Berkshire Czech Pilsner - Berkshire Brewing Company Inc.

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Time to break out the pilsner glass for this beer. Been a while.

Pours with the distinctive bight white fluffy head that builds up the flute of the pilsner glass. Really nice retention and it slowly settles looking like whipped egg whites. My favorite component holds true here which is that the head can rise about a 1/2 inch above the rim of the glass. Bright brass color with perfect clarity and some sparkling carbonation rising to the surface. Lots of lace remains. A good looking pilsner indeed.

Aroma is bright and fresh. Light dough, grassy, a little whiff of light white pepper.

Wow, very nice. Quite bready with just a touch of bitterness to off set a bright light lemon sense along with some grass notes. Finishes with more bread.

Light, refreshing and almost creamy. Quite nice.

This is right on the spot for the style. Sometimes it’s just a treat to drink a nice pilsner. This fits the bill and is obviously a fresh bottle.

Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 21:38:10 | More by Reagan1984

Hibernator

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Berkshire Brewing Czech Pilsner
22 oz brown bottle
Served in a 20 oz tulip glass

Pours a golden straw yellow with a frothy head on top. Ample amounts of sticky lace cling to the sides of the glass.

The nose is pleasant and clean with whiffs of freshly baked bread and grains. There is also a floral presence as well.

A super clean and crisp pilsner. The malt backbone has a bread and dough quality to it. This is such a drinkable and smooth lager in so many ways. There is a mini hop bite and lemon wedge zing on the finish, but overall the beer is extremely well balanced.

Probably one of the better session beers I've sampled in quite some time.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 21:44:17 | More by Hibernator

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Bomber bottle poured into a pint glass in two parts.

Appearance: Nice light, bright yellow color with a really fluffy, two finger white head. Really good retention.

Aroma: Bubblegum and pale malt sweetness with some mild herbal hops. Really nice balance throughout.

Taste: Nice balance of floral, earthy hops and some malt sweetness. Really a surprising amount of flavor for a pilsner and near perfect balance. Not bitter at all.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a bit of a dry finish. Perfct carbonation.

Overall, this is by far my favorite pilsner to date and I think its a homerun for its style. Incredibly easy to drink and refreshing and more than a bargain at four dollars a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 02:27:34 | More by Gosox8787

DirtyPenny

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Two pours from a 22 oz bomber into a plastic tumbler. Yeah yeah. I was away from home and there wasn't any otherwise respectable glassware.

A: Gold with two fingers of foamy white head. Lots of hills and valleys of lacing along the sides of the cup. Foam gradually sinks down to just a few dunes along the top.

S: Crisp pale malts and grassy/hayloft hops notes.

T: Sharp, clear pale malts with a significant pungent hay/grass/pine hop bite.

M: Medium/light and smooth with less aggressive carbonation than I'd expected. Dry finish.

O: Great example of the style. Berkshire's brews have been hit or miss for me. I know I can at least count on their pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 14:11:04 | More by DirtyPenny

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to portia99 for this bottle in a trade, it's a very nice example of the style.

The beer pours a deep gold hazy color with some very nice lacing left on the glass with a nice ring of head, looks very nice. The smell is hardly there, but I do get the twist of Saaz hops and some nice wheaty bready and certainly grainy malts, a clean overall smell just not very strong. The taste is very well balanced and goes clean over the palate with nice fruity notes and excellent tasty semi sweet malts and fresh grains, and a lemon twist of hops and maybe a little bit of dates at the end, though its abruptly cut off with a dry finish. A classic clean and sudsy feel, pretty nice overall and easy to drink. A nice beer I'd get again, great to have while watching football!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 22:51:58 | More by Dreadnaught33

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - A tad more than a fingers worth of tightly packed crisp head that is the purest white head that I've ever seen... Slight retention gives way to a full uniform lacing... The color is a pale yellow gold with an ever so faint haziness... An ample amount of medium bubbled briskly paced carbonation...

S - Earthy with some floral notes... Lightly toasted malts... A hint of spiciness... Some noble hoppiness... Spot on the for style... Simple, but effective...

