German Pilsner
Millstream Brewing Company

German PilsnerGerman Pilsner
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From:
Millstream Brewing Company
 
Iowa, United States
Style:
German Pilsner
ABV:
5%
Score:
75
Avg:
3.18 | pDev: 18.24%
Reviews:
50
Ratings:
89
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 26, 2020
Added:
Aug 27, 2002
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  10
Pilsner is simple, and yet it is a beer of great finesse. Its not easy to make a beer pure enough to really let the hops stand out , but that is the goal of our pilsner. Our lager yeast produces a clean fermentation, which a produces light malt taste that lets the delicate aromatic flavors of the hops shine through. We use Czech Saaz hops that are a delight to the senses and impart an arousing aroma and satisfying flavor. The end result is a crisp refreshing beer that has a pleasant hoppy aftertaste.

25 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by marvin213:
Photo of marvin213
Reviewed by marvin213 from North Carolina

2.64/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
My gentle, careful pour still results in a wait as I make sure not to overflow beer onto the kitchen counter. I make the pour fizz just above the rim of the glass (no spill). It quickly dissipates into a Mr. Bubble-type layer over a decent looking, straw-colored pilsner. It's got potential.

I'm not sure there is a such thing as a good smelling pilsner, but this beverage does not smell appealing. I don't know about those of you who started with craft beer, but I've imbibed more Bud Light Pilsner beer than probably any other alcoholic beverage. When I smell this Millstream Pilsner, I think of the yuck assoicated with mornings after spilled Bud-Light and overflowed ashtrays. Not that some sense of happiness doesn't come with that, but I'll rate it "not impressive" here.

The first taste makes me squint. The second one isn't as bad. I couldn't help but see the bros rated this "avoid," but I'm thinking it might be okay. I taste water and burnt malt, and I picture the hops that infested this production as wind-blown petals scraped from the grass and the road. It's not awful, and it tastes better than it smells. Truth is, however, that my experience with midwestern beers makes me darned proud (and happy) to have the brews I've got here in the Carolinas. I'd be impressed if a buddy of mine brewed this. I realize this is more commentary than beer taste analysis, but the beer tastes like an average pilsner. I guess I'd drink it if it were a local, but I really think it's inferior to the locals I'm privileged enough to enjoy. Enough of my shameless self-promotion...in the whole scheme of pilsners, I'd consider this average (at best).

What do you want in the mouthfeel of a pilsner? It's almost like a paradox to me just considering it. I do think this Millstream Pilsner has enough flavorful maltiness to justify at least an okay mouthfeel rating. I suppose it's my experience with everyday wheat in the macrobrews that makes me say this, but this mid-American Plain Jane Pilsner makes me think again and again of the beloved Butt Light of my youth. If that's my baseline, I'll readily acknowledge this is better than that.

I always give props to Budweiser for its marketing (who doesn't adore the Clydesdales), and credit that beer for drinkability; if I rate the mouthfeel of this one better than your average Butt Light, I'll have to side with multiples on the Anheuser-Busch side. Perhaps I'd feel differently if I lived in the middle of Iowa, but this beer has nearly zero significance in my journey of beer advocacy.
May 31, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of Storm_Rryder
Rated by Storm_Rryder from Iowa

3.75/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
It's ok, just sure about the sweetness of it. I think for this type of beer I prefer not. Decent light beer, but better options out there.
Oct 26, 2020
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.14/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
12oz bottle. Poured out a clear, straw-yellow color with a small, white head of foam. It smelled skunky like a German Pils in a green bottle. Tasted fairly bitter with some toasted caramel.
Jul 06, 2019
Photo of dfillius
Reviewed by dfillius from Iowa

3.97/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Super refreshing, nice and easy drinking. Crisp and very clean with a hint of corn sweetness in the aroma and aftertaste. Noble hops, decent bitterness. Pillowy bone white head from modest pour down the center of the glass. Great summer beer.
Jun 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.69 by craigbelly from Iowa

Apr 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.43 by Myboymi from Kansas

Apr 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.16 by ClintGoodman from Iowa

Jul 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3.52 by BenjaGrif from Iowa

Jul 23, 2018
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.71/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
this beer is definitely underrated, its actually one of the better beers i have had from these guys, a fine food beer, and a fairly faithfully traditional take on the style. its basic and simple stuff, with a crackery fresh pils malt base, perhaps a little more substantial than a lot of these and maybe not as cleaned up as some, but i kind of like the weight of it. tall white head and popping carbonation from the tap. a faint grassy hop note is there too, but i immediately wish for more, as its obviously saaz, and i love a heap of it in a beer like this. the flavor is fine and balanced, with the hops a little too light for my personal tastes, but a great bready lager yeast and a dry finish. notes of biscuit dough, light floral honey, and saltine crackers at the end along with a modest bitterness from the hops. simple and clean beer, refreshing and drinkable, not at all filling, and enhancing in a seafood context. i have been pretty unimpressed with some of the beers these guys make, but this pils is pretty good. definitely better than its ratings here...
Dec 29, 2017
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.36/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Bottle:
A nice looking beer, but the nose and taste both lean a little too malty. The nose has a light fruity note to it (apple, maybe), and the taste is almost absent a bitter counter-balance to the malty opening. It’s not sweet, but it is too malty for my tastes.
Nov 18, 2017
Photo of mothman
Rated by mothman from Minnesota

3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Weak Pilsner. Not to style. On tap.
Sep 03, 2017
 
Rated: 2.75 by everyhumanist from Oregon

Aug 09, 2017
Photo of Try-em-all
Reviewed by Try-em-all from Missouri

3.79/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Light yellow color with one finger head, good, rich flavor and subtle pilsner aroma. I think this is better than how othershe have ever rated it. Give it a shot, you'll like it.
Mar 31, 2017
Photo of gonger
Reviewed by gonger from Iowa

2.87/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Hard pour into 12 oz mug produces 1/2 inch head that disappears immediately. No pancake. No lacing. Smells like left-over beer and soda crackers. Feel is thin and flat. Pilsner my ass. Taste is just bland. Not awful, just no hops, no anything. I won't be trying this one again.
May 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.42 by Taybeh from Minnesota

May 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.27 by sparx1100 from Minnesota

Apr 08, 2016
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

1.74/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.75
Rough appearance, yellow, thin, head vanished before you could estimate its size. Aroma was of the infected variety, d word.

Taste was metallic, lacking malt or hop flavors, just yeast, maybe have been too soon to release a lager given the diacetyl like notes. Could have cleaned up, weren't huge.

This was a really bad pilsner, would rather have a macro.
Mar 22, 2016
Photo of HoppyBastard
Reviewed by HoppyBastard from Nebraska

2.58/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Shaker pint glass, there is no "best by" date notched in the area reserved for it.

APPEARANCE: pours a clear, pale yellow color with less than one-finger white head that quickly dissipated until a thin, broken layer of bubbles remained, there is very little lacing on the glass, lighter than average carbonation.

SMELL: very faint to the nose, grass and crackers.

TASTE: the taste is also muted, grassy but very little hop profile.

PALATE: light body and lightly carbonated.

OVERALL: it's hard to screw up pilsener but, Millstream pulled it off, this is not a good pilsener, I would not purchase this beer again and might not buy any from this brewer again based on my experience and their (bad) reputation, by the way, if you print a label with dates please bother to mark one!
Mar 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.55 by Miami66 from Nebraska

Feb 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Feb 11, 2016
German Pilsner from Millstream Brewing Company
Beer rating: 75 out of 100 with 89 ratings