Reality Czeck
Moonlight Brewing Company

 

 

I had much higher expectations for this brew. It turned out to be gluten-free(ish), German Pils color (pale straw), GP taste and aroma (spicy zing), and a lot pricier than other US-made Czech-style Pilsners.

That said, it's not horrible. Lots of room for improvement. Like simply rename it to German Ordnung or something. Or brew it the Czech way, to be rich golden, soft floral aroma and a distinct Saaz dry hop bite.

Would love to try their high-gravity 14 P° version to compare. But this one is one and done for me.

This gushed on me upon opening. Counterintuitively I knew right away this would be good, what with some extra can conditioning. After cleaning a bit up, a dense plume of foam remained and then broadened as I poured the rest. This looks like a Kellerbier to me with its cloudy presentation.

Pleasant scents of yeast, cracker, breadiness, floral/herbal/earthy hops are available

Drinking also reminds of Kellerbier stylings as it is chewy, bready, yeasty, lemony, and very floral in flavor. The yeasty character is stronger than it should be, but it works very well here. Sweetness is apparent but kept in good balance by the entirety of everything. There is a light lemony, floral hop, dry finish. This has a full feel without being overly viscous or syrupy. Again, the unfiltered nature adds to its body. Overall, this is an outstanding pils I'd drink any time of year. Thanks to @Nugganooch for providing me with this!

 

Smells like lemon, yeast, and flowers. Tastes quite floral, with crisp baguette, grass, stems, and slight lemon peel. Too watery and thin-bodied. Aftertaste is a bit awkward. It’s alright.

Smooth, soft, welcoming.. Excellent.

 

2025-08-10
16oz can served in a hotel tumbler. Can doesn't appear to be dated. I bought it at Windsor Home Brew Costa Mesa earlier today, after @beersnake talked it up last night.

Pours clear light gold with a medium sized head and medium carbonation. Smell is clean grain, dry grass, maybe a hint of lemon.

Taste is all that and a bag of chips. Grain, grass, lemon, all amped up substantially. Bitterness is about perfect, and exceedingly well balanced by grain and floral sweetness.

Mouthfeel is light, clean, crisp. This beer is really good.

Probably the best beer I ever had. And I have been to The Wooly Pig Farm Brewery many times. Mind blown. Tiny out of the way place. Very relaxed. Who knew I would be handed the #1 rated Bohemian Pilsner in the world. Mind blown.

So good to get a few of these at a natural wine bar in San Francisco

Serving: On tap at Fishetarian (Bodega Bay, CA), poured into a plastic beer cup.

Appearance. Bright, clear golden yellow with a good froth of white head and streaky lacing.

Smell: Plenty of grassy, floral and lemon zest hop notes as well as the soft aroma of fresh white bread.

Taste: More lush citrus, grass and floral hop notes marry nicely with a cracker malt body. Finishes with a nice clean bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation, and nice smooth feel.

Overall: Really nice California take on the classic Bohemian pilsener.

 

Czeck please!

No really, I always enjoy a beer that's enjoyable, top-rated, and atypical and this certainly ft the beer. Found this starting at me from a cooler at the Royal Farms in Los Angeles back in October and couldn't believe that I had the #1 (at the time) Czech/Bohemian Pilsner right in front of me. After having a few on my trip back home and the last one tonight, it's easy to see why this was so highly-rated. Lots to love here from the get-go as this was a textbook example of what something of this style should be!

No surprise that this poured a lovely gold as it was nearly absent of any overt carbonation. Tons of fluffy head topped this off as the suds were lazy in settling down to a nice, solid head. Very few of them remained on the side of my glass as the cap only left a thin ring once I started to sip this. Tons of floral notes, grain, and European hops in the nose as the taste was full of butter and honey. A faint hint of cloying, fresh-baked bread tied everything in together as this was beautifully smooth, slick, and not the least bit skunked or sour. Some grass and grain emerged as this warmed up as this would be a perfect beer for the outdoors - if was warm enough here at the moment for that!

It felt light, as there were hints of fine bubbles that complemented the stickiness and gluten nicely. Hard to detect any alcohol as it would have been easy to quaff the other three cans in a sitting - had they made it back east. Canned on 8/5 of last year, this held up well and easily stood toe-to-toe with any counterparts from across the pond that I've had. Props to Moonlight for a darned good first impression and a tasty reason to put the IPA's down and reach for something different. This is something I'd look for again the next time I'm in the Golden State!

 

 

From a case of pint cans I had shipped out for my birthday. Date on can: 10/16/24, fresh!

This pours a crystal clear golden in color with the slightest hint of copper towards the middle. A half inch of frothy white foam sits on top off the pour with decent retention, eventually settling to a thin layer of creamy lacing that coats the glass as you drink. Carbonation looks average, maybe even above average, with plenty of medium sized bubbles rising up. I expected the color to be a bit darker, but otherwise this is a pretty typical appearance for the style.

Aroma is predominantly hoppy with grass, lemon peel and apple. Banana bread maltiness sits underneath. Huh, this seems more like a German style pilsner than Czech style. It does smell fresh, though.

Taste follows the nose well. Spicy, floral hoppiness up front with plenty of grass, lemon and lime, building on the tongue until the swallow and finishing with more of the same along with a hint of cracker grains. This tastes like a German pilsner, too.

Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium bodied with zesty carbonation that prickles the tongue on the swallow. It drinks smooth and finishes crisp and dry. Slight mineral quality to it, but just enough substance to keep it from feeling overly carbonated. Quite refreshing.

Well, this is not what I was expecting. Where are the malts? This almost completely showcases the hops. It's almost like an American rendition of a German pilsner. Czech style pilsners are usually a bit darker in color and showcase toasted, bready maltiness. My favorites in the style also generally have a creamed corn taste. The hops are more balanced, to counteract the sweetness from the malts, but they are not the star. Don't get me wrong, this is quality stuff, I think it's just miscategorized, and it has left me disappointed. Ironically this is the beer that made me seek out this brewing company, and it ended up being the lowest rated one for me so far, albeit, still quite highly rated. All that said, had this been categorized as a German style pilsner, I'd probably have rated it higher. Prost!