Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company

Jason

Massachusetts

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

Bight pale yellowish golden colour with a very active carbonation that hold the near perfect lace together.

Very expressive in the hop department with herbal and spicy aromas and flavours that solidly dominate the senses but not to the point of being overwhelming. Touch of biscuity doughy maltiness within, very clean with a dry long lasting hoppy finish.

Perfect with some spicy homemade sausage at Redbones. If you like your pils with more than enough hops this is the one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2002 14:37:45 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap @ Redbones. Presented as a crystal clear, pale golden beer with a wicked tight white cream head with plenty of lace stick.

Aroma was a hop attack on the nose ... quite spicy, herbal and perfume-like.

Hops! All hops. A dry beer with an amazing hop character that's spicy, prickly to the palate with loads of earthy herbal characters. Malts are bready and subdued by the strong hop presence. Thin tropical fruitiness and a sweet tea-like backbone. Dry grain finish.

More hops than your average pils, but that was the point and the wonderful thing about the art of brewing ... you don't always have to follow style to make a good beer. Personally, I loved the defining over-the-top hop character. Without it ... it might just be any old pils.

Paired nicely with homemade sausages, catfish fingers and greens.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2002 05:26:34 | More by Todd

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very strong hops aroma with a hint of pine as I was pouring the beer. Very interesting. This is a pal golden beer that pours with a very nice head that lasts well and leaves a nice lace. The aroma is spicy hops, with a hint of something that I can only call a pine-like smell for lack of better terminology. The mouthfeel is very full bodied and silky. It has a nice hops kick in the aftertaste, but the malt is very present in the mouth. This may be my favorite lager(Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold is close). A little aggressive on the hops for the style perhaps, but it works very well. Might not a good "crossover' beer for macro friends, but a fine beer indeed. After a few drinks, this one started to disappear quickly. And I like to savor my beers! Glad I have six of them. I've yet to be disappointed in Victory.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2002 18:46:43 | More by aaronh

allboutbierge

Austria

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

A friend who works at West Virginia Brewery recommended that I really check out everything Victory has to offer about six months ago when i started getting into beer, real beer that is. I finally bought some Prima Pils and am glad I waited so long to get it; it allowed me to learn some properties to look for in a beer. The color is a very slightly cloudish light light golden yellow and the lace it leaves on my pint glass is heavy. Head was light to non exsistant and first impression of taste of pretty bitter but bitter in the way a grapefruit is-having some sweetness properties deep down in its flavor. There is a hopiness taste also to it, but of far less stregnth than the bitterness or the hidden sweetness. The carbonation is light/medium and the lack of weight of a pilsner leaves a good mouthfeel. Only detraction from this beer is that it's too bitter to drink a bunch of, but in respect to one of the nations foremost microbrewers you probably shouldnt do that anyways. (not to mention your wallet)

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 13:45:23 | More by allboutbierge

boblinneman

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A hopheads pils. This beer will hook you and not let go. Very suprising how dry and hoppy. Definitely will change the way you look at a pils. I'm not sure if this beer is true to its form (everything is but quite hoppy), but who cares its great. Victory has an ongoing series of single hop pils, all great but different.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2002 09:59:16 | More by boblinneman

Riggo

Oklahoma

4.7/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hazy golden yellow color with a white, luscious, creamy head. Good head retention. The bouquet bursts forth with floral hops bringing to mind fresh mown grass, mint, pine, lemon, yeast. A powerful and exciting nose. The taste is very dry and hoppy with lemony, grassy, and spicy notes and, no kidding, bubblegum. Great, soft mouthfeel; an unusually substantial body for a pils. This, along with the very heavy hops, makes this pils drink more like an ale of sorts.

