Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company

kojevergas

California

3.45/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Was in the mood for a good pils and I'd seen the high ratings on this one so I picked up a sixer here in SoCal for $10.99. Reviewed live. Expectations are high.

Not paired with food.

Served straight from the fridge and side-poured into a Samuel Smith's conical pint glass.

A: Pours a one finger white colour head, fairly thin, with some light cream. Retention is above average. Body colour is a predictable clear light yellow-copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Decent lacing as the head recedes. Typical of the style; this is standard fare so far.

Sm: Fresh full clean barley and pale malts. Crisp and refreshing. A bit of floral hop character. No yeast character. No alcohol is detectable. An above average strength aroma. Par for the course. It's appealing.

T/Mf: Ah. Now we're getting somewhere. Fresh full-bodied clean barley and pale malts. Complementary floral hopping gives it a bit more depth. Some crystal malt. The softness of the mouthfeel is a highlight, and what sets this beer apart from other pilsners in my opinion. Smooth, wet, and refreshing, with a bit of dryness and a dash of lemongrass on the climax. A bit coarse in the second act, bringing out the flavour. The mouthfeel is the best aspect of this beer and feels carefully balanced with the flavour profile; it's very nectary but I'd stop short of calling it sweet or cloying. It's disappointingly simple, but it's also got more depth than many (German) pilsners. I do like it. A refreshing pleasant pilsner. Very well balanced and executed, though it's a bit too bitter for the style (likely from slight overhopping, which also gives it a bit more floral flavour). It lacks subtlety, but there are some more refined notes here.

Dr: As easy to drink as any pilsner out there. Would pair great with food. I wouldn't get it again with Pilsner Urquell so readily available, but it's a good offering from Victory, and it's nice to see craft breweries attempting lighter easier to drink styles. I'll easily kill my sixer, and I think it's well priced as an East coast import.

High B-

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:02:50 | More by kojevergas

Hawksfan79

Washington

4.21/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Glass: pilsner
Nice clear crisp light yellow beer with a thick soapy, rocky head. Floral and piney hop aroma with a slight grassy smell and a hint of yeast.
A slight bit of Malt in the front followed by a very strong piney hop bitterness.
Thin and light bodied mouthfeel with a sticky hop texture. Very active carbonation and a strong hoppy finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 21:50:58 | More by Hawksfan79

beergoot

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Very clear, golden yellow body with a thick, large bubble white head. Citrus and heady floral nose; fresh pine scent. Zesty pine and citrus taste with a nice balance of malt sweetness and complementary hop bitterness. Medium-light body, clean, crisp, dry finish.

Strong hop presence in aroma and flavor with a citrus and pine character throughout. The well-balanced malt component provides a nice sweet counterpoint to the hop bitterness plus adds some smoothness to the overall feel. Fresh and alluring from the get go...

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 02:07:00 | More by beergoot

spoony

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a 12 oz bottle into a pils glass.

A-An average pour produced about one finger of shiny, white foam that settled pretty quickly. The beer was straw-yellow in color and clear. A few big, chunky bubbles of carbonation were visible. Pretty true to style.

S-The brew gives off whiffs of biscuity malts, a touch of dry yeast and some spicy, grassy hop notes. Nothing crazy here, but nothing bad, either.

T-The taste is grassy and slightly hoppy up front. The mid-palate is grainy and biscuity, and more pils like. The finish is slightly bitter with a hoppy bite to cap it all off. Definitely more hops than a typical pils, which makes for a unique flavor. The beer loses a point or two for a slightly soapy taste that never completely disappears.

M-My bottle was a touch flat for the style. The feel was lighter to medium bodied and easily drinkable.

O-Its January, but the sun is out, so I figured I would break up the stout/strong ale parade with a pils, and this was a good choice. It wasn't the best beer I have tasted, probably not even close to the best pils I have tasted, but the little hoppy kick keeps this from feeling like just another light, fizzy beer. I would reach for this again as the weather warms or anytime I need a break from the stronger brews that I tend to gravitate towards.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 22:27:28 | More by spoony

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

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

Beer is a cloudy yellow colour with a good-sized white head. Head is gone quickly, some lace.

