Buzzards Bay Pilsner
Buzzards Bay Brewing

Buzzards Bay PilsnerBuzzards Bay Pilsner
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From:
Buzzards Bay Brewing
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Bohemian / Czech Pilsner
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
86
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 11.23%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
39
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 09, 2015
Added:
Jul 21, 2005
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by billybob:
Photo of billybob
Reviewed by billybob from Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
pours a cloudy honey golden color with a two finger slightly off white head that held up well and a nice sticky lace. hops and flowery nose. malty, chewy, biscuit taste slightly sour hop finish and lingering after taste. carbonation good. its hard for me to rate this beer becauce its not like any pilsner i have had and i think its a little to far out there for the style.
Apr 14, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.58 by Burt from Rhode Island

Oct 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by rorjets from Connecticut

Jan 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by cliff1066 from Virginia

Dec 27, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Nov 22, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by RBorsato from Virginia

Nov 06, 2012
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12oz. bottle into Troegs Hopback glass on 10/18/10.

A - Hard pour revealed a sunlight golden liquid with a slight haze and about a finger's worth of bright white foam that was quick to recede to a thin patch but left a thick splattering of lace around the rim of the glass.

S - Lemon zest and grassy hops backed by a sweet biscuity malt base. Not overly pungent but not boring either.

T - Biscuity, slightly grainy malt character up front paired with grassy and mild citrus notes. Finish is quite sharp and bitter with a medicinal, herbal somewhat earthy character that I have mixed feelings about.

M - Medium bodied with an oily texture and fair amount of carbonation. Crisp, dry and bitter finish with a moderate lingering medicinal bite.

D Drinkability is fine overall. Go in expecting a pils on the hoppier end of the spectrum with a fairly crisp mouthfeel and you won't be disappointed. A worthy example of the style.
Oct 19, 2010
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle into a Pils glass.

Pours a slightly hazed gold, with 2 stiff fingers of of bright-white foam. This retains with a rich 1/2 finger cap that leaves a good quantity of spotty froth behind. The aroma is floral and spicy up front, with a deep tang to it of earth, fruit, and bread pulling up the back. Lots of earthy smelling bitterness is present here in the nose and I'm getting just a touch of underlying warmth as well.

Bitter citrus, herbal grit, and spice all give the taste some bite, which is balanced by the sweet toasty grains of the Pils malt, along with some much lighter fruit notes. The finish is a little harsh, with linger bitter dryness and earthy grit ripping the palate in the end. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, being smooth up front before getting much more crisp and sharp towards the back of the swallow. Just like the aroma, I'm getting a touch of alcohol warmth here in the feel.

This was an OK enough take on a Pils, being a little too aggressive with the hops in some spots and then a bit too sweet and tangy in others. It never really balanced out quite right. Still decent enough though to stay drinkable the whole way through.
Jun 23, 2010
Photo of anfield86
Reviewed by anfield86 from New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
one of my favorite pilsners around...probably just cause its so damn fresh

pours a typical pilsner look. solid yellow color with a decent head. smells very hoppy....probably saaz hops. not much malt detectable. delicious hop flavor, but not bitter at all. the hops are perfect for a pilsner. nice crisp clean finish. drinkability is outstanding.

this one is up there with Victory's Prima Pilsner in my book
Aug 08, 2009
Photo of u2carew
Reviewed by u2carew from Massachusetts

3.44/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A) Pours with a thick, creamy and sticky head. Lacing the same. Transparent. Visible carbonation. Gold in color.
S) Very weak aroma. Light grain and citrus notes.
T) Slight caramel sweetness in the nose and then builds. Then transitions to a hoppy bite in the finish. The bitterness lingers on into the aftertaste.
M) CO2. Light bodied. Gritty tannin feel.
D) A decent brew. The hop bite sneaks up on ya. True to form.
Jul 31, 2009
Photo of ThomasMetal75
Reviewed by ThomasMetal75 from Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
*Note- this beer is for hop lovers, and is not for the faint of heart.

