Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company

organicbrewer

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-Perfectly gold. Huge cloud like head. lots of bubbles coming up through the liquid

S- Crackers. Earthy hops. Slight Citrus. Very nice

T-Firmly bitter but not over the top, just assertive. More earthy hops. Light crackery malt.

M- Fairly dry, which is good for style. medium-high carbonation. Bitterness leaves you ready for another drink.

D-Great version of a pils. Seems more like a bo pils than a N. German, but who am I to argue. This is what american lagers should taste like!

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2009 20:29:30 | More by organicbrewer

jvonkluck

Illinois

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

Quite simply one of the most drinkable beers I've ever tasted.
It's pale yellow in color with a white head and a steady flow of tiny bubbles.
The aroma is dominated by a floral scent, with an undertone of honey.
The taste is a blend of the aforementioned flavors that finishes with a nice hoppy note that lingers on the taste buds.

Another solid brew from Victory. These guys continually impress me.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2005 03:11:29 | More by jvonkluck

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz. bottle

Pours a clear pale straw with a fluffy white head that thins, but doesn't completely fade. Lacing all over the glass.

Awesome crisp aroma. Excellent aroma of pilsner malt and hops. Smells amazingly fresh and crisp. Smells perfect.

Taste is outstanding. A super crisp maltiness upfront with a perfect amount of spicy hops followed by a super clean and dry finish. It might be hoppier than most in the style, but who cares? This is a superb tasting pilsner.

Body is good for the style.

I can drink this everyday and twice on Sunday. Such a delicious beer with an ABV that allows you to consume several without a worry. Pilsner lovers NEED to try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2005 02:50:01 | More by MaltyGoodness

steveshields

Illinois

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

First Pilsener I have ever reviewed. I am not very knowledgeable on this style, but this beer is absolutely delicious.

It pours a beautiful hazy yellow/gold and I gave it a 2.5inch head in a fake wine Reidel glass. Retains the head very well, minutes after the pour and a few sips. Lots of lace.

Smells exceptional. Honey and lemon.

Tastes great- lots of grapefruit and lemon citrus. Crisp, nice carbonation. The only thing I can think to compare it to is a more complex Beck's, and this is good. Very bitter. Very hoppy.

Mouthfeel is heavy carbonation up front, syrupy finish. Not bad at all, just so bitter it leaves me wanting more.

Exceptionally drinkable. I wish it were higher ABV, but I'll definitely buy this again. Props to my borther Alex for picking this up. We are also fans of the Hop Wallop and Golden Monkey. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 06:31:27 | More by steveshields

RodneyCarrington

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

Late one night after a drug-free fueled raid on my own mind. It occurred to me the most disastorous of capitalist consequence has occurred in this country of the U.S. of A.

You still can't find a good beer.

That's right. I said it. Just like the Europeans have been saying forever. And by beer I mean the stuff our Pappy, and especially Pappys Pappy drank. Especially if your last name has no vowels in it. Isn't that special...

But I digress : A lager - Golden and crisp and uncomplicated from the burden of excess hop, barley or roasting faggotry. A straight, drinkable, readily available, and AFFORDABLE beer.

Thank god D.C. is close enough to dutch country. All hail the greatest beer in America.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 11:29:52 | More by RodneyCarrington

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

gwfrankpsu

California

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is a wonderful beer, this is not a session beer. Have about once a week to keep the wonder of the shock when the hops kick in. A treasure!!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2001 12:42:06 | More by gwfrankpsu

cracgor

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bright golden/yellow Beer. perfectly transparent with lots of carbonation. Smells sweet malty with some piney hops. It is a little sour smelling. It really smells like a pilsner...not much more to it. The hops hit you first. quite piney. The sweet malts take over at the end. It is a straightforward beer and well balanced. A little astringent, but not in anyway that takes away from the beer. Light to medium body. Very drinkable. Everything about the beer makes me want to take another drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2005 21:14:27 | More by cracgor

TerjUGA

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A-Poured a golden straw color, nice size head with good lacing.

S- smells a bit sweet, hints of hops and maybe a little citrus.

T- Taste amazing, hoppy all the way through but not to much, a little malt to it. very sweet in the middle, a bit of honey to me. hints of grass and citrus. great balance.

