Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company

Natural510

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2L growler from the brewery.

Pours a cloudy pale gold, with ample bone-white head and adequate carbonation.

Scent of hay, barley and hint of herbal hop.

The flavor is dry and grassy, with herbal notes and a perfect balance between a light, raw malt and the astringency of Saaz hops.

Mouthfeel is initially quenching and refreshing, but leads to an astringent finish as the hops and yeast meld on the palate.

Excellent Germanic pilsner; perhaps a bit heavier on the hop finish compared to the traditional example, but the drier finish only invites another glass to further quench the thirst. Delicious.

Serving type: growler

09-09-2011 03:37:27 | More by Natural510

jtingue

New York

4.78/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a pilsner glass. Fresh growler fill at the local beer store.

Appearance. Gorgeous straw yellow in color. About a finger of pure white head dissipates leaving a nice lacing on the glass. Effervescences is clear from the constant bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass.

Smell. Slightly bready malt note, but definitely overwhelmed by spicy and herbal hop aromas.

Taste. Right up front there is a beautiful herbal, kind of medicinal, hop flavor complemented well by a light bready malt. Bitterness then takes over, weak at first but building until it reaches the level seen in some IPAs. Hop flavor is not completely taken over by bitterness, though. Rather it is complemented by a nice earthy, grassy hop and a pleasant malt sweetness. The finish is dry with a lingering, slightly sweet, bitterness.

Mouthfeel. Thin body, not surprising for a pilsner. Not as much carbonation as I expected, possibly due to the fact that it was served out of a growler.

This beer was amazing when I had it out of a bottle, but on tap it is just out of this world. May covert me to a pilsner lover, but I've said that before.

Serving type: growler

08-09-2011 19:05:54 | More by jtingue

ZimZamZoom

West Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a growler for a visit to my parent's for dinner. It was gone before dinner was even started.

Pours a nice golden straw color. White head is nice for a bit. Lacing was minimal.

Aroma is of light malts and some fruity hops. Taste is real nice, malty and has a slightly bitter hop finish that the American macros would try to avoid I'm sure.

Light bodied and easily drinkable. I could have done the growler myself but my dad and bro would not have been happy.

Serving type: growler

07-02-2007 21:04:40 | More by ZimZamZoom

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.91/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Slightly hazy pale yellow gold. Lots of bubbles floating to the top. Nice sized pure white head that doesn't go anywhere. Comet tails of lace shoot down towards the beer. The nose is sweet malt with a hoppy back ground. Lemon, little bit of spice. Clean. The taste is sweet malt up front, fresh grain, little caramel. Good balance with the European hops. Slightly drying towards the end and a little bit of bitterness. Light medium body. Good carbonation, little bit on the spritzy side. Despite only 5.3 abv, I am getting a warming feeling as it goes down. Very drinkable pils, and certainly better than some of the big name import crap you find out there. Great cross over brew for those looking to move from macro to craft.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 00:03:17 | More by Burkbom23

Alextricity

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Best by October 9th 2013... since that's five months away, my assumption is that this beer is probably very fresh.

Appearance: It looks like any other pilsener would -- a crystal clear yellow color. As many would affectionately refer to it as, it looks like piss. Not much lacing small white ring on top. Looks pretty ordinary.

Smell: A lot of hay, and also grain. As there's a big hop on the logo of this beer, I was expecting a pretty nice hop presence, and there *is* one. It's not so big that it morphs this into some sort of pilsener/IPA hybrid, but it's more than welcome -- especially in the taste.

Taste: Yeah, probably the best pilsener I've had. It has that typical flavor you'd expect from a pilsener, but the hops lift it up a little bit. This is the most bitter beer I've had from the style, but it's not extreme, which I wouldn't expect. The amount of hops here compliment everything nicely. This is definitely a pilsener for hopheads. The mouthfeel is relatively thin, but has a nice body, given the style. A very good choice for a summer beer.

Not a *super* interesting beer, but it's above average for a pilsener. I'm not nearly as high on this beer as the majority of reviewers, but it's still well worth trying out.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 17:10:48 | More by Alextricity

dancaplette

Massachusetts

3.99/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

served from a bottle into a pint glass, it pours a golden light color, very thin half finger head that coats the top of the beer and does not recede. Nice lacing, with a nice steady low carbonation.

s- I don't get the a lot from the smell. a slight malty sweetness upfront, clean smelling.

t- you get hops upfront and malt at the end with a bitterness throughout the tasting that really seems to bring everything together. it has a earthy grassy flavor.

m- mouth feel was very good, bitterness is not overdone, a slight sticky sweet flavor almost to the point of syrupy on the mouth, but really refreshing and crisp in your mouth.

o- for a pilsner for which I rarely drink, I enjoyed this beer immensely, another great job by victory.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 00:51:12 | More by dancaplette

Immortale25

Florida

4.36/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Dogfish Spiegelau glass. Bottleneck says Enjoy By Jun 22 2013.

A- Pours a medium golden color with a 3/4 inch white head that retains well before becoming an 1/8 inch head. Resilient lacing leaves a thick solid ring behind on the glass.

