Sunshine Pils
Tröegs Brewing Company

Sunshine PilsSunshine Pils
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From:
Tröegs Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
German Pilsner
Ranked #287
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
85
Ranked #21,558
Avg:
3.76 | pDev: 11.97%
Reviews:
667
Ratings:
1,780
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2024
Added:
Jul 23, 2002
Wants:
  57
Gots:
  308
Like the rising sun, Sunshine Pils delivers winter, spring, summer and fall. This deceptive complex pilsner is all about the tightrope walk of two-row barley, zesty Saaz hops and lager yeast. It's a go-to when the sun is shining, and it makes us happy when skies are gray.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by RoyalT:
Photo of RoyalT
Reviewed by RoyalT from Michigan

3.71/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance – This was a treat just to stare at. The light yellow body was very hazy and held up a huge, fluffy white pils head.

Smell – The delicate Saaz hops were right on target here, although the grain aroma was a bit too harsh for my tastes. There was a pleasant spiciness though that evened things out.

Taste – The German hop flavor is definitely here, but the American grain and overly sweet finish throw this one a bit off-style.

Mouthfeel – The mouthfeel was terrific. This pils is light and refreshing with just the right bitter bite at the end.

Drinkability – This was an excellent effort at the style and one of the better American-made Pils that I’ve sampled.

Comments – Thanks to Prostman for sending this one out my way.
Jun 27, 2004
More User Ratings:
Photo of mikeinportc
Reviewed by mikeinportc from New York

4.15/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From the spring 12pk mix. BB date : 05/16/2024.

Clear light yellow, with 1/2 finger of white head, that leaves a 1/8" ring , and a few spots of surface sheeting.

Smell is light, slightly sweet/floral toasted grain, and light hop spiciness. I like it, just not a lot of it there.

Taste is similar to aroma, but less sweet, and with the herbal,floral, and spicy hop flavors more noticeable. Moderate lingering bitterness. Slight bread crust , and light herbal tang linger for awhile after finish.

Feel is light , but not watery, with moderate, very,very fine , medium-sharp carbonation bite/tingle throughout . Lingering drying feel after finish, that leaves the tip of the tongue feeling a bit sanded-off.

Overall, a nice, anytime beer. I see that many reviews* take off for the greater dryness, and bitterness , compared to most pils. I like it better because of those qualities. My dissatisfaction with most AALs , & some other pils & alleged pils, is because of their sweetness &/or lack of bitterness &/or overly sickly-sweet aroma. This is a good antidote to those.
* I've had this many times, so not cheating, just curious. ;)
Mar 03, 2024
 
Rated: 3.98 by ctbeerman1 from Connecticut

Sep 05, 2023
Photo of Tomx
Reviewed by Tomx from New York

4.29/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Overall a very good pils with a tiny bit of funk and a nice hoppy bite, nothing to offend. Good summer beer. Lacks some of the depth of the heavy hitters but thoroughly enjoyable.
Jul 30, 2023
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap:
Perfectly clear, pale yellow but with a thin yet persistent cloud the leaves a white sheet on the glass. Ose is more light grainy to crackery than bready, with a hint of lemon zest lying in cut grass. Taste is bitter-forward with a reedy grass bitterness. This leads to a bit of an imbalance to the bitter side, which isn’t a killer for me, but isn’t ideal, either.
Jun 10, 2023
Photo of Jule17
Rated by Jule17 from Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
So so bitter but not bad
Jun 10, 2023
Photo of jonphisher
Reviewed by jonphisher from New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pale in color; mostly clear but there is an opacity to it, head is white, somewhat soapy and craggly; average retention and no lacing.

The nose is bright; light bread notes, dry grass or hay, there is a brightness to the nose, zesty.

The taste has a nice pale malt backbone, not overpowering; dry grass that leads to some light herbal presence on the finish and aftertaste; hops have a nice spicy bite.

Light body, but so far from thin or water; pleasant lively yet smooth carbonation. This beer dries out really nicely on the finish, it also has a great bitter bite on the finish.
Jun 09, 2023
 
Rated: 3.95 by AccipiterofBeer from New York

May 14, 2023
 
Rated: 4.02 by eluvah from New York

May 10, 2023
Photo of Manta200
Rated by Manta200 from Kentucky

3.99/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
At the Jungle Jim's tasting bar
Apr 30, 2023
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
It certainly has the classic Pilsner look, delivered in a clear pint glass after being drawn from a tap. It's bright and light golden-amber that's nearly translucent. There's a very modest white head. This one seems a little less aromatic than many of its style. Usually there's a malt and hop combination that makes them rather identifiable to the nose. But, even America's fine Pilsners, like Miller Lite provide more to smell. There's some of it, but not as much as expected. The taste is good with the Pilsner hopping bitterness, but it has a little too much yeast and for some reason, the malt taste inclusion and mouthfeel are lacking. Again, not bad, just not above average. Some of the good Pilsners provide taste transitions, like a little nuttiness or biscuit sweetness up front, before turning hoppy. This has the same taste note at the end, as it was in the beginning. It's a Pilsner, so have a guess about the glass lacing.
Apr 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.39 by MjamesL from Pennsylvania

Apr 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.32 by selekt0r

Apr 06, 2023
 
Rated: 3.05 by sentrytec from Pennsylvania

Apr 04, 2023
Photo of GlenFarclas
Reviewed by GlenFarclas from Connecticut

4.29/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Golden hued, straw colored. Great clarity.

Nose is spicy, floral, malty. Tannins. Very clean smelling.

The natural carbonation here does wonders. This is rounded and full-bodied. Mouthfeel carries the thing. Dry, clean, smidge of malt sugar leading into saaz herbal bitterness. Spice.

Finishes grassy and long (for a pale lager). Snappiness and sharp character carries a long way throughout here.
Apr 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.38 by oneeye from Pennsylvania

Mar 11, 2023
Photo of BFCarr
Reviewed by BFCarr from New Jersey

4.07/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A very tasty and light brew. Pours gold with a thick white head. Aroma is that grassy pilsner smell and inviting. Taste is a touch of bitterness but overwhelming sweet (in a good way). Feel is excellent crisp and clean. Overall, delicious.
Nov 05, 2022
Photo of AlfromPA
Reviewed by AlfromPA from Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A very nice, crisp and clean pilsener; its obvious competition is Victory's Prima Pils, which is a tad hoppier. Still the hop bike is there. My go-to beer when I want a craft pilsener. The only problem is that lately it has either disappeared from shelves or it is out of date.
Oct 31, 2022
Photo of moodenba
Reviewed by moodenba from New York

3.35/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Troegs Sunshine Pils on draft in October, 2022. This is a fairly good pilsener style beer. I'd say it's not successful as a German or Czechs pilsener. On the other hand it could be viewed as a good American adjunct lager AAL. By the end of the glass I was thinking it was pretty good. There seems to be a craft beer fad where "pilseners" taste pretty much lide AALs. The recent reformulation of Brooklyn Pilsner also tastes to me like an OK AAL
Oct 21, 2022
 
Rated: 3.83 by HardCider from Pennsylvania

Oct 08, 2022
Sunshine Pils from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 1780 ratings