Best Czech Pilsener

It's all planned in my head already, I just need to find the time...

The beers were on tap at Churchkey in DC once so I got to partake, good times!

Actually Koutska 10 and 12 are on tap right now at Churchkey... Interesting that their menu lists the 10 as a kellerbier, which probably explains why I like it so much...

 

They occasionally fly in unfiltered/unpasteurized Urquell for special events (literally comes with an entourage of employees and is actually flown in), which I guess would technically be a Keller/Zwickel, and it is dynamite. Definitely get a pint if you see it around anywhere.

 

I'm saying Pilsner Urquell, cause DEFINITELY NO ONE has said it already.

 

I have liked Golden Pheasant, but haven't seen it for a while. If I'm not mistaken, GP is from Slovakia.

 

Yes, that beer is indeed very good if you can find it fresh. I have had the joy to drink this beer fresh a number of times but those times were in the deep past.

Cheers!

 

Try Zatec & Bernard.

 

Unfortunately, the only actually-Czech Czech pilsner that I've ever even seen around here has been Pilsner Urquell, so I can't really comment on my favorite one aside from Pilsner Urquell is.

...speaking of which, it's been a while since I've had any Pilsner Urquell. Maybe I'll pick up a 12-pack the next time I spot some reasonably fresh ones around (I know the Kroger near me carries it and keeps them refrigerated all the time, so I figure what they have should be in decent shape so long as it's not like... a year old or something.)

 

Here in the UK, Pivovar.co.uk import many Czech beers- they also run the chain of "Something Tap" pubs in the UK (Sheffield, Euston, York, etc etc) which all sell these beers on draught.

They import Klaster beer. They often have Bernard, Kocour, Matuska etc- some unfiltered (nefiltrovany) and actively are pursuing many more contracts to bring Czech beer to the people of the U.K.

Zlaty Bazant (Golden Pheasant) is a Slovakian beer.

 

Inside the Czech Republic is much different to outside the Czech Republic- lots of great beers are made in tiny local breweries with no interest or experience in exporting even to neighbouring countries.

First, the good news: Pilsner Urquell is pervasive, and exported everywhere. Further, it's all made and bottled in one place - in Plzen. I think they tried to open a brewery in Poland but weren't successful. PU is a great Czech beer, and no matter how much you've debated beer, politics and religion, the vast majority of Czechs will agree. The beer is somewhat sacred to them, and to some extent this has protected it from dilution/cheapening of ingredients over the years. You would be hard pressed to find a Czech who would not proudly tell you that PU is the best beer in the world.

Inside CZ there have always been small local breweries churning out great beers. In the last decade however, as in the UK and US, a fashion for craft beer has arisen, adopted and been capitalised upon. Not surprisingly, the Czechs are very very good at this. Whilst there are some fashionable west coast America hop-bomb IPAs, there are also some genuinely impressive and innovative beers. Matuska, Kocour, are old hands (and best) at this but a gaggle of newer breweries are springing up, along with some nomadic ones which rent "old school" brewery facilities for innovative brews. The appropriately- named Pivovar Nomad is one.
At the same time, there are breweries which simply make fantastic modern no-frills beer. Unetice is one such brewery, who are having great success with their plain ten and twelve degree beers- you won't find a nicer straight lager in the Prague area.

Outside the Czech Republic, here in the UK things are better than they've ever been for Czech beer lovers. Here, a company called Pivovar in York is not only importing massive quantities of Czech beer, but also selling it directly through their own chain of "Tap" pubs. They're also happy to wholesale these beers to other pubs who want to give them a try. Also in the UK and Ireland, Pilsner Urquell is now available in tank form in various pubs (for those unaware, this means a tanker with fresh beer delivers it to a pub's tanks- no kegs are used. This is very common in CZ).

Finally, there seem to be far more rebranded Czech beers available in the UK than before- supermarket approaches brewery who produces a nameless brew for rebranding as the supermarket's own. In my experience these aren't great, but they're better than nothing!

 

I'll be sure to check out their website.

 

Yes, Pilsner Urquell is no longer brewed in Poland (but it was for quite some time) but apparently it is now brewed in Russia:

“Pilsner Urquell is today brewed in two breweries; in the Pilsen brewery and in Kaluga, Russia. It was brewed between 2002 and 2011 in Tychy in Poland.”

http://plzensky.denik.cz/podnikani/pilsner-urquell-uz-se-v-polsku-vyrabet-nebude.html

Cheers!

 

I am highly disappointed that the word Trumer has not been used in this thread.

Not many beers I'd rather have than a week old Trumer fresh from California

 

Ahhhh. What a tool I must be

I alway confuse Trumer. Because I know it's not made in Germany(Austria), I always equate that to being Czech. [slaps hand to forehead]

 

Sam Adams Noble Pils; Great Lakes Wright and Turntable are my top rated currently. Also MI only contenders are Shorts Pontius Road and Rochester Mills Pine Knob Pils. Both are great style examples. The Shorts is on the top 100 style, with the Rochester being higher score, and not on the list due to lower rating volume.

 

I am also interested in Czech Pilsners and constantly on the look out for new ones to try. I have only had two so far: Pilsner Urquell, which you know, and Queen Bohemian Rhapsody. Of the two I prefer the QBR by Cerveza. Happy hunting. Find anything good, let me know.