Rothhaus Tannenzäpfle, aka Pils

Tannenzäpfle is a fine German pilsner.

Brewer's Notes: The Rothaus Tannenzäpfle is the absolute classic among our beers - and has been since 1956. That is why it is also the namesake and figurehead of the Gäpfle family. The best aromatic hops from Tettnang and the Hallertau as well as local malt made from summer barley and the purest spring water from the Black Forest give Rothaus Tannenzäpfle its uniquely spicy and fresh taste.

Beeradvocate

Tasting Notes
290330: I drank the second bottle after drinking Hardywood Pils. I liked Pils better. It has more bite. Tannenzäpfle is earthier with a lemony (grassy?) element.

Rating: 3.5 glasses

29260327: I drank the first bottle in a six-pack. The beer has an earthy flavor with biscuit and grassy notes. I think that the hops are noble - and just enough to give the beer a nice bite. Its not Prima Pils but may be my new "go to" pilsner.

Old rating: 5 glasses

Hardywood Pils

Pils is a fine pilsner. Beeradvocate categorizes it as a German pilsner.

Brewer's notes
Crisp, clean and incomparably quaffable, Hardywood Pils sparkles a brilliant shade of gold with a rich, cloud-white head. Hand crafted with only the finest European pilsner malt and German noble hops, Pils is patiently conditioned for weeks in our lagering tanks, maturing into a beer that refreshes the palate and satiates the soul. This classic pilsner is the quintessential lager beer in its purest form, brewed in strict accordance with the Reinheitsgebot Law. Hardywood Pils is a nod to old world tradition offered by the innovative brewers at Hardywood. Prost!

Tasting notes 20260114: Pils is balances a wheaty malt and gentle bitterness. It paired well with no-tomato pasta sauce and artichoke pasta. It is solid and quaffable.

Rating = 4 glasses

Topling Goliath TG Pils

TG Pils is an interesting take on a Bavarian style pilsner.

Brewer's notes: Our Pilsner is brewed with simplicity and results in the harmonious confluence of meticulously executed old-world traditions and ingredients. Our iteration of the Hochkurz mash schedule meant we’d be executing six different temperature rests, each of which carries a specific focus in mind; and while this is significantly more labor intensive than a current-day single infusion mash, the difference in the end result speaks for itself. An egg-white foam rests atop a crisp, clear, golden beer, with just a hint of Hallertau Mittelfruh hops coming through in the finish.

BeerAdvocate: Pilsner brewed with simplicity and true to old-world traditions and ingredients. Egg white foam on a crisp, clear, golden and mostly crushable beer. Floral, fruity and slightly herbal hints from Hallertau Mittelfruh hops.

Tasting notes
2403: I drank #5 from the 6-pack. Not as good as #4.

Rating = 2.5 glasses.

I drank #5 from the 6-pack. The lemony flavor is not present and the beer is good.

Rating = 3 glasses.

February 2024: I write after my second or third can. The beer is nice. It has a lemony finish that may be what other people call grassy. I like it but will not be putting it into my refrigerator on a regular basis.

Rating = 2.5 glasses

Three Ring Hi-Wire Keller Pils

Keller Pils is an unfiltered version of a German Pilsner.

Beer Advocate: The ONE rater likes it. 

Tasting Notes
Feb. 2024: Ed likes it: nicely balanced, easy drinking, and flavorful. The unfiltered haze adds a titch of bohemian to the brew. I could see keeping this in my refrig as a regular - $11.49 for a 4-pack of 16-oz. cans. 

Rating = 4.5 glasses. I may revise in either direction with a second can.

Bitburger Premium Pils

Premium Pils is the one of the most popular beers in Germany. Bitburger's company slogan is, "Bitte ein Bit." 

Brewer's notes: Perfect hoppy pilsner enjoyment, unique in taste: Bitburger Premium Pils – the most tapped premium pilsner at German counters.

