I hate doing reviews like this. They equate me to some basement dwelling beer hater. Well.. I am in a basement but I do not hate this beer. However, I have had a few brews and a full dose of Battlefield Field 3 video game adrenaline rush: here it goes.
This beer lacks focus. It has too much flavour to be an American Pilsner. It was too sweet and unattenuated to be a German Pils. It is more in the Bohemian range. Perhaps it is just my West Coast palate crying out for more hops. There is a Victory Prima Pils in my fridge calling my name; perhaps the greatest beer I have ever tasted. My soul was crying for a local Prima Pils that could be obtained by the growler full. Forevermore contentment would fill my heart- and stomach. However I am being unfair; this is a tasty beer.


Hoyner Pilsner (Hoyne) = 4/10

This beer was sampled twice; in growler and bottle. Did I mention that I got growler #8? The aroma came across as faint with straw with some honey and a little lettuce (not DMS). Chewiness is not something I look for in a Pils, but the Hoyner had some. Each sip was a little on the honey/sweet side. There was enough honey, lettuce, spices and herbal goodness to keep the palate active. Normally Pils end like a door slam; this one lingered with a honey and straw slickness. Not unpleasant - just unexpected. People will like this beer, perhaps one of the best Pilsner styles produced in BC. Beer geeks might say: dry it out, add more late edition spicy hops and then call me.


Taste +2
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0
Value +1 (it is OK)
Appearance 0

Other Pilsner style reviews
Stanly Park Pilsner (chuck this beer at the wind mill)
Czech Mate (Paddock Wood)
Pilsner Urquell

Pilsner Urquell


Ratebeer 3.27/5 72nd percentile
Beer Advocate B

I had this on tap at Clive's lounge. Did I mention it was ON TAP? There are few places where you can get this great beer on draft.

Taste +4

The nose was very grassy and light of spices/herbal. If every glass of Urquell tasted like this I would drink nothing else. On the tongue there was malty syrup, honey, grass and barnyard. I like sheep so barnyard is good. The hops were not too assertive with herbal and slight minerals. There was a slight butter taste in every sip.

Aftertaste +2

The carbonated minerals mixed well with the palate scraping herbal hop bite. It never went away.

Alcohol Content -1 4.4%

Value +1

On tap this brew on glorious; in the bottle it was bleck. Perhaps a sampling of a Pilsner Urquell can is in order.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Nope no gaming, but the lounge at Clive's was worth a positive score

Overall 7/10

This is proof that on tap is better. If you like this stuff in a bottle, you owe it to yourself to visits Clive's and savour its real(er) flavour.

Panzer Imperial Pilsner
Molson Old Style Pilsner (100th review)
Bitburger Pils and Palm Springs

Steam Whistle

Ratebeer 2.84/5 31st percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +3

The nose is very slight with hints of vegetable sweetness and grass. There was good carbonation that mixed well with the floral, noble hop bite at the start. This was followed by the sweet, grassy and honey malts. It was clean and crisp at the end with mild tastes of green apple.

Aftertaste +1

The floral, noble hops faded quickly.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

There is that magic ABV number again.

Value +1

I know that people can disrespect the average pilsner, but I liked this one.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This beer was drank for my first real beer blog. I might even make money at this one.

Overall 6/10

This was an average, but good, pilsner. The floral hop bite was there, as was the sweet malts, green apple and good carbonation.

Panzer Imperial Pilsner
Pacific Pilsner
Bitburger Pils

Czech Mate Pilsner (Paddock Wood)

Ratebeer 3.04 44th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

A big thanks goes out to Nightware for introducing me to this great Saskatoon craft brewery. I picked up their Big Box o' Beer from Firefly. In case anyone is wondering, Firefly has an epic selection of craft beer. This is my new favourite place to go. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

Taste +4

I am normally not a fan of pilsners, but this one is well done. The nose is very light with straw, grass, honey and herbal/flower hops. The taste is creamy and slightly bitter/citrus tart hops. This one is not watery at all and very refreshing. The body carries a little lemon bread.

Aftertaste +1

The tart/bitter hops (Saaz) slowly fades away to a crisp ending.

Alcohol Content 0 5.2%

Value +1

This was a very refreshing brew; well done.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Just to bump the score up.

Overall 7/10

This is a pils had the correct way. It is refreshing in taste and not watery tasting like other 'pilsners' one the market.

Bitburger Pils and Palm Springs
Pacific Pilsner (100th review)
Panzer Imperial Pilsner

Panzer Imperial Pilsner (Port Brewing)

Ratebeer 3.62 92nd percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +4

Wow, finally a pilsner I truly like. Big lemon grass nose with a little grapefruit. There is a great bitter IPA like start with tart grapefruits and resin. The bitterness just coats everything and barely hides the pale malt sweetness. The sweetness is like tropical fruits (pineapples).

