127 of the Best Pilsners, Blind-Tasted and Ranked

Moderate biscuit and subtle bread-like malt flavors. Low noble hops flavors that are much in the background. Slightly sticky mouth-coating finish that is more malt than hops. The citrus hops add an unexpected complexity.

Malt-forward with bread, cracker, and biscuit notes. There’s an almost ‘peanut butter–like’ sweetness. Bitterness is slightly high, but it doesn’t linger, and it does help to cut the sweetness of the malt well. Floral hops notes carry into the finish. The carbonation makes it fluffy before giving way to the bitterness.

Crisp and refreshing though light-bodied. The malt sweetness is delicate with bread-like sweetness. The hops give complexity of some spice and floral notes but not overpowering. A bit of bitterness, but balanced with the delicateness of this beer.

"A bit of corn and barley on the nose with a touch of light lager sweetness, while the sip falls into the sweet/vaguely citrusy/soapy and floral camp."

"An ester- and phenol-filled saison-like smoky nose is a head-scratcher for a beer that purports to be a Pilsner. Light fruit on the sip and minimal malt further the fermentation-forward effect, which while drinkable and enjoyable may not be what those accustomed to Pilsner are seeking."

Similar to the aroma, with moderate-to-high perfume and sweet spicy hops flavors. Just enough biscuit and bready malt to keep the balance in check. The spiciness from the hops dances off of the medium carbonation to help lighten what feels like a higher gravity beer.

Clean Pils malt throughout. Falls slightly sweet on the palate, but the finish is crisp and carries enough bitterness to cut through. Floral and spicy hops notes play well with the malt and bring a nice complexity. Finishes fairly dry with a slight grain-husk tannic bitterness.

“A brief search for the nose turns up a hint of linen and not much else. The sip offers a bit more, with light lemongrass despite the slightly watery finish.”

"Classic noble-hops nose is reassuring and comforting. The body is light and bright with a weightless feel that heightens the drinkability. Dangerously compelling."

“Soft citrus and zesty sweetness in the nose. The sip is mildly grainy with medium bitterness that trades personality for accessibility.”

“Woody notes—cedar, redwood—offer a dry, earthy nose. On the sip, mellow bitterness, effortlessly light and slightly sweet malt body. Simple sophistication.”

Skunkiness up front, followed by malty biscuit, honey, and cracker. Floral hops bring on some spice and bitterness, along with some lime. Good body and high carbonation create a nice bite at the end.

More malt character than most Pilsners, with a prominent biscuit note and a touch of bread crust. Hops bitterness is pronounced and lingers, which mutes any hops flavors, but some pine and cattiness come through. Finish is slightly sweet and malty for the style, but there’s also a grainy bite to balance.

Simple clean malt profile with a delicate balance of floral and sweet, spicy hops flavors. Carbonation is pretty high, giving it a fluffy mouthfeel but also a fairly sharp carbonic bite. The finish is a bit sweet.

Rich bready sweetness up front with a lingering toast note, reminiscent of dessert bread. Spicy hops character adds complexity, and a well-balanced bitterness persists through the finish, with a hint of pine and pithy citrus.

Slightly pine-like and resinous hops flavors that become more perfumy and herbaceous as they linger. A slight ‘papery’ or cardboard-like flavor that isn’t quite oxidization. Subtle sweet malt flavors or sweet bread and biscuit. Finishes fairly dry and lightly bitter. A very subtle metallic characteristic on the finish.

“Strong American Noble–like hop notes dominate the nose, with woody bits of cedar and spruce. Sip has an almost Pacific-Northwest-forest feel. Uniquely characterful and a departure from the norm, but it works nicely.”

Super bright and crisp Pilsner malt character. Cracker-like malt sweetness hits up front. Hops come through with some floral and spice and mild bitterness through the taste. Finishes very dry with a lingering bitterness. Somewhat bright/effervescent mouthfeel.

“Fragrant cotton-candy, grape-and-bubblegum nose. Sip is kludgy, with more bubblegum sweetness that doesn’t find a comfortable balance with light bitterness.”

