golden yellow in color. Crystal clear, with effervescent bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Pours with a soda-like head that very quickly dissipates to a very thin grouping of bubbles on top.

Smell. Very thin smell, with grassy hops and some sugary sweetness. Some floral notes as well.

Taste. Starts out with some bready sweetness. Some grassy bitterness starts to balance it out, but not before another intermittent burst of sweetness. Bitterness and herbal hop flavor take over for good. A slight medicinal note is detected right before a semi-dry finish, with a lingering grassy bitterness.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with a moderate to high level of bitterness.

Overall this one is quite enjoyable, especially here in the warming late spring months. The taste was a bit too sweet for me, though it seems pretty accurate to style.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 20:12:47 | More by jtingue

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I've been waiting patiently for this one to hit the shelves at my local store for at least 3 years now, glad it finally did! 12 oz bottle pours a brilliantly clear medium yellow color. Head is stark white and leaves little lacing.

Nose is grassy, herbal hops with a freshly crushed grain aroma. Mild alcohol and cooked corn notes blend in as it warms. It does not smell like it is fully Saaz, a blend perhaps?

For a 6+% pilsner, it is pretty smooth. Grains are about as light as possible and the hops take on a bitter, refreshing tone. Little touch of lager yeast plays nicely with the hop flavors. On the dry side, it is one of those beers that is bold on a fresh palate, but gets lost after a couple flavorful ales. It's different, thats for sure...and well worth a try. I will buy another sixer as this one disappeared from my fridge with the quickness...especially knowing I might have to wait another 3 years before it shows up around here again.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 02:19:02 | More by twiggamortis420

Docer

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: (3.5)

- Crystal clear straw yellow with a quick fizzing finger of head that has left some light dust over the brew, as well as a few random bubble points and craters. Bubbly brew. Simple.

Smell: (3.0)

- Quite the roasty grain. There is a bready sugary all-grain sweetness along with some crisp yeast aromas. Almost some esters and fruit. Light grassy hop, and a touch floral. Overall not too bad.

Taste: (3.5)

- Certainly some crisp and sweet malts going on. Unique, grainy, husky, and somewhat fruity. More so there is a nice earthy and grassy bitterness and flavor. Sweet grainy sugars, bread, spice, and zest all together to make a nice bitter pilsner.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- This is mostly a light bodied brew, but does pack the carbonation and sweetness of a medium bodied brew. It's certainly drying and a touch chewy. Lip smacking bitterness is kind of nice.

Overall: (3.5)

- It is nice to have a relatively 'normal' beer from Lagunitas. This is certainly a tad more bitter than most pilsners, and also has a steeper ABV. But they did it well by getting the bitterness up there to not make such a sweet beer (which I feel they are guilty of often). Solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 05:45:39 | More by Docer

jsanford

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy glowing gold with a dense white head that settles to a thick have, leaving lots of sticky lacing clinging to the glass.
S - Crisp aromas of toasted cereal grains, bread dough, black pepper, Noble hops, and a slightly buttery yeast profile. Very clean and bright.
T - More toasted grain and floral Noble hops, with a moderately sweet malt character and a lingering bitterness.
M - Smooth and quenching, with a medium-thin body and good carbonation.
O - Really solid Pilsner, no surprise considering Lagunitas' track record.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 04:20:27 | More by jsanford

dbossman

Nebraska

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

A: Clear, light brass color with a steady one inch white, bubbly, and foamy head; so many bubbles and lacing is okay

S: Grainy and grassy with a subtle dry apple and lemon edge

T: Pleasant bitterness up front with a touch of lemon rind and granny smith apples followed by a grainy and grassy malt presence

F: Crisp and well-carbonated and a decent sticky presence in the back part

O: A decent Americanized version of the Czech classic; not something I will seek out all the time but on a hot summer day I could see this hitting the spot

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 20:38:34 | More by dbossman

LBHops62

Georgia

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This was a good pils, but it wasn't anything too spectacular to me. It has a pretty good body aroma, but nothing out of the ordinary. The mouthfeel was kinda empty to me. It could probably use a tiny bit more base malt. It was just kinda bland. Other than that, it would make for a great hot day beer. Looking forward to trying it again this summer!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 13:06:42 | More by LBHops62

SLeffler27

New York

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The pale lemon head is rocky on the bottom and creamy on the top, filling a good two inches of a pilsner glass. The beer is golden honey, clear with casual carbonation sparkling within, and the lacing leaves a sticky webbing.

The aroma is crisp and sweet with bread dough and a hint of floral hops. Butterscotch and toffee open up with the hops as it warms.

There is a surprisingly minimal presence of hops in the flavor. This is clearly a malt version of the style which is especially interesting for this brewer. PILS warms well for the style, is not sweet but still has a crispness with fresh cut hay coming to mind.

