Pilsner
Kirkland Signature / Costco Wholesale Corporation

 

 

part of the very affordable mixed case. have yet to dabble into any of these in the past, i thought for under 20 bucks a box ill take a shot. this is the best of the lot so far, i just have the ipa yet to try, its clean and light, fairly crisp, and not without some character. its obviously made by someone who knows old world lagering well, and its unapologetically german on the malt side to me, the only thing czech about this is the robust hopping, but this tastes like somewhat of a hybrid between the two because of the german pils malt this seems to be built on. makes sense since its actually made by gordon biersch, who has a good handle on the german stuff, it would surprise me if they not only brewed this, but also developed the recipe for costco. i am surprised at the hop bitterness, its broderline approaching india pale lager status, unexpected in what i assume is designed to be a mass appeal brand, but its tasty and quenching. the malt is light in feel, the clarity, carbonation, and refinement is nice, the lager yeast adds a pleasant depth, and for the price, this is actually pretty impressive, and far better than either the pale or the session i followed it up with. definitely has some european flair, and hits the mark on a hot summer evening as a drinker. id buy this own its own before i bought the mixed pack again...

 

 

Pours a clear golden color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has malt, citrus and floral hints
The taste follows the nose with a malt, citrus and floral flavor
A light bodied crisp beer
A decent Pilsner

 

I was really excited to see a Kirkland Pilsner in Costco, especiafter having drank their craft series earlier and found it quite alright - so I was out for the next batch last year.
This pilsner however, is kind of a far cry from the original Czech lager that I love so much. Although it IS a pilsner, and although it might have some resemblance to some of the pilsners from CZ, it doesn’t know the score like my favorite lezáks with Saaz hops and the like.
It smells very fruity, or to be exact, it smells like apples! But then its taste brings quite some hop bitterness that doesn’t always tases so well - although it does taste better with time, either you get used to it or it kind of dissipates as it warms a little. It then ends up being an alright beer, nothing extra.
I still have five more bottles of it to go, let’s see how much I can get used to it.

Smells a little skunky, but other than that, it's a typical Czech Pils. It's part of a Costco Case from a brewer in Wisconsin. Price is good, but not a great Pils....

 

Bitter and malty, though not stunningly so in either aspect. Something slightly strange about the bitterness, possibly diacetyl?

 

 

 

Pours a clear straw color. 1/4 inch head of an off-white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of pale malt, slight floral hops, slight citrus hops, and a hint of sorghum. Fits the style of a Bohemian Pilsener. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is a noticeable dryness. Tastes of pale malt, slight floral hops, slight citrus hops, and a hint of sorghum. Overall, weak appearance, body, but decent blend and aroma.

I dare BA'ers to blind taste the Costco Kirkland Pilsner, Session IPA, IPA and Pale Ale vs the usual crafts. They would score mid pack but not nearly as low as on Ba. The Pilsner is mid-pack 3.5
a) clear, amber golden body darker than most pilsners.
s) Offers a very scatty, pissy, light lemon citrus smell.
t) Taste is oddly scatty, but not bad. Otherwise classic pilsner with more malt presence.
f) Medium-light carbonation
Dare you to do this blind?

 

Part of a 24-pack Costco $22.99
Clear golden color
Medium-light mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Malt flavors, slight bitterness
Overall ok. Not bad for the price, although we pay 15% higher in Hawaii.