M- perfect feel for a pils, nice and crisp. great feel.

D- great drink, i love this beer, my favorite beer from victory so far. great brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 04:35:50 | More by TerjUGA

vikingmike

Ontario (Canada)

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the best Pilsner I have ever had, bar none.

Beautiful golden colour. Aroma of floral, spicy hops. Elegantly simple taste with lingering hop bitterness. A nearly flawless beer in every respect.

Not only has Victory set the Pilsner bar for North American brewers...they've set it for the entire world.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 21:37:04 | More by vikingmike

constahoogan

California

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Crystal clear transparent straw white gold-gold/yellow body that pours a nearly perfect white 1.5 inch head that seems to stick around forever. The lacing doesn't cover the insides of the glass, but it does clump together in large chunks, rather.

My nose picks up zesty citrus hops with a slight hint of pilsner(duh) malt. Initial tast is very zesty citrus hops that rolls off bitter at the end. As it warms up, the light toasted barley reintroduces itself as the hops start to mellow out a bit.

Very refreshing; crisp and dry. Medium bodied beer; carbonation is just perfect. This is my go to beer when i want a light taste of citrus hops when I want something a little more subtle than APAs. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 07:20:58 | More by constahoogan

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass.

A- pours a pale yellow with a 3 finger white head that laces nicely. Looks like a pilsner should

S- beautiful malts and hops with a nice bite of pine. Smells like a pilsner should...

T- YES! THIS IS IT! BMC talk about the perfect pilsner taste...and this is it. Its piney, its malty, its hoppy, its beautiful. Doesn't get any better!

M- there is a good bit of carbonation here, but it doesn't take away from the beer at all. Quite light, but goes down so smooth

D- ridiculously drinkable. My fave pilsner going today. It absolutely cannot get any better than some Prima

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 21:46:54 | More by bigfnjoe

thebrood1987

New Jersey

4.85/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I'm reviewing this beer again since I just bought their mix 12 pack and this was in there. You get that pilsner malt grain smell but it smells sweet and delicious. The hops come through the most in the smell though with a pretty pungent sharp, fruity, herbal note. The taste is fantastic with the pilsner cake malt taste in the beginning then the hops come in pretty sharp and adding some fruity overtones and then the malt comes in again to balance out some of the bitterness. The hops prevail though and leave you with a sharp dry bitterness. This is seriously hoppier then some IPA's I've had. This could almost pass for an IPA because of the dryness bitterness and the fact that they use a light malt to showcase the hops more. You can tell they use German hops instead of American. This and My Antonia from Dogfish Head are very similar but both are my favorite Pilsner beers to date.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 00:09:55 | More by thebrood1987

StevieW

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Perfectly golden straw color with a nice fizzy fluffy topped white head. Noticable hop bubbles burst through the head in the Hop Devil fashion. Slight citrus, lemon, hops crisp aroama. Very balanced taste, super crisp hops dominate the start, then a very balanced middle.Unlike any other alleged Pilsener I have had. Finishes crisp and strong, with a lingering hop/lemon combination on your taste buds. Unbelievable pilsner, I only have memories of Sam Adams Golden Pilsner about 5 years ago, but this is an outstanding beer. I had alone, but would pair perfectly with a spicy bbq, or anyother summertime activity. Another Victory beer that lives up to the hype....

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2002 12:52:30 | More by StevieW

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A truly out of the box offering, this Bier presents hazy and golden in a beautiful way. Aromas thick with citrusy hops and freshly cut grains. Smooth and cleansing on the palate, the hops and malts play so well together. A true staple of my Bier drinking life, to date. True, not the true-to-stype Pils, but Victory really knocked this one out of the park.

Prosit!

