Let's talk Pilsners

the above photo is from the bar across the street from the pilsner urquell brewery. The left is the normal pilsner and the right is the unfiltered and unpasteurized version that the brewery said is different from the tank beer available in limited places in prague. you can see the coloring difference.

The one on the left was excellent. I think the new cold shipped pilsner to the USA is extremely similar, especially when the fresh date is far out.

The one on the right is one of the top 5 beers Ive ever had and definitely the best lager Ive ever had. Absolutely unreal (just like the one in the brewery I had a half hour earlier in the cellars of the old brewery). Whether its different than the version of the 1980's and earlier I don't know. I will say this though. If you go back to the old Michael Jackson VHS video he demonstrates that you can put a nickel on the head and it doesn't fall into the beer. I will tell you I tried that on the above two beers and it didn't work.

 

Actually Michael Jackson put a Czech coin atop the head. If you ever made it to Eastern Bloc countries before the collapse, you'd know why this would work: the coins were made of the cheapest -- and lightest -- metals available.

EDIT: And I agree, Urquell straight from the source is still extremely delicious -- and dangerously drinkable.

 

oh, well I didn't realize that. so that piece of information by me is useless.

 

Interesting thread but also very helpful. It explains a lot. I cut my teeth drinking beer on Urquell
Pilsner in the late 80's early 90's, three trips to Germany stayed about a month each time. We always visited the same pub in Ansbach, Germany. I would walk in and order a pils followed by many many many more. Urquell, on tap, is what they served me. Which explains why I've never found a pils that tasted as good. New to the forum, just wanted to add a bit to this conversation. Was saddened to hear that Urquell has changed the formula.

 

I LOVE PILSNER, so underrated.

Privo Pils is a really great one. also, Lefthand Polestar Pils. Prima Pils, The DogFish Head My Antonio Imperial Pils, Sam Adams Imperial Pils, Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pils, the Rogue Good Chit Pils, Rogue Kells Irish Lager (yeah not branded as a pils, but really is a lot like a pils), Great Divide Nomad Pils. North Coast Scrumshaw Pils. Mama's Little Yellow Pils. Hitachino Next Pils.Pilsner Urquell. Pinkus Pils.Laguintas Pils. Marble Pils.

 

The point you are dropping out from your thinking is that something does not have to be an "either/or" situation to make a difference or have an effect. So just because you haven't detected a particular sensory effect doesn't mean it doesn't exist. While it truly might not exist for you, personally, it might also be the case that you have been looking in the wrong place or the wrong way. Similarly, just because a feature of a product is emphasized in marketing doesn't mean that feature has neither substance nor added value in the product or it's use. Indeed, long term successful marketing effects seem to require that the product features emphasized not be based on empty claims.

 

Ahh… the ever-lovin' sparkler. Thought you Real Ale guys hated that thing?

 

This is at the brewery. They know how to serve their beer! Even on gravity this beer has excellent lacing.

 

Doesn't mean they won't cave to customer pressure!
You don't know how many brew-pubs I've been to with frozen glasses and when asked the bartender will say, "We serve it that way because it's what our customers want."

And I don't doubt the lacing, a beer doesn't have to be over-carbonated to show great lacing.

 

This is a reasonable take on the matter and I will concede that my own point of view as I presented it was absolute in its assertions, which is seldom a reasonable position to take.

As it pertains the marketing value of foam which I addressed in my previous posts though, my thinking was that the aesthetic benefit of foam adds enough value for it to be useful to the consumer and the brewer regardless of whether it actually improves the flavor. As long as the foam doesn't worsen the flavor of the beer there's no reason for the consumer to find fault with the beer due to pouring a big head. Even if the consumer wouldn't heed the advice of the brewer and pour the beer very gently to where it hardly creates any head at all, the flavor of the beer would still be intact, the consumer would still recognize the flavor of the beer, it wouldn't become a different taste experience (although here is where we might differ in opinion). So basically there's no way for the brewer to lose here, if the consumer pours a big head the consumer gets a good looking beer that tastes good, if they don't they still get a good tasting beer (provided that they like the beer to begin with).

As another beer related example one could mention the use of green glass bottles, where consumer preference for a certain aesthetic when it comes to beer packaging, causes brewers to opt for a packaging which endangers the good taste of their beer. Foam doesn't endanger the taste of the beer, but the aesthetic value is such that it makes sense for them to market it.

 

Was waiting for someone to do this. In less than ten posts no less.

 

I mean if people wanted more flavor out of their beer they'd stop drinking beer ice cold, it wouldn't make sense for someone to think less of a beer because a big head didn't improve the flavor, when they drink that same beer at fridge temperature. Craft beer drinkers are a different breed of course when it comes to beer and temperature, and I think the benefits of drinking a beer at warmer temperatures greatly exceeds any benefits that are potentially reaped from drinking a beer with any amount of foam.

 

Where it can be found, Trumer Pils is a fantastic product made in CA. Distributed in CA, WA, OR, TX, and CO (might be a few others but that's what I know right now). Draft (when poured from a really clean line) is very crisp and aromatic. The bottles are great too, just need to get them when fresh and rotated will (like many beers).

 

This is my go-to Pils anymore, it hits a home run to-style. Available in Illinois too. Although, I always look for the covered 12 packs due to the dreaded green bottle.

 

What "I thought"?

 

I finally had Mama's Little Yella Pils and it was good and enjoyable but it didnt blow away SA Noble Pils or Victory Prima Pils and I like the latter 2 better. Damn, I can get a 16oz can 6 pack of Narragansett Bohemian Pilsner & its on par with Mama's Little Yella Pills and is like 2 bucks cheaper. Its certainly not vastly inferior.

 

While I've not got data readily to hand about a vigorous head creating pour on beer, there are reasons to believe that the effects are not only visual. What we pick up in the way of flavors is a combinatioin of both taste and smell. In some cases the sense of smell is a bigger determinant of flavor than is the sense of taste. So that there are tasting illusions created by introducing smells that can lead the individual to mis-identify what they are eating or drinking. The phyical actions of the vigorous, head producing pour are said to relase some of the aromatics from the beer that are otherwise not really opening up in full.

While I can't give you a specific example for beer, if you have a taste for single malt whisky you can demonstrate this "opening up of flavors and aromas" to yourself. Into a standard whisky glass or a smaill tulip shaped glass, pour a good sized shot of whisky (the effect is more pronounced with cask strength). Take a good sniff and then a small sip. Then add about 4-5 drops of spring water (no chlorine) to the whisky. Watch the action in the glass. Then take another deep sniff and another small sip. I'm betting you'll notice a big difference in the flavors and aromas. Its like the whisky has been asleep and then awakened by the the drops of water. Similarly you may have noticed that wine drinkers often swirl their wine in the glass and then sniff. The swirling is not just show it helps relase the aromatics.

But neither whisky nor wine are carbonated. However, a vigorous pour of beer not only creates a visual effect it can enhance the flaovr and aroma of the beer.

 

Drinking the "Coldest Beer in Town" is a leftover from the marketing of your typical American Adjunct Lagers. And truth be told, they are better drunk cold because they tend to taste awful when they warm up. It's been drilled into the heads of American consumers for generations.

 

Well in all fairness drinking cold beer is a world wide phenomenon, and it dates back at least to the mid 1800s when the new lager beer was being kept on ice at various establishments before serving. Marketing, and fridges of course helped things along. And I'm not anti cold beer per se, it has its place as a thirst quencher or to go along with food. But I thought it was worth pointing out what I think is a more important aspect of beer flavor compared to having a certain amount of foam, namely the temperature of the beer.