A-Pale amber color, similar to apple juice color. Has a foamy heads that dissipates quickly.

S- Smells the way a pilsner would if a load of hops was shoved into the brew. Malt and grain scents are also detected.

T- Hop/floral flavors with a slight spice on the palate. Finish is very clean and goes away in a few seconds.

M- Not as light as water, but not as heavy as, say, a porter.

D- For me, I think that light lagers and even dry Irish stouts have more drinkability than this pilsner, but nonetheless this brew is very drinkable.
Jul 11, 2009
Photo of Reagan1984
Reviewed by Reagan1984 from Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Can not read the bottled on date.

Georgeous Creamy white head that rose a 1/2 inch above the top of my pislner glass. Wonderful structure and excellent retention.
Clear deep gold color with some active carbonation.
Clumps of lacing everywhere.

Aroma pale malt, some yeast, a bit of grass and a touch of pepper. Earthy/mineral

Wow, more assertive hop profile than I would have imagined. Lots of mineral flavors, a touch of spicy white pepper and then a wallop of hop bitterness. The bitterness clings to the back of your tongue. Almost too much.

The body is light. Almost too light for the hop profile. Carbonation is rather light.

Fairly drinkable, but the over the top bitterness makes it less enjoyable.
(Written by a hop head)
Jun 25, 2009
Photo of gfreed
Reviewed by gfreed from Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Basketball-amber in the glass with a nice string of tiny bubbles constantly rising from the foot of the glass, floating into the loose and foamy hat that lasted only a few minutes before dissolving into a rim of lace. Plenty of malt in the nose with a twang of hops, plus a nice hint of flowers. A good amount of malt on the first taste, followed by a somewhat sour hit from the hops; not so bitter but enough to cause a pleasantly dry finish. A nice, clean twist on the style, leaning more into the malt than the hops. Not your average sunny pilsner, it's a bit like a light altbier.
Apr 08, 2009
Photo of Greenlabel
Reviewed by Greenlabel from New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
When I popped open the bottle and smelled the strong hoppy aroma, I knew this was going to be a different Pilsener from most - and I wasn't disappointed.

The beer poured pale golden with a strong and lasting head. The initial taste was a bit disappointing - sort of sweet and malty - but very quickly a crisp hoppy flavor took over with a lingering bitternes after each swallow. In summary, probably the hoppiest and one of the tastiest Pilseners I've enjoyed.

My only complaint would be that, like most Buzzzards Bay products, the back label has a weakly imprinted freshness date which is totally unreadable. Nonetheless, I'll definitely be purchasing this product again as soon as I get back to an area where it's distributed - and hope that it's as fresh as this 6-pack..
Jan 25, 2009
Photo of trbergman
Reviewed by trbergman from England

4.3/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass.

A - Effervescent, straw-colored beer with an inch of dense, somewhat rocky white foam. Plentiful lacing all the way down.

S - Clean, dry nose with spicy and floral noble hop aromas.

T - Nice, clean malt taste with loads of hop bitterness.

M - Light in body, but certainly not watery.

D - Very good. I can't believe I haven't tried this before -- definitely one I need to keep on hand.
Jan 10, 2009
Photo of albern
Reviewed by albern from Massachusetts

2.76/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
I'm giving this one at least one thumbs down overall. The beer looks good in that it is a few shades darker than most typical pilseners, having an ever so slight amber tint to it. There is a nice white foamy head to the beer and lots of lacing. The nose was average, not overly distinct. The taste was slightly crisp but less so than one would find in a Urquell for example; the beer had a slightly biting texture, and most critically there was a very unusual sourish lemony flavor coupled with some better tasting bready malts. The sourishness in the beer was the deal breaker for me. I didn't want to finish this beer as a result.
Dec 21, 2008
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a chill-hazed golden color with a whale of a head that is very sticky and lacey