BeerAdvocate:  The perfected delight of pilsener with an accent of hops, combined with ease and elegance, and a crystal-clear, sunny straw-colour and long-lasting, fine head: brewed for almost two hundred years from the finest raw ingredients according to the German purity law, it's not for nothing that our Bitburger Premium Pils is the most popular draft beer in Germany. Its freshly-drawn flavour makes our Premium beer so well-loved.

Tasting Notes
2312: A nice easy drinking pilsner that pairs easily with food. Some grassy hops with enough bitterness to notice. A fresher beer would be better; the can is dated 2306, It may find a regular place in my refrigerator. I need a side-by-side comparison with Weihenstephaner and St. George. I miss Prima Pils. My reaction is much better than a review 13 years earlier.

Rating = 4 glasses. 

1006:: A minikeg. Eh? Unoffensive. Following a Paulener Weiss may have hurt the rating. May rate 2 glasses.

Rating: 1 glass

Prima Pils

Brewer: Victory

Style: Pilsner

BeerAdvocate rates the beer as outstanding and the 24th best German Pilsner on July 18, 2023. I think that back in the day it was rated #1.

Tasting notes:
(2306) At last! Prima Pils appeared in Total Wine. I bought 2 6-packs. The beer did not disappoint and remains my favorite pilsner. The hops are crisp and present but did not overwhelm the malt. Yummy. Upgraded to 5.5 glasses. I want it in my refrigerator. 

(1104) Upgraded from 4 glasses. Maybe I am becoming a lager fan again.
(1103) 1st of a 6er. Nice, crisp, hoppy refreshment. May rate 5 glasses.
(1002) On draft @ Joe's Inn. Nice hoppy pils. Went great w/ sailor sandwich. The serving merits 5 glasses but I left the overall rating unchanged. Fresh is good. 

(0903)

Rating: 5.5 glasses

Pilsner Urquell

Brewer's Notes

In 1842, at our brewery in Plzeň, brewer Josef  Groll introduced the world to the first golden  ‘pilsner’ lager, and changed beer forever. His  invention soon became the most popular  style of beer on the planet.

We’ve brewed Pilsner Urquell in the same  brewery using the same recipe for over 175  years. Today, we still insist on using  traditional methods, like triple decoction and  parallel brewing in wooden lagering barrels. It takes longer but means we never compromise on our taste.

Beer Advocate Notes: While most lagers give away most of their taste profile in the front of the mouth, Pilsner Urquell only hints at its flavour there. Instead, it develops in the middle, followed by a refreshing, clean finish and balanced aftertaste, practically inviting you to have another.

Tasting notes

Pilsner Urguell means Royal Pilsner. It is a classic Pilsner and is brewed in the town of Pizen in the Czech Republic. The brewer is Plzensky Prazdroj and is part of the SAB Miller family.

(2022.04) Pilsner Urquell gets credit for being the first pilsner. I enjoy it but do not love it. It has some grassy and biscuity flavors. I want more crispness and bite. 

Rating = 3 glasses. It may deserve more.

(1002) A bottle @ Avalon. Wet and cold. 

Rating: 2 glasses, downgraded from 3. Click here for previous review.

St. George Pilsner

Nov. 2020
St. George Pillsner is a fine example of the style. It is easy to drink and has a nice flavor. I will update as I drink more.

Beeradvocate

Rating = 4 glasses.

Weihenstephaner Pilsner

Brewer's Notes: Known as "Pilsner" in the USA.
Golden-yellow and bright, with 32 bitter units and quite hoppy compared to most of the other Pilsners our Weihenstephaner Pilsner comes up with a distinctive aroma of hops with a pleasant bitterness. This combination provides a balanced mix and guarantees great enjoyment. Brewed according to our centuries-old brewing tradition on the Weihenstephan hill.

29 Oct. 2020
Pilsner is a fine example of German pilsner. The taste is grainy and grassy, a tiche musty, and has a decent bite from what I think are Noble hops. My bottle was bottled about 6 months ago. I suspect that a fresh bottle would be crisper and have a better hop profile.