This is definitely not a beer for the uninitiated. The dryness of the hops is very intense but blends beautifully with the whole refreshing, grassy, floral thing rather than just coming off as an astringent afternote. I love this beer and I think it is one of the supreme brewing accomplishments in this country.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2002 17:52:19 | More by Riggo

BeerManDan

California

3.63/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The color was a pale yellow with very little foam and a medium amount of lace of the side of the glass. The smell or malts and hops have a pleasant aroma. The taste of malts and hops were a sort on the bitter side. Flavor wise, it was lacking the flavor I was expecting from a Victory Ale. Just a tad to bitter for my taste!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2002 15:56:27 | More by BeerManDan

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was told not to try this beer, as two of my fellow beer lovers hated it. So for this reason alone I had to try it. The smell upon cracking open the bottle was quite harsh...overpowering actually. I thought the taste would be similar but the bitterness I expected was not there. Extremely hoppy with a spicy bite both initially and in the aftertaste, but this is quite tasty. Very different from any other Pils I have tasted, and well worth it for its unique qualities.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2002 19:30:47 | More by IrishRedRock

jackndan

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Prima Pils: from Victory, strong aroma of hops assaults the nose as soon as it hits the glass. Huge head, in fact I think we might have a winner in the on-going quest from height above the rim: two full inches! The beer itself is extremely hoppy, with pine flavors after the initial bite. Light in body, with a nice refreshing clean finish. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2002 19:36:05 | More by jackndan

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Slightly hazy, bright golden color with a soft, creamy head that holds up fairly well. The aroma is intensely hoppy - bright and fresh - with a grassy and somewhat spicy character. A crisp carbonation and medium body join to create a full mouthfeel. The flavor is bold: Generously malty, but then it needs to be, to support the mouth-watering and solid hop flavor. Quite aggressive. The finish is big and hoppy, leaving a resiny dryness. A bold German-style pilsner, not so much seductive as it is dominating.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2002 12:08:32 | More by NeroFiddled

Jon

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This one pours a golden color with a solid head and some really nice lace. The smell is somewhat grassy. This tastes great. Big hop flavor for the style, which as a hop head, I love. Prima Pils is certainly an easy drinking beer, but probably not for the faint of heart. It's easily the best pilsner I've ever sampled and is another winner from Victory. As one who generally doesn't enjoy this style, I'm impressed.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2002 22:06:43 | More by Jon

Wildman

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Okay, this beer poured a dark yellow color and formed a white bubbley head that left some nice lace. The aroma, well, let's just say the hops exploded in my olfactory area. There was also some grassy, earthy elements. The flavor, once again, was most definately hops. Also present was malt and citrus. The finish was fairly dry. One of the best pils I have had, but I admit to not being a big fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2002 18:11:42 | More by Wildman

Thrasher

Oregon

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

Pleasing pale yellow with sticky head, wonderful hoppy scent. The malts are so mild, they are hardly even there. Just a faint wisp at the bottom of the flavor. Hops are the crux of this beer; incredibly floral with hints of grass, ending with a resoundingly bitter finish. Hopheads should be in paradise, and this is indeed a tasty, appetizing beer... but to my tastes it's a bit too much with the hops, ends up being very American (in the distinctive Cascade/Sierra piney hop way), and the bitterness just borders on the abrasive. Not quite balanced. I would kick up the malt a notch and make the hops less floral and more towards grass/dried hay. The water is a bit hard too, I wonder if they could make it a little creamier. For a truly exceptional American pilsner, my vote's with Brooklyn.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2002 14:54:45 | More by Thrasher

pheurton

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliant gold-straw with a foamy white head that really stuck to the glass. Very aromatic, you can smell the floral hops in the nose. The balance between the malt and the hops is incredible...the finish is bitter but not in an IPA sort of way. A great summertime beer and truly outstanding example of the style

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2002 09:43:09 | More by pheurton

marc77

California

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The thick ivory - white head tops a hazy straw - hued brew. Smooth bready grain aroma w/ a slightly spicy Saaz hop nose. Assertive bitterness upfront followed by mellow toasty malt sweetness. Spicy & lightly grassy Saaz hop flavor. Finishes w/ bready notes ending abruptly and a lingering, clean hop bitterness. Prima Pils is a tasty pilsner that is refreshingly bitter... probably the most bitter Pilsner I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2002 06:50:42 | More by marc77