“Warm fragrant floral nose with a slight citrus sweetness and woody earthiness. The sip slides in a different direction, bitterness riding roughshod over the simple malt sweetness. Unrefined and raw.”

“Austere nose strikes a fine perfume note, but the body is more flowers from the garden than elegant bouquet. A mild bitterness, but the body loses definition.”

"A sharp and angular nose hints at orange blossom and fern, but a firm bitterness hits early in the sip and distracts slightly."

Clean and light with a complexity from the rice not normally found in craft Pilsner. Hops are restrained but still bring a nice floral note. Finish is dry with a touch of the rice sweetness.

A firm bitterness lingers pleasantly throughout. Moderate malt, bready and toasty. Fairly light on the hops flavor. The hops bitterness is a bit pronounced for the style, but it balances the sweetness.

“Subtle woodsy, earthy nose, hint of wildflowers in a mountain clearing. Bitterness in the sip is a touch ragged, hovering above the malt, slightly menacing and unyielding, before backing down into a peaceful resolution.”

“Light earthy lemon zest on the nose with a touch of sulfur. An extremely light malt character borders on Mexican-style lager, with just enough hops bitterness to call it a pilsner. More defined by its negative space (what it isn’t) than by what it is.”

"An orchid-greenhouse nose conveys some grassy character. On the body, soft and rolling with a light malt character and a clean finish."

"Light malt and sulfur on the nose yells Pils, and a light and smooth body is uncomplicated yet enjoyable."

"Strong floral nose is distracting but not unpleasant. On the body, more hops- forward floralness with some citrus as well. A modern American take on the Pilsner for hopheads. Far from classic, but enjoyable."

"Citrus oil or citronella nose sits on a modestly carbonated body of thin malt that lets the light lime and grapefruit notes push forward. Would love a bit more body and malt character in this."

Malt sweetness hits up front with biscuity character. Medium body is nice and holds up the beer well. A little lemon. Some soft floral notes and spice add complexity. Low on bitterness, but enough to balance the sweetness. Restrained bitterness lets the malt and hops flavor complexity linger on the finish.

There is a nice sweetness through the taste. Cracker, a little lemon. The hops are delicate with notes of floral hops and a little bit of spice. A bit grassy. The bitterness is low. The beer blends well throughout the taste with a very pleasant finish—not overly dry, bitterness balances very well, and there’s a lingering earthy, lemon hops character.

The flavor carries with a biscuit malt sweetness throughout the taste. The hops provide some nice subtlety, but the taste carries the sweetness through the finish. Nice medium body and carbonation. Smooth finish.

“Heady lilac floral note fills the glass. The sip tames it down with soft, slightly grainy sweetness, against unyielding bitterness. Edgy, as the disparate elements maintain tension through the end.”

“Fragrant, wandering, lilac-floral in the nose. Light and underplayed in the body, with incredibly restrained bitterness. A wallflower—unassuming, nondescript, clean, nice, but searching for its personality.”

Pronounced malt notes, graham crackers, light bread crust, sweet Pilsner malt character. Some peppery hops notes with complementing generic floral notes. Bitterness is a little restrained for the amount of malt sweetness, making it slightly off- balance for the style. Finish is clean and carries a hint of sweetness to cut the crispness.

Moderate sweet biscuit and bread-like malt flavors that quickly give way to bright floral and perfume-like hops flavors that are definitely predominant. Dry finish that leaves a distinct floral hops flavor behind.

Clean and crisp. There is a nice light cracker-like sweetness up front with some floral hops notes that carry through the taste. The bitterness helps to even out the sweetness, and it is not overly bitter. Refreshing on the finish. Lighter in body and nice carbonation.

The complement of the citrus hops notes and the malt sweetness give a candy sweetness, almost like a muted Smarties or Skittles. Frosted- Flakes–flavored skim milk after all the cereal is eaten but the milk remains. Bitterness is a bit restrained, but any more would probably upset the unique malt and hops combination.

