Long Dong Pilsner
Great Lakes Brewery
- From:
- Great Lakes Brewery
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Czech / Bohemian Pilsner
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.69 | pDev: 5.69%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Jun 29, 2017
- Added:
- Jun 20, 2011
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)
4.08/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pilsners aren't among my fav styles, but I'm liking this one because its got a bit ore character. Slightly hazy yellow, head settles to a film and gives up pretty nice lace. Grassy, slightly fruity nose. Appetizing. Fuller mouth feel than you might expect from a pils. Quite delicious, grassy green and fresh, a hint of fruit. Enough malt to balance the works out. An enjoyable brew and one I'd do again.
Nov 11, 2016
Rated by dipso123 from Oregon
3.33/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.33/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
A Czech Pilz w/zero Saaz character?!! Drinkable but nothing like a quality Czech Pilz. Much more like an SAB or AB pilsner.
May 09, 2016
Reviewed by kevinlater from Canada (ON)
3.77/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.77/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
473ml can with smudged out date code. brewed with sorachi ace and saaz hops. clear pale yellow with white head. lemony, dill-y, grainy cracker aroma. taste follows the nose, with a bitter, acidic lime/lemon finish. light-bodied with moderate prickly carbonation. an interesting hoppy lager, wouldn't mind having another one
Jan 21, 2016
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)
3.63/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Appearance - Pours a clear gold with two fingers of bubbly white head.
Smell - Biscuity malts, grains, grassy aromas, hint of lemon and Saaz hops. Slightly adjunct smelling aromas.
Taste - Biscuity malts and grains, along with some bitterness from spicy Saaz hops and hints of grass. Finishes with balance between malts and hops.
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Finishes slightly dry.
Overall - A crisp pilsner with refreshing flavours, however there is a slightly adjunct aroma that is tarnishing the overall smell for me. Saaz hops could use a bit more of a spotlight, but otherwise malts and hops are fairly balanced.
Jan 17, 2016Smell - Biscuity malts, grains, grassy aromas, hint of lemon and Saaz hops. Slightly adjunct smelling aromas.
Taste - Biscuity malts and grains, along with some bitterness from spicy Saaz hops and hints of grass. Finishes with balance between malts and hops.
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Finishes slightly dry.
Overall - A crisp pilsner with refreshing flavours, however there is a slightly adjunct aroma that is tarnishing the overall smell for me. Saaz hops could use a bit more of a spotlight, but otherwise malts and hops are fairly balanced.
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)
3.75/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Sampled directly at the brewery.
Clear gold body, crisp and refreshing feel, some graininess and just enough hops to make it stand out. A well done pils IMO.
Dec 31, 2015Clear gold body, crisp and refreshing feel, some graininess and just enough hops to make it stand out. A well done pils IMO.
Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)
3.17/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.17/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Purchased at the brewery for $2.20 for a 473ml can. Served at 4deg C in a draught glass. This can states 5.0% alcohol
A- Opens well and pours a 1" high white head that films out within a minute. Very light almost translucent gold colour and filtered clear
S- Traditional Czech hops and malt scent
T- Weird bitterness. Bland and uninspired. Would definitely appreciate an Urquell over this all day long. Metallic.
M- Very Bud like.
O- Takes the worst of a North American and a Czech brew and put them together to get this one. Sorry but will never buy again. Ever
Food Pairing
I don't care to pair this one as it really should be avoided.
Sorry
Dec 19, 2015A- Opens well and pours a 1" high white head that films out within a minute. Very light almost translucent gold colour and filtered clear
S- Traditional Czech hops and malt scent
T- Weird bitterness. Bland and uninspired. Would definitely appreciate an Urquell over this all day long. Metallic.
M- Very Bud like.
O- Takes the worst of a North American and a Czech brew and put them together to get this one. Sorry but will never buy again. Ever
Food Pairing
I don't care to pair this one as it really should be avoided.
Sorry
Reviewed by BeerWatcher from Canada (ON)
3.37/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.37/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
I’m not a big fan of Pilseners but this one is better than most I’ve had. It has a very light amber colouring, that almost glows in the sun. Very filtered. Light carbonation bubbles are constant. Very thin white head that is leaving behind surprising levels of lacing layers as drunk. Lemongrass dominates the nose, with slight hints of pine resin in the background. Lemon hops dominate the tastes, but there is some light biscuity malt in the mix as well. A nice representation of the style, even if the style itself is way down on my beer preference pecking order.
