Pilsner
West O Beer
- From:
- West O Beer
- Iowa, United States
- Style:
- German Pilsner
Ranked #540 - ABV:
- 5.6%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #32,313 - Avg:
- 3.63 | pDev: 7.44%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 09, 2025
- Added:
- Apr 28, 2014
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
Traditional as far as malt goes, giving a honey, cracker character but with American Sterling and German Saphir hops that lend notes of pine and lemon. Lager yeast aids in creating a smooth refreshing beer. Think of a Pilsner as pale ale’s more refined brother.
23 IBU
23 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by argock from Virginia
4/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
042121 stamped on label. Poured into a shaker pint glass.
A: Clear honey-gold hue with 1-finger white foamy head with good retention but only dots of lacing.
S: Delicious pils malt aromas including grassy/hay, honey, and cereal grain with a herbal, woody hop character tinged with lemon
T: Flavor is very unique with malt overtaking hops slightly with a grassy, lightly sweet pils cereal grain character accented with lemon, honeysuckle, herbal, and lightly woody hops flavors. Light bitterness -- I wish it was a bit more bitter to give it a crisper edge -- but clean. No alcohol character.
M: Body is light with moderate carbonation and a style-appropriate dry finish.
O: West O impressed with their German pilsner. It is not made with classic German noble hop varieties, but they make it work well by avoiding an overly fruity character with a good lemon-accented malt-dominated flavor that is distinctive and very drinkable. I think a tad more bitterness would given it a crisper feel but all in all, I really liked this lager.
Jun 20, 2021A: Clear honey-gold hue with 1-finger white foamy head with good retention but only dots of lacing.
S: Delicious pils malt aromas including grassy/hay, honey, and cereal grain with a herbal, woody hop character tinged with lemon
T: Flavor is very unique with malt overtaking hops slightly with a grassy, lightly sweet pils cereal grain character accented with lemon, honeysuckle, herbal, and lightly woody hops flavors. Light bitterness -- I wish it was a bit more bitter to give it a crisper edge -- but clean. No alcohol character.
M: Body is light with moderate carbonation and a style-appropriate dry finish.
O: West O impressed with their German pilsner. It is not made with classic German noble hop varieties, but they make it work well by avoiding an overly fruity character with a good lemon-accented malt-dominated flavor that is distinctive and very drinkable. I think a tad more bitterness would given it a crisper feel but all in all, I really liked this lager.
Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota
3.48/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.48/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a can into a Pils glass.
Pours honey gold and nearly clear with a bit of chill haze. Good head and decent lacing. Not much retention. Mild effervescence for the style.
Honey and cracker malts forward. Some spicy yeast and grainy notes. Very little hop in the background. Somewhat muddled.
Like the nose, the flavor skews sweet, and a bid muddled. Borderline graham crackery malt with biscuit. Very little hop.
The brew is medium-light and creamy. Doesn't finish with much crispness.
A tolerable brew but it doesn't say "pilsner" to me.
Jul 07, 2019Pours honey gold and nearly clear with a bit of chill haze. Good head and decent lacing. Not much retention. Mild effervescence for the style.
Honey and cracker malts forward. Some spicy yeast and grainy notes. Very little hop in the background. Somewhat muddled.
Like the nose, the flavor skews sweet, and a bid muddled. Borderline graham crackery malt with biscuit. Very little hop.
The brew is medium-light and creamy. Doesn't finish with much crispness.
A tolerable brew but it doesn't say "pilsner" to me.
Rated by LukeGude from Iowa
3.5/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Straight from the bottle after wedding shower. Solid porch beer.
Jul 26, 2017
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois
3.62/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottled 12-21-15.
Bright gold with sharp clarity, thin layer of foam initially fades to a broken skim, minimal spotty lace.
Aroma is mild and lightly crackery and honeyish. Taste is pretty light, slightly grassy bitterness in the finish, honeyed malt middle. Soft supple feel, light and easy drinking. Pretty good with a decent bitterness.
Apr 12, 2016Bright gold with sharp clarity, thin layer of foam initially fades to a broken skim, minimal spotty lace.
Aroma is mild and lightly crackery and honeyish. Taste is pretty light, slightly grassy bitterness in the finish, honeyed malt middle. Soft supple feel, light and easy drinking. Pretty good with a decent bitterness.
Reviewed by hoptheology from South Dakota
3.98/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance : This beer pours a golden hazy hue with a fluffy 1 finger head. It leaves little "hill" shaped lacing around the glass, like cutting paper in art class. The body is mostly transparent.
