Pils from Augustiner, or pilsner after Munich

Representative of the style pilsener from Augustiner is simply named – Pils. Today I begin a mini-series of tasting beers from this Munich brewery.

Pilsener (pils)

Pilsner (or pils) is a style originally brewed at Pilsen (Plzeň) in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic).
This original Plzeňský Prazdroj was created in the nineteenth century, and this beer based on the original recipe is still produced and popular, known as Pilsner Urquell.

Pilsener is a bottom-fermented beer brewed from malted barley, which are dried at low temperatures so as to give the beer a lightest colour.
Traditionally it used only one variety of hops – Žatec Czech hops, otherwise known as Saaz. This variety is very aromatic, spicy and herbal with floral touch.

Traditionally pilsner beer is very pale, bright golden, straw. It has a rich aroma of malty-hoppy (spicy with a hint of floral).
The taste is marked by maltiness with a clear, though moderately bitter.
Diacetyl may be present, but not necessarily. Beer makes an impression quite bodied. Saturation at an average level.

German Pilsner is a copy of the Czech Pils.
It differs from Czech counterpart that it is less malty – a drier, which is strongly emphasized bitterness, like the bodied is lower.
It is used not only Saaz hops, but also German varieties e.g. Hallertauer or Spalt.
In the German Pils there is no diacetyl, and saturation is generally higher.

After this theoretical foundation can take already for tasting Pils from brewery Augustiner.

Silvery label, with green hops accent, bears a large logo of the brewery. Sympathetic cap.
Beer properly chilled, glass prepared – I begin…

Name: PILS (Pilsener, alc. 5,6% ABV) Brewery: Augustiner-Bräu (Monachium, Niemcy) Expiration date: 05/2016 (bottle 330ml)

	Colour very bright, straw. Foam white, medium height (small and medium-sized bubbles) fairly stable, dropping with lacing on the glass.
	Extremely pleasant hop aroma, slightly grassy. Clear floral accents. Light note of sulphate, mineral.
	Truthfully I could not break away from the glass with content. I drank a sip by sip with great pleasure. Only after a while I noticed that a lot of beer disappeared, and I still nothing wrote down. So, get to the point… The sweetness of malt and distinct hops accents, giving in the background floral notes – is the main flavour profile of this Pilsner. Bitterness is moderate but clear, very nice, a little pepper. Finish dry, herbal, quite long. Beer relatively heavily saturated, and drank it from my flute-glass I had the impression that I sipping champagne.

Pils from Augustiner is extremely tasty pilsner.
Very pleasant hop aroma with a distinct floral accent. Delicate but expressive at the same time, the flavour of malt sweetness combined with hops and floral notes, is the main profile of this lager. Clear bitterness, pleasant and slightly spicy and dry herbal finish complete the whole.
Beer very drinkable, very refreshing and delicious.
Its main drawback is one that it ended much too quickly.