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2003 15:55:55 | More by goindownsouth

UnionMade

Colorado

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The beer is a pale, limpid golden yellow, incredibly bright and clear, with tons of cheerful bubbles rising to feed the head. The head is a thick froth of small, even sized bubbles, dying down to a thick mist upon sitting. The head leaves some blobby lace, but dies to a meager ring about halfway through. The head retention is perhaps my only complaint with the brew.
The aroma is just fantastic. Very clean pils malt supports a huge peppery saaz spiciness. There's really nothing quite like fresh saaz hops. A touch of cornbread to the malt, with a light lemony fruitiness. The hops are barely balanced, but I'm not complaining. Perhaps some tettnang spiciness, as well.
The flavor starts with smooth, angular pils malt, just a touch of graininess and some fresh corn. Frisky, effervescent carbonation adds a sparkle to the lightish medium body, carrying the beer in style. A faint lemony citrus seeps in, with an agressive, clean hopping blasting through the finish. Very spicy, peppery and tangy, with a bit of an herbal, floral german tettnang feel in the long, hoppy finish. The malt does a fine job of supporting the hops, a bit bready, allowing them to roam free but not get into too much trouble. The finish snaps off clean with an effervescent zing, leaving you with little to no aftertaste.
Finding a bottle of this that's not expired is nearly impossible around my area. I jumped at the chance to try this on tap, and I was not disappointed. One of the best american made pilseners, if not the best.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2004 13:54:22 | More by UnionMade

Luigi

North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Light golden yellow color with a big foamy head. Great looking lacing and head retention. Smells nice and hoppy. A banquet of spicy of floral hops hit the nose with a bready malt in the background. The taste is absolutly delicious! Spiced with hops to perfection. Pine like bitterness hits the tounge first and then evens out to a softer floral flavor. It's like the hops are in a tuga-war with the malts because the malts are trying to keep the hops in check. Dry hoppy finish. Smooth medium body and perfect drinkabilty. Damn this is good drinking. I love a great pilsner during the summer time, but this one threw me off guard. True to the style but a lot hoppier. This could be one of the most delicious pilsners I have had.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2005 06:25:30 | More by Luigi

BillyB

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is one of the best american pilsners I have ever tasted. Enjoyed on tap fresh at the Victory Brewpub in Downingtown, PA.

Appearance: A beautiful straw to golden yellow color with a thick creamy, frothy white head.

Aroma: Piney hop and citrus, vanilla?, melon?

Taste: Fantastic citrusy hop taste with a hint of vanilla or melon. Excellent bitter/sweet balance.

Overall: Incredibly drinkable. This is the beer that could convert bud and coors drinkers to craft beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2006 21:20:52 | More by BillyB

Mdog

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Light gold with moderate carbonation. A quick pour will give a large head.

Smell: Strong grassy hops.

Taste: Some malt sweetness, then an onslaught of grassy hops.

Mouthfeel: Light and refreshing, with a dry finish that keeps you coming back for more.

Drinkability: An excellent session beer.

This is one of my all-time favorites and a "second step" beer. Maybe not the first craft beer to advocate to newbies, but a good beer to steer them to next. Very highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2006 01:01:25 | More by Mdog

IntriqKen

California

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow....
Second review of this beer...I finally got a fresh one thanks to blitheringidiot from PA...thanks, Ev. Unfortunately in California so far I had not been able to find fresh Victory product
Pours a pale golden yellow with a nice single finger head that melts to sticky lacing which seems to last the entire glass.
Aroma is lager yeasts and grass with the tiniest of sweet malt.
Taste is brisk and clean...sweet malt...with a nice pleasant hop bite on the tale end that drys the mouth as it should.
Aftertaste is a pleasant blend of the malt and hops...still drying...making you want another sip...then another. Exactly the way a summer beer should be.
VERY drinkable.
I'm very happy to post this positive review of this excellent beer.
***
Update: It appears that fresh Prima Pils is finally making it's way out west....I've been lucky enough to get it regularly and it is Wonderful...the best there is.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2006 01:54:30 | More by IntriqKen

Big78CJ

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer looks exactly how a pilsner should. It is a beautiful golden, clear, color with a healthy-looking, white, frothy head. The smell is watery with mild hops and a great herbal barley aroma...rheinheitsgebot? Very simple, clean smelling beer.

Taste: Hoppy and floral. There is a herbal character that does well to balance the malt. The beer tastes full enough to have some complexity but it is likely owing to the biscuity malt. After all, let's not forget Morgan's Canon: parsimony is to be preferred. Perhaps this is just a simple, excellently crafted beer.