Aftertaste +2

It was a long lingering of slightly astringent grapefruit.

Alcohol Content +1 9.5%

Value +1

This was great, like a strong IPA just switch the caramel malt for a paler variety.

Ingame Enhancement +1

No gaming tonight. We just watched Dead Snow, an epic Nazi zombie flick from Norway. I highly recommend it for zombie flick fans.

Overall 9/10

This beer is for those who love the hops, but want a little change of pace.

Molson Old Style Pilsner 100th review
Steam Whistle Pilsner
Bitburger Pils and Palm Springs

Steam Whistle Pilsner

Ratebeer 2.83 30th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

There are few things I like about Toronto; this is one of them.

Taste +4

The nose is very pilsner like; light grass sweetness and clover notes. Immediately the carbonation takes hold and fizzes the refreshing tastes all over the mouth. It is the most pleasant grass and toasted bread sweetness. This is vanquished with an equally as refreshing hop bitterness. The hops are just slight enough to cleanse the palate.

Aftertaste +1

There is a very hollow finish, dry and crisp. It is just as a good pilsner should be. After a slight mouth rinsing of hop bitterness, it was gone

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Value +1

This is truly an exceptional Canadian Pilsner. Well worth the slightly premium price; about $15 for 6 pack. I get it every time I see it.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I am just making this up to increase the beers score.
Overall 7/10

This should be Canada's beer; not those other 'pilsners'.

Molson Old Style Pilsner

Ratebeer 1.98 6th percentile
Beer Advocate C-

Taste +1

The nose was non-existent. If I had to make one up, I would say there was slight aromatic hops and ice. Like all the other beers in this review, you get the standard corn and malt sweetness, followed by an uneventful hop and carbonation bite. Not really a bite, more like a gumming from kittens. Overall not bitter and not sweet; actually not anything at all.

Aftertaste 0

It just vanished.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Nothing to see here; move along.

Value 0

It was cheap, $10 for a six pack. I would prefer to drink tap water instead.

Ingame Enhancement 0

I have this great habit of drinking one glass of water after each beer. This is my hangover cure; keep hydrated. Sadly, I put my water glass down next to my beer glass.....
Overall 1/10

I think Francis said it best, "I hate white rabbits".
Back to 100th Review

Pacific Pilsner (Pacific Western Brewing)

Ratebeer 1.41 1st percentile
Beer Advocate D

Taste -2

With a nose of cheap pilsner (corn, newspaper and stale beer), you know the taste is not going to be pretty. As expected, it tastes like carbonated water with a faint hint of high fructose corn syrup and bitter hops.

Meterman: This stuff just tastes like bitter water!

Aftertaste 0

With no taste there can be no aftertaste. Thank goodness.

Alcohol content 0 5%

No redeeming qualities here.

Value -1

It is cheap, a six pack is under $8. You do get what you pay for.

Ingame Enhancement -1

Flavius plugged his nose and chugged. Meterman dumped his down the sink.

Overall -4/10

I believe this is the lowest rating we have given. This beer is meant to be shotgunned. It is a vehicle for ethanol in a socially acceptable form; if your society is a trailer park down by the river.
Back to 100th review

Flavius: Palm Springs was just like a L4D map!
Meterman: Ok, try and explain. How is an overpriced desert oasis, with gated golf communities full of rich old people, just like a violent, zombie video game.
F: It was the best map ever! Every car had an alarm and there were guns and ammo everywhere!
M: Those skinny, brown zombies that grunted and flailed their arms were actually senior citizens with a tan. Also, some of those cars you were jumping on were golf carts.
F: But some of the golf carts did have alarms! That also means that I was shoving those zombies away with a 9 iron.

Bitburger Pilsener

Ratebeer 2.9 35th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +4

I know that I have been critical of cheap, exported pilseners in the past. This beer is just the same but it actually tastes good. At first the nose is very light and quite floral with grass and grains. The flavours are very mild which makes this a very drinkable beer. A pleasant malt and grain sweetness is just under balanced with light hops. All of this with little carbonation.

Aftertaste +1

The finish is very clean and dry. There was little hoppy bitterness worth mentioning.

Alcohol Content -1 4.8%

Value +1

This beer is cheap; about $2 for a 500ml can. A very nice flavour for what you pay.

Ingame Enhancement 0

No game tonight, watched Johnny English instead. If Rowan Atkinson was a zombie, would he still be funny?

Overall 5/10

This is a summer patio beer; on par with Corona for ease of drinking. I put his beer on par with Blue and Canadian, only less carbonation and less of a bitter aftertaste.