A light to medium body with sharp, prickly carbonation. This one is dry, but not palate-cleansing. Alcohol can be found with some effort.

While not quite to style this is an enjoyable beer that would go well with pretzels and a lazy afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 20:58:03 | More by SLeffler27

czfreeman

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice clean golden tone. Good carbonation apparent. Head is medium, body looks really active, bubbles rising throughout.
Great looking Pils.
Smells clean, mineral foward Saaz hops, cracker, light bread, spicy black pepper.Really good, and very "authentic" on the aroma.
Taste is great.This is slightly more malty than most German/Czech Pilsner, but an acceptable interpretation.Finishes sharp, clean, and overall really nice.
Flavor is really good, clean, biting, crisp and balanced. Biscuit, hops, mineral, grass, pepper, malt, slightly caramelized sugars,.
Nice body, not too heavy or light, this brew has everything going for it as far as a great Pilsner.
After several years in Germany, I am a bit critical of Pilsner, but this is really well made, and I normally am not a huge fan of Lagunitas.
Cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 00:45:41 | More by czfreeman

sevenarts

New York

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Golden orange, slightly cloudy, very strongly carbonated with lots of bubbles throughout. Fluffy but small white head, crystalline lacing.

S: A nice clean wheat aroma, a little bit of citrus, very sweet and grainy.

T/M: Like the smell, this is a typical wheaty, grainy pilsner, really crisp and refreshing. Hints of citrus and spices. Just a really tasty, direct example of its style.

O: Pilsners aren't known for complexity but this is a great example of the style, very delicious and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 22:59:41 | More by sevenarts

TheSixthRing

California

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

Appearance - Pours a clear, golden yellow with a white, finger width head which dissipates rather quickly, leaving behind a sparse lace.

Smell - Typical pilsner aromas here - sweet malt, and a dry grain aroma.

Taste - Moderately sweet malt, with a bit of dry, slightly bitter hop character.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body, crisp and dry. I feel it would benefit from a bit more carbonation.

Overall - Not a big pilsner fan, but this one is solid all-around.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 03:35:39 | More by TheSixthRing

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I got this as part of a M&M 6pk from Everett's in South Beloit, IL. for $9.99 in early 2012.

Pours cloudy amber orange color with a slightly off-white head. There are some wheat, coriander, and citrus scents in the mix. Rather lighter in volume and fruity. The sweet flavors of citrus and wheat are the most noticeable. Slightly dry after taste that finishes a little chalky. I was expecting a little more being a Lagunitas product, but this still was decent and would make for a great summer drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 03:45:30 | More by Lemke10

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

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.7/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a clear yellow-orange amber with a thin medium white head without retension, bu leaving a bit of lacing. Light aroma of grain and light malt. Taste is grainy with light malt but finishing with a mild hops presence that lingers as a herbal almost floral hop taste. Light to medium mouthfeel. Overall pretty understated, but I really like the finish on this one and would be happy to have it again. An average, decent Pilsner redeemed by the hop finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 04:23:02 | More by LiquidAmber

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

ST: Poured into a pint glass, bottle lists ABV but does not list a DBD.

A: Bright and clear (with a nice glow) lots of carbonation with a half-a-fingernail white head that has good retention.

S: Lemon, floral, and wet bread (weird smell I know).

T: Lemon, grapefruit, bitterness lingers on the tongue, sweet corn, and bread.

M: Medium and dry though creamy in the finish.

O: Refreshing but it could be crisper and needs more carbonation zing. It has a nice creamy finish but the finish can have a slight metallic taste. It does have a pretty color. This beer is great with Ramen.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 19:44:17 | More by ianjsullivan

grannaniwa

Massachusetts

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

Golden color, nice head, lacing down the side of the glass. Aroma smells like ‘beer’ to me, ‘hops’ to my wife. It’s the smell I associate with a domestic lager. Taste is tart on arrival, and leaves a little malty. Sweet aftertaste. Definitely reminds me of Sam Adams Noble Pils. I could drink a six pack of this in a night!

Overall: A-

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 02:24:03 | More by grannaniwa

4000qtrap

Missouri

1.48/5  rDev -59.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Source/Serving: 12oz bottle

S: Not very intense. Mostly blandly sweet cereal grains with a light wiff of mossy hops and minerals.

T: Fairly sweet and flabby. Quite sweet, bland cereal grain character. Hops are a bit herbal, but have a dank, dark character. Bitterness shows up late to the party and doesn't really balance the sweetness, leaving this pils flabby. When the bitterness does show up its far from crisp, not very intense, yet is still rough and unpleasant. Finish has a hop character that is mossy, dark, and unpleasant. Mouthfeel is fairly thick and drinkability on this is very low.

Note: A dud from a brewer I enjoy very much.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 02:03:09 | More by 4000qtrap