Jun 04, 2015
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)
3.61/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.61/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
As usual, the label design for this Great Lakes beer is fantastic. Fortunately, the company employs a brewer as talented as their graphic artist; even the marketing department - creative enough to come up with names like Long Dong Pilsner - couldn't have dreamed up a more aesthetic, universally familiar and appealing looking beer than the sparklingly clear, golden, lightly frothed one in front of me.
Without doubt Great Lakes is on the short-list of best brewers in Ontario. However, the question remains: can they do lagers? My experiences with Red Leaf and Blonde Lager suggest no. That said, it's already apparent that Long Dong has more flavour than either of those two offerings...
But there are a few 'buts'. For a brewer normally so generous with the use of hops, why aren't I smelling more of those distinctly floral, spicy Saaz notes? And considering the lack of adjuncts and the certain use of high-quality grain, why isn't this bready, cereal flavour a little more rich and complex?
Truth be told, despite good body and a desirably clean and quenching profile, Long Dong Pilsner isn't the most expressive, characterful example of the style. It's definitely more reserved in taste than GLB offerings tend to be; I anticipated a little more assertiveness.
At the risk of sounding trite, I'd call this a good beer - not a great one. If I wanted to be more cheeky I'd say Long Dong is actually average and nothing to get excited about. Regardless, it's a welcomed alternative to the otherwise insipid, underwhelming lager landscape in this province. I'm still waiting for a micro to step up and fill that void. GLB may have what it takes but I'm not yet totally convinced.
May 21, 2015Without doubt Great Lakes is on the short-list of best brewers in Ontario. However, the question remains: can they do lagers? My experiences with Red Leaf and Blonde Lager suggest no. That said, it's already apparent that Long Dong has more flavour than either of those two offerings...
But there are a few 'buts'. For a brewer normally so generous with the use of hops, why aren't I smelling more of those distinctly floral, spicy Saaz notes? And considering the lack of adjuncts and the certain use of high-quality grain, why isn't this bready, cereal flavour a little more rich and complex?
Truth be told, despite good body and a desirably clean and quenching profile, Long Dong Pilsner isn't the most expressive, characterful example of the style. It's definitely more reserved in taste than GLB offerings tend to be; I anticipated a little more assertiveness.
At the risk of sounding trite, I'd call this a good beer - not a great one. If I wanted to be more cheeky I'd say Long Dong is actually average and nothing to get excited about. Regardless, it's a welcomed alternative to the otherwise insipid, underwhelming lager landscape in this province. I'm still waiting for a micro to step up and fill that void. GLB may have what it takes but I'm not yet totally convinced.
Reviewed by ssmack from Canada (ON)
3.58/5 rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Taupe colour with lemon yellow shading. 2 inches of white head and little lacing.
Mild slightly malty grassy aroma.
Lots of lemon in the taste. Grassy hops and long aftertaste.
Medium feel.
Good but not not super pilsner.
Apr 28, 2015Mild slightly malty grassy aroma.
Lots of lemon in the taste. Grassy hops and long aftertaste.
Medium feel.
Good but not not super pilsner.
Reviewed by drtth from Pennsylvania
3.7/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
The clear golden beer is served in a Shaker Pint glass with a 1/4" head that recedes to a thin layer on the surface. Sipping leaves some lacing.
The aromas include the grassy hops, a bit of lemon and some cracker from the grain.
The flavors are as predicted from the nose, with a slightly citric, bitter grassy character riding on background of the cracker sweetness from the malt.
The mouthfeel is light bodied and slightly prickly with a reasonable amount of carbonation. The finish begins as the cracker sweetness and slight citrus fade to leave the grassy bitterness.
This was drinkable, but I'll not be doing a repeat. It was a bit on the bland side and the combination of flavors just didn't work for me.
Jul 10, 2013The aromas include the grassy hops, a bit of lemon and some cracker from the grain.
The flavors are as predicted from the nose, with a slightly citric, bitter grassy character riding on background of the cracker sweetness from the malt.
The mouthfeel is light bodied and slightly prickly with a reasonable amount of carbonation. The finish begins as the cracker sweetness and slight citrus fade to leave the grassy bitterness.
This was drinkable, but I'll not be doing a repeat. It was a bit on the bland side and the combination of flavors just didn't work for me.
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