Smell : Lots of cracker, baked bread, biscuit. Slight yeast and honey, with some lemon poppyseed muffin hidden in there. Hops are virtually undetectable - which is fine by me, but perhaps the lemon poppyseed muffin was where it was peeking its head out.
Taste : A thin wall of hop hits first in the form of polite lemon rind, and behind the wall is an army of biscuit malts and wheat club cracker, with - surprise - lemon poppyseed! It finishes with some zesty citrus and a dries politely on the palate.
Mouthfeel : Creamy at first, blending into a semi-dry mouthfeel, drying out further as it finishes. Carbonation is mild but appropriate.
Overall : I went and bought a six pack of this today. It was being cleared out for $6 (half price). I'm not sorry I did this. It's a good beer!
Mar 23, 2015Smell : Lots of cracker, baked bread, biscuit. Slight yeast and honey, with some lemon poppyseed muffin hidden in there. Hops are virtually undetectable - which is fine by me, but perhaps the lemon poppyseed muffin was where it was peeking its head out.
Taste : A thin wall of hop hits first in the form of polite lemon rind, and behind the wall is an army of biscuit malts and wheat club cracker, with - surprise - lemon poppyseed! It finishes with some zesty citrus and a dries politely on the palate.
Mouthfeel : Creamy at first, blending into a semi-dry mouthfeel, drying out further as it finishes. Carbonation is mild but appropriate.
Overall : I went and bought a six pack of this today. It was being cleared out for $6 (half price). I'm not sorry I did this. It's a good beer!
Reviewed by vickersspitfire from Texas
3.5/5 rDev -3.6%
3.5/5 rDev -3.6%
Appearance:
Crystal clear body that's a light burnt orange in color and topped off with a nice white head. The head quickly dissipates into a thin ring around the glass and created a mild lacing too.
Smell:
Summer grass, wheat and floral aromas come through. Mild apple and bready aromas slowly come out as it warms up.
Taste:
Mild hops and a very light earthy flavor as it hits the middle of your mouth. The yeast and bready notes come out towards the back as you swallow. It's mildly bitter as it hits the sides of your mouth and the aftertaste is sharp, mildly bitter but then fades out into a light apple taste.
Mouthfeel:
Light bodied, crisp at first then mellows out just a bit, very smooth and refreshing.
Overall:
This is a pretty good pilsner, don't pass it up.
Dec 12, 2014Crystal clear body that's a light burnt orange in color and topped off with a nice white head. The head quickly dissipates into a thin ring around the glass and created a mild lacing too.
Smell:
Summer grass, wheat and floral aromas come through. Mild apple and bready aromas slowly come out as it warms up.
Taste:
Mild hops and a very light earthy flavor as it hits the middle of your mouth. The yeast and bready notes come out towards the back as you swallow. It's mildly bitter as it hits the sides of your mouth and the aftertaste is sharp, mildly bitter but then fades out into a light apple taste.
Mouthfeel:
Light bodied, crisp at first then mellows out just a bit, very smooth and refreshing.
Overall:
This is a pretty good pilsner, don't pass it up.
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon
3.45/5 rDev -5%
3.45/5 rDev -5%
12oz bottle dated 7/24/2014. Poured into a Perennial willi becher glass 8/29/2014 at 39F.
A- Clear golden-yellow body with a half finger white head with fair retention, disappears fairly quickly, leaving a thin white collar. Not much lacing. [3.5]
S- Crisp freshly baked bread, noble hops. Earthy yeast, a little bit of perfume. [3.25]
F- Bread, a bit of caramel, noble hops, clean pilsner yeast that makes me think of what perfume would taste like if I watered down some and drank it. It's quite a bit like Dorothy's New World Lager by TG. [3.5]
M- Soft, medium in body and exceedingly drinkable. Finish is classic noble hops and pilsner yeast. [3.5]
O- Solid pilsner, very easy to drink, quite tasty and not watered down in any manner. In that sense it accomplishes its purpose. [3.5]
Final Score: 3.45
Aug 30, 2014A- Clear golden-yellow body with a half finger white head with fair retention, disappears fairly quickly, leaving a thin white collar. Not much lacing. [3.5]
S- Crisp freshly baked bread, noble hops. Earthy yeast, a little bit of perfume. [3.25]
F- Bread, a bit of caramel, noble hops, clean pilsner yeast that makes me think of what perfume would taste like if I watered down some and drank it. It's quite a bit like Dorothy's New World Lager by TG. [3.5]
M- Soft, medium in body and exceedingly drinkable. Finish is classic noble hops and pilsner yeast. [3.5]
O- Solid pilsner, very easy to drink, quite tasty and not watered down in any manner. In that sense it accomplishes its purpose. [3.5]
Final Score: 3.45
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