Smell contains grassy and spicy noble hops and crisp, bready malt.

Taste is focused on the hops, spicy and grassy. Lemon. Some bready, crisp malt flavours. Lager yeast. Fairly bitter, particularly in the aftertaste.

Light to medium bodied, moderately carbonated. Crisp.

Overall, easy drinking but flavourful. I am not a pilsner fan, and my score probably reflects that, but this strikes me as quite a good presentation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 20:45:20 | More by jrenihan

barczar

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a lightly hazy golden color with a solid half inch white head that slowly dissipates, leaving lines of lacing.

Aroma is slightly sweet grain and crackery pilsner malt. Light floral hops are barely detectable. Citrus becomes more evident after a sip.

Flavor reveals citrus pith, grapefruit, and floral hop character, much more present than in the aroma, riding on a backbone of pilsner malt into a fairly dry, moderately bitter finish. Floral hops linger throughout.

Body is moderate, With slightly high carbonation and a bit of an astringent grain finish.

Best example of a pilsner I've had in a while, though the hops are over the top. But that's good for my personal preference.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:39:17 | More by barczar

mjurney

Texas

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

Appearance:
Bright straw color, slight hazy. Lots of fine bubbles rising up to the top. Thick soapy head.

Aroma:
Lots of spicy noble hops in the nose. Sweet malts. Lemony.

Taste:
Burst of spicy-herbal hops up front, but it's not overwhelming. Sweet pale malts, bready, biscuity, a little grassy. Finish is peppery, crisp, semi-dry. Body is light, very refreshing, lively carbonated, highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:33:52 | More by mjurney

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours light gold color with a very slight haze and a head with rather large bubbles. Strong earthy, spicy hops, and distinct bread crust in the aroma. The hops dominate the flavor profile, with a very light honey sweetness and bread flavor from the malt. Finishes dry and bitter with plenty of earthy, spicy hops. Light bodied with carbonation on the loose side.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 19:38:43 | More by SeamusDoyle

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Crystal clear golden body with a large frothy bone-white head.

S- Lager yeast and a piney hop note.

T- Definitely tastes like a pils, but there is more of a hop note than most. Piney hops come through to add some good hop flavor.

M- Crisp, clean, high carbonation, medium bodied.

O- A good pils, very good example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 00:07:01 | More by stephenjmoore

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

reviewed from notes taken 12/19/12.

draft poured into a pint glass by bartender at Olympic Tavern in Rockford, IL.

Appearance: Clear straw yellow bodied beer with 2 fingers of big bone white head. Head has some nice staying power and sticks around for a while.

Smell: Light malt profile bready and grainy. Floral, grassy, and citrusy hops.

Taste: A touch of cracker and grainy malts. Balanced hop profile orange peel, floral, grassy, and more citrus. Mild hop bitterness. Clean and light finish.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Its crisp, bright, and refreshing beer. Super crushable beer.

Overall: This is a great summer beer option. Fantastic German Pilsner thats flavorful while being well balanced and soooo drinkable. It was a nice surprise. Great beer by Victory!

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 12:30:22 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

brewdude1982

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was a 12 oz bottle that was poured into a snifter.

It poured a lovely amber and had a slight opaqueness to it. It smelled really hoppy and had a slight bitter smell. I was expecting more hops like an esb based purely on smell but it is a hoppy pils or a weak esb. The mouth feel is medium but I am not a huge pilsner fan. I like bigger body beers. With that in mind this was a great beer for a pilsner. I would recommend a d would buy again.