T - A touch of graininess to start... Some faint floral notes... Grassy... Some bread crust undertones... Very subtle hop presence...

M - On the fuller side of light bodied... A tad on the thin side of the equation... Very light carbonation... A bit sleek... Mostly clean...

D - A very solid representation of the style but rather unremarkable at the same time... Steady and quite average... I would never turn a shot at this one down in the future, but this is far from the top tier of the style in my humble opinion...

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 23:23:32 | More by philbe311

Burt

Rhode Island

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

Served in a pint glass.

Straw yellow that is clear, nice larger bubble head that dispersed quickly and left a tiny bit of lace.

Grainy, toasty, with some herbal notes.

Graininess up front with some sweetness and herbs in the middle finishes crisp and dry on the tongue with a little bitterness and toast.

Nice refreshing beer that goes down nice and smooth. Nice beer after cutting your lawn.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 11:22:06 | More by Burt

SirSketch

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Tanned yellow and crystal clear color. The head is dense on the surface, Champagne-like underneath and has an amazing sticky lace.

S - The earthly, slightly musty hop aroma is noticeable a foot away from the glass. The malt influence is mainly straw and freshly crushed, and there is a bit of apple and even a small amount of spice (not sure if this comes from hops or yeast).

T - Wonderful! The malt character is so distinct, it is as if you can taste a handful of the grain that was used in the mash. The taste of grits comes to mind while drinking. Ends acidic and with minimal bitterness and, again, some spice.

M - Light-medium body and dry. Could be more carbonated.

O - Easily one of the best pilsners I've tried. Incredibly flavorful, as well as dry and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 01:49:14 | More by SirSketch

abgba121

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear gold with a very thin white head and leaves behind minimal lace

S: very light, fruity, almost banana like

T: crisp and dry, a slight detectable hop finish. A little sweet and fruity in the middle

M: thin body and well carbonated

O: a decent pilsner, though nothing amazing

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 04:20:47 | More by abgba121

Pahn

New York

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Giovanni's in Glastonbury, CT. Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Waitress leaves a 3/4 inch fluffy white head that sticks around awhile leaving a few streaks of tight lacing. Pours a cloudy yellow and leaves a few thin swatches and spots of lacing.

Smell: Almost no aroma, even as the beer warms. Some pleasant fruit and effervescence come out with time, but it's very faint.

Taste: Mildly lemony, spicy, with a full bready malt backbone that works perfectly with the creamy feel and high carbonation. Moderately dry finish.

Delicious and refreshing. Tempted to give it a higher score for taste, but perhaps it's a bit too 1-or-2 note most of the time, and not quite hoppy enough (there's some spiciness and earthiness, but it's not really in balance with the giant malt influence). That said, I absolutely love the flavor. Some fruity highlights come out with warmth, making it even better. So refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, creamy, with exactly the right level of carbonation (high). Dry enough finish. Very satisfying. Approaching perfection.

Overall: What a beautiful summer beer this is. Walking into a small pizza joint to get out of the heat on a 90+ degree Summer day, and ending up with this in my glass is very satisfying. Great beer, and as perfectly seasonal as food or drink can be.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 23:10:48 | More by Pahn

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 2.5" white head. Hazy straw yellow color. The flavor profile is typical BMC all the way too me, just a little stronger and smoother, and I kind of wonder if that isn't more to the credit of it being a fresher and constantly refrigerated version of a pilsner. Yes, I enjoyed it and would repeat, but as far as the build of the beer goes I'd still just call it a little above average.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 13:30:06 | More by MoreThanWine

bgjohnston

Connecticut

3.05/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer poured an orangy golden color with a small head of tiny bubbles. I would have liked a bit more carbonation, but what was there was very nice.

It was maltier in smell and in taste than I was expecting. It was not a heavy malt presence, but still stronger and more persistent than I was expecting. Maybe the Noble Pils from Sam Adams or the Lagunitas pilsner is just more to my taste, as they were more crisp and less sweet on the palate. I wanted a drier finish, too.