M: Slightly more bountiful than most pilsners, likely from the stronger biscuit malts. Very tasty as it is still remarkably clean tasting.

Victory was new to Georgia when I got this beer so it was an intial foray into their offerings. Now I get the Prima on tap at Trappeze. Had Pilsner Urquell not abanbdoned their traditional recipes, they would still remain my top. In our current state, however, Prima Pils looks prime to rise above.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2008 22:13:22 | More by Big78CJ

AlcahueteJ

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Pours beautifully into a pilsner glass. Golden yellow body with tons of carbonation, streams and streams of bubbles flowing from the bottom of the glass. Rocky white three finger head. Great start.

S - Sweet, bready malt in the nose, very inviting. Balanced as well, as the hops pull through after the malt. Very hoppy for a pilsner, but like I said, very well balanced, not overpowering at all like some IPA's can be.

M - Medium mouthfeel, not too thin as some pilsners can be. Loads of carbonation in the mouthfeel, extremely crisp and dry.

T - Sweet malt hits the tongue right away and lingers for a bit...then all of a sudden my palate gets smacked with citrus and grass. I even burped up hops after the third sip. The balance is ridiculous for a beer that is obviously much hoppier than the typical lager.

D - I'm glad I reviewed this five years into my craft beer experience. I can appreciate a world class lager such as this so much more. I'm thinking Victory should replace Bud Light in the drinkability commercials because this is a beer I could quaff all night long.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2009 23:56:02 | More by AlcahueteJ

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Duvel glass cold from the fridge and given a couple of minutes to take the edge off the chill. Glass of cold water on the side to rinse mouth occasionally. Freshness dated 25 March.

Appearance: Pours a bright gold color with the head being close to half an inch. The head begins to thin almost immediately leaving behind a rim of foam around the glass, a bit of froth in the middle and some thin lacing on the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Grassy, bready/biscuity with balanced malt and hop aromas.

Taste: First the malt then the hops, bouncing back and forth. The strong hop presence does not overwhelm but spreads through out the mouth as a counter balance to the malt which sometimes dominates and sometimes does not. Although the hop seems a bit strong the malt comes back in to establish the balance. The long aftertaste is predominantly malt with hints of hop bitterness emerging and then fading again. The hops are clearly not dominating this Pils but rather making it more complex. As it warms the malt presence becomes more pronounced but the hops are still there. I find this one truly "Prima!"

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is medium, smooth, crisp and dry, with plenty of carbonation.

Drinkability: With the balance of mildly sweet malt, its mild hop bitterness, and its overall freshness of taste I could drink several of these. I keep wanting another taste and find this Pils fresh and refreshing any time of year. Note: I find this one a bit temperature critical in the sense that consumed too cold the hop bitterness is strong. As the beer warms a bit the balance becomes better and it is hard to tell if you are tasting malt or hop or both.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 11:39:17 | More by drtth

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

pours a very light golden straw (into the warsteiner pilsner)...great head diminishes slowly, leaving delicate lacing. nice commune of carbonation at the bottom, some bubbles, here and there, jetting up to the mothership...

very nice citrusy, malty nose...more like lemon than anything. very promising.

now this is different. and not what i expected (though i did expect something unexpected!). extreme 'light' hoppy bitterness comes in a nice blast but thins out very pleasantly in the finish. not hardcore hophead stuff, but certainly will be deeply appreciated by most. the bitterness that remains reminds me mainly of the much more intense smuttynose IPA. i am very impressed with this. time for a case.

crisp, light to medium body, perfect carbonation, no cloying...so very drinkable and certainly an exemplary session brew...but would go so well with sushi. i would imagine it being able to take on blackened catfish, too.

along with good ole Yuengling Lager (budget...), this will be a fine late spring and summer brew. but it's fine now as a 2nd day of spring brew!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2009 00:15:36 | More by mempath

goetta

Ohio

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from bottle with one inch off white head. Snow like lacing with cloudy straw color. A floral hop aroma and slight citrus flavor stands out in this pilsner. Smooth and silky mouthfeel with good malt balance.
Not as crisp, light or bitter as many pilsners. Would complement many food choices. This beer defies any particular purpose or occasion. This beer would be a good choice at any time.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 20:42:44 | More by goetta