Beeradvocate

Rating = 4 glasses

Ommegang Idyll Days Pilsner

Here is a second review of the beer. It is what Ommgang ssys it is, a Belgian-style pilsner. I think they combine pilnser malt and Be;gian yeast. The result is more a Belgian blond ale or a light Belgian pale ale. 

Rating = 3 glasses (still).

Here is the first review.

Smuttynose Vunderbar Pils

Vunderbar Pils is a fine German pilsner. It drinks easy and has light slightly lemon flavor.

BeerAdvocate rates it as Very Good, the 29,905th best beer overall, and the 127th best German pilsner.

Rating = 3 glasses. May rate 4 glasses.

Ardent Pilsner

Ardent Pilsner is a fine German pilsner. Goes well with food.

Rating = 2 glasses. May rate 3.

Ommegang Idyll Days Pilsner

Idyll Days Pilsner is a pleasant European pale lager. Delicate may be the best adjective. Here is what Ommegang says. 

"Inspired by the tradition and ambience of the pastoral world around us, Idyll Days is a beautifully rustic Belgian-style pilsner. Brewed with authentic floor-malted barley from the Czech Republic, fermented with a Belgian lager yeast, and then patiently cellared until mature. Presented in its essential, unfiltered form, Idyll Days is glorious in its simplicity."

BeerAdvocate does not have enough review to rate the beer. It classifies the beer as European Pale Lager, not a Pilsner.

Rating = 3 glasses. I wanted more hop bite.

Smuttynose Vunderbar Pils

Vunderbar is a nice, easy drinking pilsner. The taste is grassy with a titch of lemon. I bought a six-pack on almost a whim. I generally like Smuttynose and am looking for a replacement to Prima Pils because I am having difficulty finding Prima in stores.

BeerAdvocate rates it as Very Good, the 125th best German Pilsner, and 29,779th best overall.

Rating = 3 glasses.

Schilling Alexandr 10°

Alexandr 10° is a delightful bohemian or Czech-style pilsner. The flavor combines a little sweet and a little bready. The beer is what you might want when you want a "beer", totallly quaffable and great with food.

BeerAdvocate rating is Very Good, 11th best Bohemian Pilsner,  1,763rd overall.

Rating = 4 glasses.

An old friend and a new one

Trader Joe's Stockyard Oatmeal Stout is an old friend. Still a nice oatmeal stout and still a great value. I am upgrading the rating from 3 glasses

Rating = 4 glasses 

Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils is a pleasant pilsner. 

Rating = 2 glasses but may deserve 3.

Polestar Pilsner

Brewer: Left Hand

Style: Pilsner

Tasting notes: (1011) A bottle @ Acacia. Nice, easy drinking w/ some hops. Might rate 2 glasses.

Rating: 3 glasses

Keller Pils

Brewer: Tuppers

Style: Pilsner

Tasting notes: (1007) A tasty pils w/ a nice, rough, grassy hoppiness. May rate 4 glasses but I keep wanting to buy it again. A tiche pricey, however.

Comment: Brewed by contract by St. George

Rating: 5 glasses

Noble Pils

Brewer: Samuel Adams

Style: Pilsner

Tasting notes: (1003) Pleasant. I wanted more hops.

Rating: 3 glasses.

Summerfest

Beer: Summerfest

Brewer: Sierra Nevada

Style: Pilsner

Tasting notes: (1005) A good lager but other 4's are better. Downgraded from 4 glasses. (1005) Ditto. Great w/ food, easy drinking, and quenching. Good by itself. (0905) A summer treat. Light and refreshing. (0807) Good pilsner. Downgraded from 5 glasses. SNPA is better. (0807) #5 in the 6. Maybe lagers are growing on me. Wonderful w/ summer sausage and crackers. Upgraded from 4 glasses. Perhaps it gets a bump because it is best in style. (0806) 1st in a 6 pack. Ditto as before. This could become a summer tradition. Upgrraded rating from 3 glasses. Category changed from Pale Lager. (????) A summer delight

Comment: Summerfest is Sierra Nevada's summer seasonal.

Rating: 3 glasses