Smell: Big noble hop aroma - grassy and herbacious

Taste: Biscuity, slightly sweet, up front, with a blooming herbacious hop bill making its presence felt by mid-palate; after the swallow, the grassy bitterness overwhelms the subtle, sweet malt

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with prickly carbonation

Drinkability: A bit over the top on the bitterness for a pilsner, but an interesting stab at an Americanized version of the style

Thanks, TheManiacalOne, for the opportunity
Dec 14, 2008
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Unreadable Bottle on date; Sampled December 2008
A solid pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a three finger thick, pale tan colored head that leaves a lot of lacing patterns on the sides of my glass as it slowly subsides. the head sits on top of a lightly hazed, pale-orange tinged, full gold colored beer that shows a bright gold hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells of spicy, herbal hops (that have me thinking of Saaz) and clean pale malt. Notes of lemon zest, a hint of parsley, some thyme as well as notes of saltine crackers, soft artisan bread crumb aromatics, bready malt and a hint of sweet grain that barely intrudes on the over all dry presence of the nose.

Crisp and dry up front, the beer picks up a hint of malt sweetness before an excessive carbonation causes this beer to foam up, which tends to dry the beer out quite a bit. Grassy, herbal hop notes and a nice bitterness are quite present as well. The malt has a hint of something that makes it seem a bit stale somehow, but it is fairly fleeting. The excessive carbonation is take care of by a few quick swirls of my glass, though the stale malt doesn't disappear quite so easily. I like the bright hop character that is found in this beer; spicy lemon grass, a touch of white pepper, menthol or perhaps rosemary towards the finish as well as a clean, biting bitterness. Malt flavors of grassy grain, a touch of toast, and a nice bready / cracker grain note plays a secondary, but important role in the flavor. The body is nice and light; enough to be quaffable but not so much that it becomes thin or watery.

A pretty good Pilsner, I really like the zippy hop character here and the malt is great except for that sometimes noticeable stale note. Definitely enjoyable and it hits the spot.
Dec 12, 2008
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Polished 24-karat gold with lemon peel borders. The two finger cap of ivory colored foam is impressively persistent, becomes almost creamy as it melts, and is adept at depositing gauzy curtains of fine lace. What's not to like?

The aroma, although decent, is a step down in terms of quality. A (slight) shortage of pungent hoppiness allows a little graininess to peek through at the edges. The beer's color and nose would suggest that pale malt is much more prominent than Vienna and Munich. As it should be.

Buzzard's Bay Pilsner is actually a pretty good pilsener (it would be great if we could all agree on a single spelling). Its only non-traditional feature is the fact that the toasted malts have a relatively large say-so on the palate. The earthy-spicy German hops are, thankfully, still large and in charge.

The underlying sweetness and flavor of the malts are only noted if one goes looking for them. There's a flash of toasted grain before the Magnum, Hallertau and Saaz come on like gangbusters. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but this is still surprisingly hoppy beer. Faint echoes of steely caramel are appreciated on the back end.

The mouthfeel is medium-full for a 5.1% lager. That's exactly what it takes to earn a big score from a big beer lover like me. The carbonation is very well done and gives the beer a wonderfully creamy quality that is praiseworthy.

It hadn't occured to me just how good Buzzards Bay Brewing is until I scanned a few of my old reviews. This is the third beer of theirs (Olde Buzzard Pale Ale, Black Lager) that has surprised me with its deliciousness and drinkability. If you have a hankering for a German hop-soaked stateside pils, look no further.
Nov 10, 2008
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
The bottle bubbled over when opened. Yet the head was modest but lasted a long time and left some rocky lace. Golden color and nearly clear.

Mild aroma with notable, but subtle, hop.

This could be the most bitter pilsner I've ever had. Lots of hop sweeps to the palate after the initial sip. The aftertaste is too much bitterness for the style.

This is closer to an English Bitter than a pils. I like the taste regardless.
Oct 25, 2008
Buzzards Bay Pilsner from Buzzards Bay Brewing
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 39 ratings