Overall, not a dislike for me, but I do prefer other brewers of this style.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 00:17:15 | More by bgjohnston

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up at Julio's Liquors. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Poured a nice crystal clear golden colour with a white one finger head atop the brew that fades to leave a nice halo and good white flecks.

S - Nice sweet malts and grains along with nice light Saaz hop notes.

T - Wow. Very surprised. Sweet bready malts and more of the musky Saaz hops. Very fresh and clean tasting.

M - A very nice and refreshing mouthfeel. Very clean finish.

O - Overall I was quite impressed with this offering from Berkshire Brewing Company. Always good.to support local, and with beers like this they make it very easy.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 01:35:12 | More by rudzud

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22-ounce bomber into a Sam Adams pint glass.

A: Clear, clean, golden straw yellow with a two-finger head of fizzy carbonation bubbles upheld by a bit of creaminess which lingered for a bit but left little lacing.

S: Loads of rustic grains, bread malts and baked, buttery biscuit aromas to go along with slightly spicy, musty Saaz hops.

T: Toasted cereal malts hit the palate first with a little creaminess and zesty, milled graininess. The hops slowly build in for a distinct, spicy, bubbly and slightly metallic taste that dries out the palate and washes the brew down with a lightly bitter and bready aftertaste.

M: Light to medium body, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel with a little creaminess up front before the bubbly, spicy drying hops take hold.

O: A nice, balanced pilsener with an authentic Czech feel to it. Saaz hops are the subtle star of the show and bready, earthy, milled floor malts add enough substance to keep it a nice hot weather brew. Not a ton of interest on a normal basis, but BBC did a fine job here.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 02:17:56 | More by Gambrinus1184

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the BBCs 22 oz bomber into a pint glass.

Pours light amber - darker than a typical pils. White foamy, leaving a full layer. Pils-y smell but mild. Cleab malty flavor. Subtle hop. Some citrus. Clean finish. A little sweet, if anything. A good beer, not great.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 11:45:08 | More by KTCamm

sawbones420

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Haven't done a review in a while and I believe this is the first time this beer has been released so I figured I'd throw my two cents in.

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Yes, I have a pilsner glass but if you've had as much BBC as I have, you've learned that all their beers have a malt profile that tastes best in a shaker.

Pours hazy straw, with a head that quickly dissipates to nothing.

Smell is fine, slightly fruity, slightly malty. Smells like a lot of BBC beers.

First sip is delicious and crisp. As suspected, this has that classic BBC malt backbone that I really dig. It probably detracts from the "authenticity" of the style, but I'm finding it very drinkable. Those hints of fruit I smell come out only a little bit in the taste with a very subtle hop tang. There's a quality to the flavor that reminds me of the pleasant almost grassy flavor of some Chinese green teas.

Mouth-feel is similarly crisp though it flattens out slightly towards the back of the tongue.

At 5%, I believe this is the lowest it gets from BBC in terms of ABV. This makes it very drinkable and very sessionable, however at this price point ($5/22oz.) it's not likely that I'll enjoy more than one at a time. If this ends up on tap at a local bar, I imagine it'll be one of the better values available. Give it a try if you see it on the shelf

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 00:10:04 | More by sawbones420

rdilauro

Connecticut

2.73/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Typical light pour with almost zero head to it. I was hoping for a lot of a hoppy head and nose to this. I was disappointed since it was on the milder side.
The taste was light and the over mouthful was not totally balance. My mouth was bombarded with different flavors, some being hop, some being malit, but it was too inconsistent.
The final taste and aftertaste was also disappointing.
This was not a bad brew, but something I juts really didnt like

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 23:57:19 | More by rdilauro

OldIronLungs

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pils glass a straw gold with a nice white styrofoam head that settles to a quarter inch disc.

The nose is sweet grass with the slightest touch of lemon.

A sip is open and light with lots of tingly carbonation - bready malt sweetness is tempered by very subtle hops. Clean, smooth and mellow.

