Gordon Biersch Czech Pilsner

Brewed by Gordon Biersch Brewing Company
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
Palo Alto, California USA

Clear gold appearance with a small white head and little lacing. Toasted malt aroma that turns subtly sweeter as it sits. Sweet, cereal-like malt taste with a modest amount of spicy, bitter hops. Light to medium bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel and a palate that was a bit thin. Short lived finish. Decent, drinkable, but little to set it apart from the field.

On tap at the Rockville location as Czech Lager: Pours a bright golden brass with a well-lacing froth of white foam. Has a sweet pale malty nose with some fresh Saaz hops and a touch of light fruity notes. Starts with a fizzy effervescent and faint pale grainy sweetness with a strong assertive grassy hop bitterness before an astringent finish. Could use a little more sweetness and flavor hops with less bitterness.

Bottled On: 09/23/09. Appearance: Pours a very clear, deep yellow body with an inch-high layer of white head. Smell: Pilsner malt with lightly sweet-scented, grainy tones and a mild background Noble hop spiciness. Small hint of white grape in there, too. Taste: Sparsely grainy, lightly sweetish pilsner maltiness preceding the mildly spicy Noble hop character with a fairly low amount of bitterness. Slight white grape fruitiness. Finishes lightly spicy and drying, but then, well, nothing, it just finishes kind of flat without that desired zip of crisp carbonation to help seal the deal. Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Without that added zing of crispness, it made for a sub-par, hohum pilsner. Pity.

This is a very dry and grassy tasting beer. . There is a little bit of a spiciness. The carbonation is active, similar to pop rocks. No aftertaste.

12oz bottle. Pours a bright, deep honey-golden color; effervescent; thin white head with good retention and fine-bubbled lacing; attractive, bright pour. Very light, clean aroma: basic sugar, honey; not much here. Medium mouthfeel: lively carbonation; again, basic sugar, cereal malts, and a touch of honey upfront; very light hop character (nondescript bitterness); this isn’t so very distinguishable from a solid premium lager; simple, moderately crisp and bitter. The finish is the nicest part of this: lots of toastiness, bread, and a solid mineral bitterness; pleasant ending.

Clear yellow, thin whitish cover. Aroma is grassy hops, clean light malt. Taste is clean, grassy hops, malt sweetness, light metallic.

11/11/09 on sale at whole foods, $5 a sixer. bottled 4/13. straw colored pour. light feel, and hop.

Pours a golden color with a smaller off white colored head. Notes of pears, earthy/catty hops, and dawn dish soap which is not necessarily a bad thing. Medium weight, medium finish. Easy quaffer.