As on the aroma, the malt plays a backup role to the hops. Floral and spicy notes at first, but pine and lemon shine through quickly. Pronounced hops character that seems to bring some perceived sweetness to help the clean Pils malt balance the fairly high bitterness. Malt flavors of biscuit and bread hide somewhat in the background but are just enough to not let the complex and prominent hops flavors get out of control.

“Rustic tobacco and floral nose; curiously different. In the sip, grain-forward malt with a hint of sweetness balances a soft, thoroughly integrated hop bitterness. Smooth and well-rounded.”

“The nose is tame—light malt, gentlest herbal note. The body doesn’t stray far from that conservative approach, sacrificing character for a generic drinkability.”

“Deep color suggests something more than a single-infusion, pilsner-malt mash. Nose mashes up herbal Saaz and cumin with a touch of grilled lemon. Top of the sip adds a light herb-bitter hit, for a rustic ‘farmhouse’ lager feel.”

"Very light, highly hopped, with a prominent citrus and leafy character. The body disappears after the nose with a moderate carbonation and minimal malt note that pushes the hops character ever more forward."

Big spicy piney hops flavors at first bring a wash of medium bitterness afterward. There’s a malt body with light bready or saltine-cracker flavor.

Light bodied with a dry malt husk-like sweetness. Cracker-like. Some floral and spicy notes come from the hops and bring some bitterness to the taste, but it’s not overpowering. Well-balanced with a dry and slightly bitter finish.

Slight malt sweetness up front (cracker, bread). Moderate spicy, earthy hops flavor is quite pleasant. Mild but persistent bitterness. The soft yeastiness in the finish is likeable.

Similar to the aroma, impressively clean, yet hits all the check marks one would look for in a classic Pilsner. Spicy and fruity floral hops flavors that balance well with a solid sweet biscuit malt backbone. The bitterness imparted by the hops really dries out the finish. A slight peppery phenolic-like flavor as it warms.

The sweetness from the aroma carries strongly into the flavor. The Pilsner malt character is clean, and the floral hops bring just enough bitterness to balance. Well-balanced bready, biscuit malt flavors with clean noble hops flavors. Very crisp and clean drinking.

Nice light malt flavor. Just a touch of sweetness that is well-balanced in the finish with the soft hops bitterness. Hints of hops spiciness, but low hops flavor for the style. More of the Saaz hops profile would be good.

"Generically citrus and stone-fruit nose leads to a very moderate body that lacks a definable character. It's soft, almost to a fault."

Simple malt, bready with a lingering grainy sweetness that has a somewhat tannic lingering astringency. Strong floral hops character with hints of rose and a grassy note on the finish. Bitterness is fairly restrained and nicely balanced.

“The floral nose leans toward light grape and avocado peel, with a soft, almost yeasty roundness. The sip is similarly gentle, with light fruit notes that are a touch more expressive than typical.”

“Refined nose—perfumey champagne, a touch of woody forest. On the sip, more soft, integrated woodsy bitterness and dry white-wine grape. Imminently drinkable and hop-forward, without being ‘hoppy.’”

“Soft and comforting nose—lightly fragrant, light sweet malt. The sip pushes malt flavor forward in the best of ways, balanced by a firm round herbal bitterness. One of the more endearing.”

“Softly Noble nose underscores subtlety. Gorgeously balanced sip expertly navigates soft floral hop bitterness and delicate malt presence. Shaker-like in its simplicity of form and quality of construction.”

"Progressively hopped nose melds PNW hops flair with a firm Pils base. It's colorful and vivacious while properly grounded."

"Past meets future in this gorgeous fruit-forward yet cleanly executed modern Pilsner. The engaging juicy fruit nose would seem out of place without the slight sulfur note and the bright malt body. It's weird, and it works."

"Classic from start to finish. The balance is so well constructed that individual notes are subsumed into one ongoing experience of the whole. Delightful."

