The Bar Towel

mintjellie wrote:Agree with most of this except for your comment about Holsten. Lots of weird off flavours in each of Holstens beers. I'd have to go back to my tasting notes to remember what exactly was wrong. But I remember there being a lot wrong.

Have you tried Golden Pheasant? It's quite nice if you can manage to find it fresh. Slight almost imperceptible diacetyl note that actually works with the bready, crackery malt flavour it's got going on. Weird, but apparently fits BJCP guidelines.

Well, there is a reason I didn't list Holsten in with the beers I really enjoy! I do not think it's great. My Dad used to swap between Holsten and Beck's when I was growing up, so in my mind they were very much the same beer until this tasting. I just found Holsten considerably less flawed than Beck's. If my Dad was offering me a beer now, I'd be Holsten over Beck's.

I've got a long list of other middling beers. How about those oddly too bitter (almost anise-like) Italian lagers Moretti Birra or Peroni Nastro Azzurro? Or those Polish lagers (Lech, Tyskie, or the Zywiec brands Zywiec and Tatra) which, no matter what, always seem to be way too sweet (Lech the least so, Zywiec the most)? Or a somewhat harsh and messy Ekstra from Lithuania?

The LCBO ought to get some recognition for having such a wide selection of relatively fresh lagers and, for the most part, preferring cans. I know lots of these are only here because the big breweries own these brands, but still, good on 'em for staying away from green glass. Golden Pheasant, however, was in a green bottle when I tried it and, at least compared to most of the others, it was powerfully skunky. I took some time to try to get past it and I did think there might be a really nice Czech Lager under that skunk, but I'll have to find a fresher bottle or a tap to really tell.

No love for King Pils here, huh?

I buy that by the case.

King Pils is my favourite Czech-style pils, but it's only sporadically available here, so I usually just go with the imports when I'm in the mood for that sort of beer. PU is great and Czechvar is a nice substitute for when I can't find any fresh cans of the former. Golden Pheasant is also a nice one when fresh.

As for pale German lagers, Bitburger and Radeberger are my usual go-tos. I recently tried Jever for the first time and it's also fairly good. DAB and Spaten are very good value, as well.

Kronenbourg and Tyskie are the only regular Euro pale lagers I really bother with. I'd take a halfway decent pilsener over either of them, though.

Not being a big pils / pale / euro lager fan I'm biased, but when i do have the sudden urge for a lcbo pils it is either King or Urquel. I don't find the others have the same snappy hop bite that i expect. king does need to be as fresh as possible as I find it does fade rather quickly; try it fresh at the brewery for max aromatics. obviously to each his own, but i bought a DAB awhile back on an inexplicable whim and had to pour half down the drain...like i said, I'm not a fan.

Just trying a Jever now, side by side with an Urquell and a King, and boy does the Jever blow the other two out of the water for pure pilsner bitterness (exactly as groulxsome said it would). I urge you to try them side by side if you don't believe me. Also, the Jever is quite fresh at the moment - BB 18-06-15 on bottom of can. The Urquell and King are very similar to me; perhaps the Urquell is slightly richer. But you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart in a blind tasting. No BB on the King (that I can find) unfortunately. Not sure if I prefer the Jever, exactly, but if there is such a thing as a lager hop-head then Jever is for him or her.

This thread makes me sad that Victory Prima Pils is no longer available at the LCBO.

I did try Jever tonight and thought it was a winner.

Inkling wrote:This thread makes me sad that Victory Prima Pils is no longer available at the LCBO.

I did try Jever tonight and thought it was a winner.

Prima Pils, while a great beer, isn't remotely within traditional pilsner guidelines (but I miss it too).

I generally like all the Czech and German beers that have been mentioned, and King Pilsner too. My additions to the list include F&M Stonehammer Pilsner, and I have also recently enjoyed the Saaz Republic Pilsner from Big Rock.

^ yeah +1 Stonehammer. Cameron's as well.

I was drinking Budvar like crazy in Hamburg. Was standout.

We were briefly blessed with Victory Prima Pils but I don't think the market supported it.

It's a nice style if a good batch and well handled, both probably as important as it being a 'good' brand. That's just my guess. Locals are the ones to reach out here for, probably! I have enjoyed Creemore Pilsner, and Neustadt Lager...

liamt07 wrote:

Inkling wrote:This thread makes me sad that Victory Prima Pils is no longer available at the LCBO.

I did try Jever tonight and thought it was a winner.

Prima Pils, while a great beer, isn't remotely within traditional pilsner guidelines (but I miss it too).

I've read that Prima Pils is 44 IBU, I don't know if that's true or not. But if it is, then it is at least remotely within BJCP guidelines. Like, the very upper limit of the guidelines.

Of course, that bitterness is perceived very strongly.