I love the nose and love the hoopiness of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 02:45:20 | More by brewdude1982

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a slightly cloudy straw yellow color with 2 fingers worth of bubbly head

S: Lager yeast, herbal grassy and slightly spicy hops, as well as some lightly bready malts and a light lemon character (probably also from the hops)

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with a hit of the herbal hops, followed by a light spiciness and bready notes. Finishes with a light hop bitterness and lemon peel. Very hoppy for a pils

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly oily and firm

O: Damn, what a pils. Definitely one of the best (if not the best) brewed in the states. Very easy to drink and put down a sixer of. Great price point as well. Highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 05:34:45 | More by BEERMILER12

Mojo

Alabama

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This one surprised me. I didn't expect this one to be as good as it was. Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pilsner flute, it appears a pale and hazy straw with a nice head, excellent retention, and elaborate lacing. The nose is very subtle, but it is very floral and nice. Taste is nice with an initial neutral taste, not too sweet, not to bitter, but finishes with an assertive bitterness leaving a fairly nice aftertaste. Recommended!!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:24:43 | More by Mojo

sevenarts

New York

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pale, cloudy yellowish orange with a small white head that leaves thin webs of lacing behind. Lots of carbonation bubbles.

S: Faint grassy aroma, a bit of sweet malt, hints of floral hops.

T/M: A touch of sweet, grainy malt is quickly followed by a burst of bitter hops. Crisp, clean and refreshing, and also very flavorful for a pils. The hop flavor is full-bodied and nicely bitter, with notes of grapefruit and citrus.

O: A great, well-rounded pilsener with some big hop presence while also retaining the crisp, refreshing feel of a pils lager.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:45:40 | More by sevenarts

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Bright, clear gold with a thin soapy head. Good lacing.

Smell: Spicy, herbal hops and a note of citrus as well. A touch of malt sweetness and clean yeast, but the hops steal the show.

Taste: Strong bitterness up front followed by a strong spicy and herbal hop character with some citrusy notes on the finish. The malt helps cut some of the bitterness by adding a sweet, peachy breadiness and slight toastiness, but the hops are incredibly intrusive. The hop character is explosive!

Mouthfeel: Very thin, as with all in the style, but does have a nice carbonation pop that dries out the mouth and lets the hop flavors linger.

Overall: A truly epic lager, an absolutely huge noble hop character that has gone unrivaled by anything past my taste buds. The balance is way off, and many will find it off-putting, but if hops and sessionability are what you want, then this will do the trick. It makes an excellent change of flavor for any of you who want an overly hopped beer that has a totally unique character.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 05:24:04 | More by Siriusfisherman

TheSixthRing

California

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a semi-hazy golden straw color with a white, finger width head. Average retention. A fair amount of spotty lacing.

Smell - Aroma of strong citrus hop notes, slightly grassy, and with hints of grain.

Taste - Starts grainy and with a moderate citrus hop, but by mid-taste a high hop bitterness, evoking thoughts of grass and Rio Star Texas grapefruit peel, takes hold and sky rockets this pilsener into pure hop bomb territory. Finishes with that lingering grapefruit bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body with lively carbonation. Finishes crisp and somewhat dry.

Overall - Wasn't sure what to think of it the first few sips, but as it warmed it really grew on me. Great representation of the style. Reminiscent of the Rogue Uber Pils that seems to have gone the way of the dodo.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 03:34:21 | More by TheSixthRing

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -27%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

First had: ?

I'm obviously not a pils guy, but this one's not too bad, and it's seen quite often in bottles and on tap. Clear golden-yellow pour, with a bubbly white head that recedes to a thin layer, leaving a bit of lacing behind. Floral hops on the nose, grainy. No surprises here. Taste of pils malts, grains, biscuity, light and crisp, floral hops with a touch of citrus zest, fairly bitter and drying. Light body, pretty easily drinkable for the style, but overall just not my thing.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 05:50:25 | More by Rifugium

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a clean light golden pour with 2 fingers fluffy white head, excellent lacing.
smells of lemongrass, slight coriander hint.. sweet lemon citrus scent.
grassy bitterness up front, followed by a sweet biscuity malt flavor.. a slight soapy/citrus flavor with the bitterness again along the finish.
a lighter medium body with medium amount of carbonation gives a nice tingle to the palate.

a great year round beer, and an excellent pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:23:47 | More by facundoCNB

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Slightly hazy straw-yellow with a good amount of carbonation, causing fizzy 2" white head with medium retention and thick blotchy lacing.

