König Pilsener
König-Brauerei GmbH

König PilsenerKönig Pilsener
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
König-Brauerei GmbH
 
Germany
Style:
German Pilsner
Ranked #265
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
85
Ranked #20,788
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 14.02%
Reviews:
383
Ratings:
823
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 05, 2024
Added:
Apr 24, 2002
Wants:
  49
Gots:
  150
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Jason:
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: 12oz euro style green bottle with no freshness date to be found.

Appearance: Pale yellow with the slightest chill haze, tight bubbly white lace leaves a few rings around the glass.

Smell: Faint lemon in the aroma hinting towards floral.

Taste: Medium bodied with a crisp malty palate, slightly restrained bitterness ... more subtle and flavourful than bitter, yet still helps to balance quite well with a spicy bite. The hops become more evident in the finish as they linger with some residual sweet grain.

Notes: Forget Becks or the similar ... a fine pils to be had any time of the year. A treat for either the veteran micro drinker or a macro drinker. Goes down well yet very tasty at the same time.
Apr 24, 2002
More User Ratings:
Photo of adamg39
Reviewed by adamg39 from Ohio

4.09/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Found this shoved away from the other German beers at my favorite local party store, and what a pleasant find. Just the right amount of hops (though I like my beer on the less hoppy side), and a very pleasant malty sweetness & smell. It has a great color as well. Feel & taste are superior to most lagers you will find, but in comparison to its German counterparts, it comes up a little short. It's definitely worth a try if you encounter it. I'll get it again, but only as a break from my go to's, Warsteiner, Weihenstephaner, & Hofbrau.
Mar 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.13 by Hazey92 from New York

Jan 28, 2024
Photo of Kubishark
Reviewed by Kubishark from Maryland

3.54/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
It's not bad by any means, but it has a lot of competition on the German beer market. I'd say it's strong compared to most pilsners worldwide but weak compared to some other German rivals.
Oct 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.89 by steverx8 from England

Sep 16, 2023
Photo of NimaEbraNoor
Rated by NimaEbraNoor from Germany

3.21/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75
very bitter not my taste
Sep 08, 2023
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I had this on draft 8/8/23 @ Laschet's Inn.

See-through orange appearance.

Big white head; frothy lacing remained.

Fresh flowers, soft caramel & faint banana notes in the nose.

Creamy medium mouthfeel.

Fresh flowers & mild soft wheat flavors up front; mild oak bite on the finish.

Balanced & delicious. I'd have another!
Aug 20, 2023
 
Rated: 3.98 by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

Jul 15, 2023
Photo of Ant777uk
Reviewed by Ant777uk from England

2.73/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Kind of surprised that I never saw this at a shop...until today ; ) Drinking in a Krombacher glass, possibly their biggest enemy.

Super smooth head. Perfect effervescence and look for a pilsner. Aroma is a bit faint. A little sweet marzipan.

Taste has some courageous bitterness, but mouth feel is not great. The bitterness disappears rather fast, and there is no complexity like in a Raderberger. A little watery, but the hops and flavour are pretty good. Just not as good as most other German pilsners.

This looks amazing, but the taste and feel don't match up. It needs to be stronger with more hops, and it could be great. Maybe this version exists somewhere? Not sure. Maybe most people don't want more bitterness and more hops.

Try this next to Raderberger. Raderberger always wins. By a long way. However this is superiour to every pilsner in every other country in the world except Czech and Germany. Ciao
Jun 26, 2023
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a completely clear, light golden color with a strong white head. SRM of 6-8. (4.00)

Aroma: Moderate aromas of faint citrus and floral hops, pale bread malts, with a German yeast. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong flavors of pale malts, pale German bread malts, grassy and yeasty on the finish. Dry, yeast, and clean. (4.00)

Feel: Medium-bodied, Strong carbonation. Yeasty, dry, and clean. (4.25)

Compared to Veltins Pilsner 5/2023: Pours similar, milder head. Milder aromas. More floral and yeasty notes. Less grassy and earthy. Dryer, more carbonated, and cleaner.

Overall: A pretty good German Pilsner. Rounded and dynamic flavors. Floral, yeasty, and balanced. Leans clean and dry. Going to have to pick up more of this one, but potentially very good here. (Rating: 4.08+)
May 21, 2023
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16.9oz can stamped 2023/03/08 into a tall Pilsner glass.
L: Pours perfectly clear vibrant light yellow w steady carbo bubbles, a 1" rocky and creamy eggshell white head w OK retention, light lacing w very light sketchy banding.
S: Bready, spicy floral Noble hop note, grassy, lightly metallic, wet hay.
T: Taste follows aroma plus lemon zest, a hint of fruit, light yeast, melon rind, bitter and pale linger. It is gently rich w/out much after taste. Clean finishing.
F: Crisp, wet, med-light bodied w a fast, clean moderately dry finish.
O: Crisp and quickly full flavored with a fast finish. Excellent taste, very well balanced. Light fruitiness in the middle and leaves quickly. Very EZ drinking and quenching. It is excellent in its style.
May 20, 2023
Photo of DMFF
Reviewed by DMFF from New York

4.02/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Picked this up per coworker recommendation on my journey to find the "Perfect German Pilsner". The price is right, now let's see if the beer is worth it!

L: Pours a clear, pale golden with a fluffy, 3 finger, white head with great retention. Delicate lacing forms as a result.

S: A strong aroma of spicy, floral noble hops fills the nose. There is a mild bit of lightly sweet malt at the end.

T: Flavors follow the nose. Mild, lightly sweet malt and crackers is quickly overtaken by the spicy, floral noble hops. By the finish, the noble hops trail off and the malt shines through for a fleeting moment. Definitely interesting, but not as well balanced as others of a higher price point.

F: Crisp, clean, refreshing! Moderate carbonation. Finishes a little dry and completely clean.

O: This is a pretty good Pilsner. It isn't as well balanced with the malt and hops as I like them to be; the noble hops profile definitely takes the spotlight. It makes me wish there was a bit more of that malt present, but it's definitely a good offering for the style!
Apr 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.39 by sentrytec from Pennsylvania

Apr 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Sed1917

Mar 27, 2023
 
Rated: 3.67 by TwilightBeerCareer from Illinois

Feb 05, 2023
 
Rated: 3.74 by 22Blue from Kansas

Jan 18, 2023
Photo of Eriepa76
Rated by Eriepa76 from Minnesota

4.62/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Comparable to bitburger pils or paulaner pils but a little smoother. Tastes better at room temperature.
Dec 12, 2022
Photo of Askgaard
Rated by Askgaard

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
crisp, clean and bitter. A good pilsner and this should be the standard for most pilsners.
Nov 24, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by mpenske from California

Nov 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.84 by CRObighit2 from Canada (ON)

Oct 12, 2022
König Pilsener from König-Brauerei GmbH
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 823 ratings