S- Great earthy hop aroma with the Saaz ringing through clear as a bell. Very fresh smelling even though the enjoy by date seems to indicate this has been sitting a while.

T- Leafy, grassy hop bite in front that smooths away to a clean, refined pale malt flavor. So drinkable yet so tasty. The bitterness lingers for just the right amount of time.

M- Snappy, crisp and bright with medium carbonation and a light body.

O- What an amazing pilsner. And this is coming from a guy who's iffy on the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 22:59:04 | More by Immortale25

utopiajane

New York

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours straw gold with an orange undertone. Slight citrus nose, little yeast with a respectable bit of malt behind it. Some haze. Looks and smells delightful. I did not pour a head but the lacing shows good retention. Hugs the glass like it’s in love. The taste is grassy hops with a distinct oily bitterness. Good malt spine, medium body, medium carbonation. A little lemon and a dry finish. Good example of a classic pils. Substantial hops, engaging aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 12:23:21 | More by utopiajane

Roman5150

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

bottle into Duvel glass

appearance: piss yellow with white bubbly 1 finger head

smell: bready notes with heavy yeast, corn, typical pilsner smell

taste: this is where this beer shines, it has the flavor that other pilsner's lack. Very full bready flavor with lots of earthy hops. The hoppiness is where this beer gets its flavor, never had a pilsner with this much hops. Very subtle bitterness with a refreshingly smooth finish.

mouthfeel: very full bodied for a pils, average carbonation

overall: Between this and Staropramen from Prague, these are my two favorite pilsners. They do the style right, and have the flavor and fullness that the american macros pretend to have. THis is a quality session beer that I could never get sick of. Also, enough hops to satisfy the curiosity of a hophead like myself who normally doesn't buy pilsners. Good job Victory.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 03:47:27 | More by Roman5150

AdamGarcia

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottles served in DFH "shaped" pint glass.

A: Bright and mostly clear. Straw colored. Fluffy white head is sizable due to aggressive pour. Head dissipates rather quickly. Lacing present and a small ring of foam hangs around for a while.

S: Cracker-like malt and green, grassy hops. Mild citrus. Suggestion of mint.

T: Exactly what you'd expect given the aroma. Fresh baked bread. Herbaceous hops. All in all it's very crisp and rather quenching. Peppery in the finish.

M: Light bodied. Feel is smooth and slick. Maybe a little less spritzy than it's German counterparts.

O: This has always been one of my favorite pilsners. A little hoppier than more traditional examples, which is what makes it so tasty. This is a staple in my fridge during the summer months and a go to anytime I'm craving a nice solid pils.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:23:14 | More by AdamGarcia

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.1/5  rDev -24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Victory Prima Pils has a thick, off-white head and a hazy, brilliant, yellow appearance (like a glow stick), with a bit of lacing and lots of bubble streams. The aroma is of sweet, lemony malt, some sweetness, and an off, wall paper glue scent. Taste is the same, with lots of bitterness and that unpleasant glue note. I’m also picking up aspirin. Mouthfeel is medium, and Victory Prima Pils finishes mostly dry, citrusy, and off-kilter. Maybe I got some of a bad batch, but I can only say that it is acceptably good, and that’s being generous. Well, one can’t say it’s not interesting.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 14:13:21 | More by RonaldTheriot

Thaddeus

Michigan

3.96/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear bright yellow, with a small white head

Aroma & Taste: Had a nice hoppy nose to it, lots of herbs hop notes. Had a bitter, dry, hoppy finish. Finished quick but had a lingering bitterness to it. Slight note of honey, that I really enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 15:40:00 | More by Thaddeus

finstadp

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The Prima Pils from Victory Brewing Company was a pleasant surprise. The beer had a light yellow appearance. It had a smell full of hops and floral notes. The beer had a lighter body mouth feel. The taste was light and earthy with hints of hops. This was a very nice Pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 19:48:15 | More by finstadp

armiakhe

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

The Victory Prima had an appearance of yellow coloring and smelled of citrus and freshness which I liked in a beer. However, when I tried it, i thought it tasted very bitter and hoppy. Although I did like the freshness and after taste once you tasted the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 19:07:43 | More by armiakhe

TWHartman

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Pale gold, sterling clear, with a thick white head. Head stays together very well and leaves a nice lace.

S- very hoppy, noble variety. Spicy and earthy with some nice malt overtone.

T- very clean hop and malt flavor. Bitterness at first feels a little too assertive, but the lingering taste is very clean, bright and nice, leaves the palate feeling clean.

M- perfect for style, not too thick but still foodlike, leaving a lingering taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 01:22:07 | More by TWHartman

Philousa

California

2.76/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

This pours a very clear pale sunshine yellow. Effervescent with a loose head that dissipates in a hurry. The nose is dominated by honey and nectar. It smells almost too thick/sweet. A slightly nutty aroma comes out with a swirl, tending towards almond. A slight biscuit is way in the back. The flavor starts with bitter grass then moves to a nutty white bread. There is a nectar like bitterness from noble hops, then it gets really bitter and slightly piney. Definitely out of the style, as it lingers for a while. Feel is very slightly watery with a balanced finish.

