Victory Prima Pils

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: Pilsener
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

great pilsner. a little more hoppy than i expected. crisp and spicy.

A little more hoppy than a crisp pilsner one might expect. But very good especially if you like hops.

Mild bitterness but not nearly as much as I expected. Good, dry aftertaste and a quenchable palate that isn’t skunky like a lot of the imported Pils I’ve had. Not as good as some native European beers but surely the best in America.

pours a clear but ordinary legal-pad yellow (if legal pads were clear that is, but things legal are seldom clear); the head graced my glass briefly with a wispy yin and yang symbol; pretty, but as thin as my chances of dating angelina jolie. i honestly wasn’t dazzled by the aroma at first, but i kept at it, sniffing and swirling ’till i was lightheaded. finally i opened a goose island pils AND a gordon biersch pils to taste beside it. suddenly, it all became clear: this one has subtlety and elegance, it’s more sweetly yet delicately perfumy than the rivals, (tho the goose island is a close second). clean, with d’anjou pear, swiss cheese, and dry white wine aromas. a very smooth, full tongue bitterness just slightly edges out the staid malts and minimal sweetness. the snap of those saaz hops is remeniscent of the old pilsner urquell. and hey, after finishing those three beers, my chances with angelina suddenly seem much brighter. hic.

Just a bit of haze in the golden color, underneath a healthy head of white foam. Nice hop aroma hints of the bitterness to come. Excellent balance, satisfying mouthfeel with a crisp finish. Hats off to Victory for attempting to make the best pilsner; a brave undertaking that works very well and raises the bar. Wish I had bought a sixer.

My least favorite style of beers are pilsners. Even craft bewery’s usually dissapoint. That being said this is one of the most refreshingly delicious beers I’ve had since the first time I tried Pete’s summer ale. It pours like a weisse beer and smells somewhat similar without any of the citrus notes. Pour vigorously and you’ll be rewarded with a full creamy head that will stand for a solid five minutes. Taste is crisp and complex with the perfect balance of hop bitterness and golden malted roundness. My girlfriends gonna go bonkers for it. Re-rate 4/28/02 Anyone else taste grapefruit in the aftermath? Man what a great light brew, one of the most refreshing beers ever!

9/16/06: Yep, this is arguably my most favorite lager if you don’t count doppelbocks.

New commentary, 1/16/06:

First time I had this in a long time, not having been able to find it. I missed it, and for good reason. This is basically the Urquell without the skunk factor, making for perhaps the most satisfying lager this side of a doppelbock.

Ok, I was skeptical about this one. I have never described a pilsner as a ’good’ beer. I’ve seen the ratings for this one, and read the comments. I said to this beer prove it(I crossed my arms). Needless to say this brew lived up to its hype, but first off this is no typical pilsner. It has terrific hop character, full body, and a great apearance. This ain’t yo mama’s pilsner. Victory truly created a great pilsner, and probably one of the only one’s I would say that about.