S- Floral, citrus, bread, light grassy hops

T- Cookie-like maltyness upfront with a nice hoppy, citrusy finish. The hop-malt balance is superb.

M- Not as carbonated as it appears, light mouthfeel. Certainly refreshing.

Overall, a nicely balanced, refreshing brew. On the hoppy side for a pilsner, but that's not a bad thing. Comparable to a malty American Pale Ale. An asset to the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 20:27:07 | More by gcamparone

JamesMN

Minnesota

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

Appearance: Translucent neon yellow with visible carbonation. One finger soapy white head.

Aroma: A little skunk from the hops (in a good way). A touch of grain.

Taste: Pretty clean. The grain and hops work really well together here. The grain flavor comes through at first and smoothly transitions into a clean hop bite in the finish and a lingering bitterness. There is an nice sweetness in there as well but doesn't last long. There is a slight lemon peel/citrus taste from the hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Decently smooth and a little above average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: The overall smoothness of this beer caught me by surprise. BMC beers tend to give Pilseners a bad name, but Prima Pils definitely restores that style to how it aught to be considered. Would I drink it again? It's likely, at 5.3% ABV it's even sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 22:36:53 | More by JamesMN

Theheroguy

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A light copper colored and well carbonated brew. Prima pils has a wonderful hop aroma very enticing. The hops flavors are very noticeable and at the forefront of this beer. I think that this beer is almost too carbonated which detracts from the mouth feel in my opinion. For this style I would appreciate a little less carbonation in order for the beer to flow more smoothly. A crisp dry finish makes the perfect end for this brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 19:05:00 | More by Theheroguy

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a golden colored brew with huge white head. The head has great retention, eventually fading to give a lighter level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is a mix of a grainy and a light grapefruit citrus. Beyond that there is a small amount of a pine hop smell.

Taste – The taste starts out of a malty grain flavor with some light sweetness. As the taste advances, some lemon and a grapefruit hop flavor come to the tongue. These two tastes (grapefruit and lemon) intensify as the taste moves on, although they never get too strong. In the end the hop, combined with the wheat and a newly arriving bitter earthy and grassy hop flavor, create a dry, bitter, wheat flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on light to medium side with a carbonation level that was on the average side. Both were quite nice as they suited the dry flavors and transitions well as well as made for a very drinkable brew.

Overall – A nice refreshing, bitter beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 01:34:29 | More by Darkmagus82

TBoneJones

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a bright hazy straw color, crisp-looking, had a finger-thick header.
Smells of fresh peas, with some grass and malt.
Tastes refreshing and crisp as it looks, with an impressive distinct taste I can only hope to compare with other renowned pilsner styles as I eventually try them. I've had this as a go-to session beer for a few years now simply because it's refreshing and original, with a grassy/ spiced flavor that's as tasty as I could hope for. It must help that I love hops, as apparently this is quite bitter even for German pilsner standards.
Again this beer shines as far as mouthfeel goes. Smooth carbonation, perfect crispness, finely balanced drinking here.
Due to the hops usage here, I suspect if I try every other example of this style, I'd still come back to this one as my tops. Rich for what it is. And excellent.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 23:57:24 | More by TBoneJones

jmarsh123

Indiana

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

Pours very pale straw. Minimal head, but a little wisp sticks around.

Bready grainy aroma. Noble hop presence.

Grainy flavor, spicy noble hops and finishes pretty dry and crisp.

Light mouthfeel with good carbonation.

Great beer for the style. Nice, crisp and bitter. Perfect for watching some college football after mowing the grass.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 19:01:38 | More by jmarsh123

AmitC

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A good pilsner beer.

Aroma: Complex aroma with enough hint of hops.

Appearance: Pale golden color. Small regular bubbles. Very small head.

Taste: I liked its taste. Looking at its color, i though this would be a regular malty lager. But no it was a surprise. Enough hops and good spicy taste that is not a lot but not too little either. Well balanced and a bit complex to judge.

Mouthfeel: normal carbonation and medium bodied mouth feel.

Overall an enjoyable pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 01:15:29 | More by AmitC