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Yellow gold body. Frothy, but disipating head, very good lacing. Subtle carbonation. Hay/grass nose, floral nor citric. Taste has hops way out front, but with enough malt to hold it together. Still some proper balance despite hop lead. Malt presence is more subtle, more noticeable with each sip. Probably my favorite pils. Unlike many pils, wouldn't give this to a beer novice (I'd use their All Malt Lager instead). Another gem from Bill and Ron.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2002 22:08:10 | More by RonfromJersey

Bierman9

New Hampshire

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

A good-looking light golden color was offset by a very small head, and minimal lacing. Nose kicked you with some real sharp hop spiciness. Whoa! Surprized, too, by it's relatively medium body and smoothness on the tongue. Many pils I've had are thinner and rougher. A touch of malt lurking underneath things is shoved aside by those spicy hops (Saaz?). Quite a nice little bite. A touch of citrus appears near the dry finish. A tasty Pils; I'd say it's Prima!

overall: 3.9
appearance: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4

252

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2002 09:30:32 | More by Bierman9

ElGuapo

New Jersey

2.95/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

a little spicy and hoppy for me. it was not a bad beer, but i can't say i will buy it again. much like the hop devil, it was a bit much on the sharp side.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2002 09:58:34 | More by ElGuapo

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

WilliamPhilaPa

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a sparkling golden yellow / straw color. Foamy head is huge at first but dies rather quick. On the nose is slightly zesty, bit of citrus / lemon zest, and saaz hops. All of the same on the palate! Very good and very unique, very citrusy for a pilsner…but I really like it…very impressive!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2002 16:29:32 | More by WilliamPhilaPa

mickeymac

California

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Prima takes Pilsener to a whole new level. It's a nice golden color with a beatiful white, pillowy head. The smell of hops is abundant but it blends nicely with the subtle malt smell. The same is true of the flavor: despite being more hoppy than most Pilseners, the flavor is well-balanced. Victory can do no wrong.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2002 16:57:28 | More by mickeymac

mophie

Delaware

4.93/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Golden yellow sunshine. It's hard to compare this to other Pilseners because this is so unique. Straw colored, with a billowy white head that disspiates to a lacy film. Smells zesty, lemony, herbal, floral. Saaz! Taste is unlike any pils I've ever tasted; there are so many dimensions to the flavors, yet there is incredible balance as well. Initial taste is of lemon zest and grass, then a long, lingering floral/herbal earthiness, followed by a smooth, sweet finish. On any level, this beer is hard to beat.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2002 18:44:42 | More by mophie

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy light golden with a good frothy white head. Nice spicy saaz hop aroma. Could this be dry-hopped with Saaz? After a sip you can tell this brew's got some character. Love the bitter hop bite in this brew. Good malt backing present. Medium body. Nice subtle spiciness on the palate. This is a great pilsener.

Last summer, my brother ZAP and I did a blind taste test of 13 pilseners and I rated this Number One. (It came in second place after combining both of our ratings.)

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2002 21:56:49 | More by Bighuge

Andy

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thick pure white head two fingers deep. Pale gold color. Very fresh hop aroma. Earthy, zingy hop flavor. Not your daddy's pilsner, but a true to style German pils. Very unusual offering for an American micro and a great step towards reinvigorating this molested style.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2002 20:36:33 | More by Andy

Murph

Arizona

4.55/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a Clear pale straw color with a thick, rocky white head. The smell is all hops with a strong, spicy Saaz presence. The spicy hop character jumps onto my tongue and dances around. Good, true medium body to this brew with a nice malt backbone that shows itself in the end of the taste. Crisp and dry and very drinkable. WOW. This is admittedly one of my least favorite styles. That being said, this is by far the best Pilsner I have ever had. I will be seeking it out again and again.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2002 17:43:20 | More by Murph