This is just too grassy and bitter. Chlorophyll comes to mind.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 04:45:55 | More by Philousa

cbbqbrew

Georgia

4.64/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I just keep coming back to this one. It is clean and crisp. The look is just what one would expect from this style. This one is bitter. It takes a little getting used to. I have learned to LOVE it. Refreshing! Not boring! The lacing is very even and sticks to the glass like a spider web.
Great beer and reasonably affordable too!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 22:57:01 | More by cbbqbrew

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.88/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Cloudy honey coloured liquid with 1/4" white head that dissipated quickly.

S: Floral and grassy hops likely Tettnanger and Saaz. Sweet biscuit malt and honey.

T: Aspirin, grass, earth, flowers, biscuity malt.

M: Medium viscosity and a medium level of carbonation.

O: Pretty much flawless for the style as far as I'm concerned.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 23:09:55 | More by DaftCaskBC

cyclonece09

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a straw yellow that is semi-translucent and a fluffy white head. Smells of sweet barley and slight floral aroma. Tastes of light grain body with slight floral hop bite. This beer is carbonated heavily, but not overly so, and goes down very smoothly with its light body. Overall, a superb beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 00:20:36 | More by cyclonece09

Sam21

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I've had this beer many times and it is a standout in the field of pilsners. The clear golden body sits beneath an thick sudsy white head. Excellent retention and nice lacing. The aroma is filled with herbal hops that exhibit a touch of citrus. Bready malt. Clean. The flavor follows suit. Bready malt and a blast of cutting bitterness. No sweetness. Nice sharp bite to the finish. It's really nicely structured and has plenty of character.

A wonderful anytime beer - and a more heavily hopped pilsner. Good drinkin.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 03:00:41 | More by Sam21

Greywulfken

New York

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: into a pilsener glass, somewhere between pale gold and straw in color; two-finger white head that draped arms of lace

S: bright fresh and floral hops

T: pale, grain-tasting, dry malts under the crips and bitter herbal and floral hops

M: light, crisp, tingly, bitter, well-carbonated

O: I can't be too style-specific here (outside of my own expectations for the style), as this is the only German pilsener I've ever had. As a beer in general, I found it to be quite refreshing, crisp, and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 14:32:37 | More by Greywulfken

LibrariansLoveBEER

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Beautiful light yellow color, reminiscent of mama's little yella pils. Moderate head settled to a thin but even froth which left some lovely lacing, Im a girl so I notice the pretty lacing :) .

S - Unusual, I have to think about what it reminds me of.

T - More bitter than I expected, kinda grassy. Can't identify the hops, not the usual suspects hat I enjoy, but not bad, just different. Definately spicy and rough. Not piney, not citrusy...hmm.

M -Crisp, dry finish. Kinda leaves the mouth feeling puckered.
.
O - I'm an IPA lover but I could learn to love this, pils isn't too far from an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 01:00:24 | More by LibrariansLoveBEER

Pc93nmbb

Ohio

4.49/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Just a tremendous pils. Looking for something that replaces a BMc that is drinkable and delicious....this is it. Sweet and crisp perfect with the spicy padthai I made.

This is how a perfect pilsner should taste!

No more bad beer!!! Victory for all! Victory victory!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:09:24 | More by Pc93nmbb

BWED

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

.5 liter pour in a pils glass at the brewery.

A- Crystal clear golden, with a one finger white head. Lots of lacing, and the head retains well.

S- Light sweet malt with citrus notes. A little biscuity.

T- Small roast/sweet malt flavor with a mild grassy/earthy hop balance.

M- Light, clean, and the classic Pils bitterness hangs around at the end.

O- Very flavorful and clean. Will be great in the summer. This beer makes me really excited for the craft Pils scene, which I haven't really explored a lot. Victory is doing some good things, and I'm glad I live nearby to experience it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2013 04:01:18 | More by BWED

ChugMan

Washington

4.59/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Important note: Make sure not to drink this below the recommended serving temp, otherwise the flavor will be utterly ruined. If anything, err on the warmer side rather than colder!

Food Pairing: (1) Beef bulgogi with spicy kimchi paired beautifully with this Pils. Being a sweetish soy/ garlic sauce, Bulgogi is an odd one to pair, but the spice of the kimchi along with it created a terrific foil for the honey, floral & strong hop traits of the beer. (2) Japchae, a noodle dish made with a light sugar / soy sauce and vegetables and beef - not bad but not ideal: The hops were far too vigorous for the mild flavor of the food.
A - Pristine light yellow. Moderate head settled to a thin but even froth which left some fine lacing.
S - Some clover, sugar cookies. Very nice.
T - An amazing abundance of fresh honey and a faceful of clover - love at first sip! Light creamyness leads to a very clean finish.
M - Crisp, spicy hops dance around the mouth like fireworks. "Fun" seems an odd way to describe it, but yes, quite fun.
O - A definite must-try for anyone. Can't wait to have it again!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 07:28:42 | More by ChugMan