BBC, you make a fine brew. Truly.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 00:05:15 | More by OldIronLungs

davey101

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by of 12/22/11. 22 oz bomber into a tall pilsner glass...finally get to rock an actual pilsner in this glass!

A - Really dark golden brown/yellow body. Super fluffy white head that breaks apart into chunks. Loads of bubbles.

S - Bready malts, cereal grains and some mild hops. Fairly one dimensional. This is the only flaw I found in this beer.

T - Really nice creaminess and bubbly texture. Rich malty bread, some sweetness and just the perfect amount of hop bittterness at the end to tie it all together. This is really delicious. Its also worth noting that I cracked this about 45 minutes after I bought it so its warmed up a slight bit. Still amazingly drinkable.

O - Perfect. Summer. Beer. This might just be my new favorite summer seasonal. Its so simple, crisp, clean and refreshing. 22 oz of summer! Another winner from BBC.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 02:24:01 | More by davey101

Robtobfest

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours crystal clear golden yellow with a 1 finger sticky head. Very pretty Pils!

S- wow this smells fresh! Bready ,alts first backed by some crisp hops-Saaz. This does not have the hops of say a Prima Pils, but more traditional.

T- The taste surprises me. Better than I thouhg this would be. Berkshire makes solid brews but this is a gem! Nice crisp, fresh pils for a hot summer day. Very impressed with this offering.

Mouthfeel is light to medium with lively carbonation.

Overall, this is one of Berkshire's finest offerings. Expertly crafted and I have to say, better than Prima Pils in my opinion. Less hops, but better crafted overall. Great beer to sit in a lawnchair and admire your freshly manicured lawn!

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 23:19:21 | More by Robtobfest

SunDevilBeer

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a few bottles in early July, during the early part of the release.

Pours a beautiful golden with a nice inch head in a pilsner glass. Aroma is what I'm used to with other great lagers.

Damn this beer is solid. Great balance between a slighthly sweet malt and some finishing crisp hops. Unlike prior years, this is a really clean lager. I could drink this all day in the summertime - heck I'd drink this year round.

Though Berkshire specializes in English-style ales, they make great lagers when they put their minds to it.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 17:04:05 | More by SunDevilBeer

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Slightly hazy yellow body with a frothy white head. Decent retention and head size. Spotty lace down the glass.

S- Bread and cereal grain malt off the top. Floral and grassy hops balance it out. Some fruit notes.

T- Malty for a pilsner, cereal grain, bread and caramel in the forefront. Hops lend spice, citrus and floral grassy notes. Butter and dark fruit as well.

MF- Light slick body with a somewhat creamy feel. Good carbonation and light bitterness.

Drinks well, could probably be a bit more hoppy for a pilsner. Solid, like most of BBC

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 02:09:10 | More by cbutova

SABERG

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pilsner straight body glass

A - Very nice deep yellow, very active and steady carbonation.
S - Sweet malt, hints of grass, touch of earth, compelling.
T - Balanced, malts are light, a short snap of hops. Pils all the way, fine representaion.
M - Smooth early, a hint of oils towards the end.
Light and refreshing.

O - Berkshire has again balanced a beer between strict representation to style and its own siganture. A great seasonal.Seek it out and enjoy

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 21:52:59 | More by SABERG

Aggie69143

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bbc czech pills is a nice golden czech style pills,with flaverfull soft malts.This beer is easy to drink and very refreshing.The mouthfull is probally its best aspect of this beer.HAS A nice subtle bitterness from the hops,highly recomened to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 16:35:48 | More by Aggie69143

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Looks like a classic gold pilsner. Shiny almost, with a big frothy head.

Aroma is of clean, crisp malts. Faint hops, not as much hop aroma as the label touts. Some simple caramel notes and little husk round out the aroma.

The taste is simple, yet so solid. Nice touch of honey.
Smooth mouthfeel. The carbonation is sufficient, but fades quickly on the tongue.

GREAT drinkability.

Often pilsners are overlooked by beer geeks because they're "big" and exciting. This pilsner shows craft and deserves attention.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 02:23:28 | More by jbertsch