Pilsner Urquell
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Thanks Steve for contributing to the cause. Appearance: Pilsner Urquell pours a transparent golden straw color with a 3 cm fluffy white head. Lots of medium sized bubbles work their way up from the bottom to reinforce the head, which retains well and leaves some nice lace. Smell: Softly sweet pilsner malt, and a relatively complex blend of earthy, musty, and pungent hops. This is not my preferred hop aroma, but I like it better now than I used to. Taste: The flavor starts out with a soft pilsner malt that stays surprisingly sweet throughout the sip. A little bit biscuity as well, but eventually the pungent, strong noble hops come into play. A firm bitterness brings a skunky (not to be confused with skunked) ammonia flavor toward the end. The finish is bitter, but the carbonation helps clean it up a bit. Mouthfeel: The visible carbonation ends up adding a medium crispness to the mouthfeel. There is a hint of creaminess up front, but the carbonation makes sure to cut away any remaining flavors to leave the finish very clean. Light bodied. Overall: This is a pretty decent beer, one that is worth having every now and again and certainly better that some other 'import' beers I have had. I am intrigued to have it at the brewery sometime; I have heard it is a completely different experience trying the unadulterated version.