Delicate malt flavors, light matzo-cracker notes, sweet biscuit and bread flavors that are cut through by moderate floral hops bitterness. Low sulfur, as on aroma. Slight lemon flavor that grows through the finish. Bitterness doesn’t linger.

“Linen and white rose soften the Noble nose, giving it thoughtful definition. Light, refreshing body, with straightforward malt and a soft bitterness that feels understated in its simplicity.”

“Lavender, jasmine, delicate white tea–like note. Sip is crisply bitter with a pleasing floral note emerging as bitterness subsides. Simultaneously soft and sharp, sophisticated in its simplicity.”

“Bright, confident, Noble-floral nose aims straight down the golden mean. On the sip, light herbal and floral hops provide a scenic backdrop for bready, vaguely sweet malt body. Tightly balanced.”

“Dried peach and apricot tea with a touch of herbal bitterness on the nose. The sip gets loose, riffing with a chunky herbal bitterness that overpowers the subtle malt.”

“Fragrant, floral Saaz-style aroma, light with faint orchid or camelia note. Bitterness in the sip is round and gentle, but significant. Malt is simply structured—simplicity that belies its sophistication.”

"The head dissipates quickly and a graham-cracker sweetness approaches with a touch of sour milk. On the sip, it's a bit less structured than some."

"A light fruity hops note on the nose is the entrée to this Pilsner that's soft without being Czech soft, with some fruitiness in the flavor that eschews a purely German approach. Imminently drinkable."

The hops character isn’t as pronounced as it is on the aroma. Clean Pilsner malt presents first with moderate citrus and a touch of peppercorn spice in tow. Balance is slightly bitter, which lingers into the dry finish pleasantly.

“Herbal tea nose; a slight sweet note softens the impact. The sip is equal parts bold and demure, in perfect tension, underplaying the strong spicy herbal note.”

“Sweet floral nose touches on light berry and bitter herbs. Rich, toothy body feels substantial, squeezing big flavor from light pilsner malt. Integrated hop bitterness keeps things honest and under control.”

“Citrus and musty-herbal earthiness collide in a PNW C-hop-like chorus. The sip buries light lime-lemon in chunky herbal bitterness, but the fruit reads through it all. Weird and endearing.”

“Intensity defines the nose with floral-meets-licorice assault. The flavor balances that sharp woody-herbal definition with endearingly warming malt, offering a lot of character for such a delicate style.”

“Gorgeous golden body. Light floral nose, but the sip is where the magic happens—substantial but soft bitterness is bold yet refined, unique, and confident. For a Czech-style pils, it’s turned to 11, but the bigness works in the context.”

"Soft grain aroma, light spiciness on the palate reinforced by a healthy carbonation. Refreshingly simple and straightforward."

"A bright lemony lemongrass nose and prickly carbonation sell a structured bitterness with a touch of crackery malt character."

"A noble floral nose is classic and enveloping while the slightly spicy body exudes mild bitterness with soft structure."

“Bright Noble nose offers a crisply floral bouquet with lavender, camelia, and jasmine. On the tongue, malt offers a delicate foil to the light hops bitterness that lingers pleasantly into the finish. Expertly crafted and beautifully balanced.”

“Soft yet edgy floral nose; big without overwhelming. The sip balances floral notes with mellow bitterness, overpowering the malt but leaving a crisp finish. Jagged but characterful.”

"A bright mineral nose and light body produce a vivacious and energetic sip. It's bold yet light and characterful with a strong but restrained hops character. Balanced on the light side."

“Bright calla-lily floral notes underpinned by doughy, bready malt in equal parts. Flavorwise, an herbal and floral hop bitterness hits first, tempered by mid-sweet pilsner malt notes as that initial bitterness fades. Rich and savory despite its overall lightness; a delightful sip.”

“Crisp, integrated, floral nose. The flavor is bright and light with a balanced bitter backbone and effervescent carbonation. Simple, yet thorough. Accomplished.”

“Softly sweet; a touch of sulfur and carbonic bite reinforce the pilsner character. Malt runs a bit light, but it’s subtle and sophisticated.”