Saaz Republic Pilz
Big Rock Brewery

 

 

 

 

Look - 2.5 | slightly hazy golden colour, very little head

Smell -2.75 | fresh bread, earthy, tad bit of caramel.

Taste - 2.75 | bread, pepper, coriander, dirt

Feel - 2.5 | medium-low body, with medium carbonation

Overall - 2.75 | lacking in almost every way, but drinkable. Reminds me of macrobrews.

 

 

 

 

Pours pale straw with a flash in the pan head. Quite pale for the style. Floral, herbal hops and some fresh bread in the nose, bit of vegetal character too. The taste is pleasantly hoppy with the classic grassy Saaz character. Some slight diacetyl in the mix, but not too much. A residual sweetness is quite prominent in the back and builds into an off dry, sweetish finish. The mouthfeel is light and a bit lacking in carbonation.

This is a mediocre Pilsner. Too sweet and lacking malt and hop depth. I'd pass on this.

 

 

Pale gold. Extremely slight haze. Voluminous fluffy white head has no staying power. No lace. Inoffensive "beery" aroma, less like a traditional pilsner and more like a standard American lager. There is a light, almost imperceptible floral scent. Malty, doughy flavour up front with gentle honey sweetness. A touch grassy in the finish with light bitterness. Not bad, but a little bit neutered in comparison to Urquell, Czechvar, Golden Pheasant, or any other traditional Bohemian pils. Moderate carbonation, light body. Light and quenching, but not watery. Middling in quality, and frustratingly so. To be better, it only needs to be bolder.

 

Purchased at The Beer Store for just under $3.00 for a 473ml can. Served at 5deg C in a draught glass.

A- Opens well and pours a white head that is gone in no time. Light gold clear beer. Like a Bud

S- Not much here. Like a Bud

T- Thin, watery and like a Bud

M- Dry and metallic, like a Bud

O- Hey Bud rebranded another one! Yuk

Food Pairing

Yup! You guessed it.... Pairs with anything you would pair a...... get ready for it.... Bud with!!

Enjoy

Though these golden beers are conventionally thought of as sparklingly clear, I'm always to happy to see a little haziness in my Pilsner - I can only assume it bodes well for a lager of rich malt character. Ditto for a dense, long-lasting head which Saaz Republic Pilz, unlike the former, does not have. So far, appearance wise, it's a mixed bag.

The aroma, however, doesn't just tip the scale in a negative direction - it downright body-slams it right into the ground. So much for hopes of an honest, traditional Czech pilsner. The sweet and cloying features of this offering are not remotely close to the notoriously fresh, floral, and spicy aromatics of the Saaz hops mentioned right in this beer's name.

A proper pilsner has a wholesome, flavourful maltiness that can sometimes taste reminiscent of graham crackers - this one tastes like honey flavour teddy grahams. There is way too much sweetness present for a style supposed to be crisp and characterized by spicy, grassy bitterness.

Notes of corn syrup and Billy Bee honey are never acceptable - especially not in a pilsner. It dumbfounds me why anyone would name a beer after an ingredient and then use an imperceptible amount of it in the recipe. The presence of hops is limited to the front of the can only.

Saaz Republic Pilz teaches us what a traditional pilsner is by expertly demonstrating all the things it shouldn't be. This recipe wonderfully emulates the bastardized offerings of large-scale, commercial North American breweries but resembles little the clean, wholesome, zesty, well-rounded pilsners of Europe. I think that fact speaks clearly to Big Rock's integrity and intentions.