Bell rates... Bel Pils

type: Lager
origin: Belgium
ABV: 5.0%
location: house
served: 250ml bottle to glass

I acquired a bottle of this purely because it had (most of) my name on it.

As good a reason as any, I feel, and one that turned out to be quite fortuitous, as the beer is actually pretty decent.

It's a product of Duvel Moortgat Brewery, and while many breweries are happy just to make a basic, pale beer with a bottom-fermenting yeast and call it a Pilsner, it's good to see Duvel making a bit more of an effort. The average euro-lager tends to be a disappointing affair, with little taste, little aroma and little head retention, engineered to be bland and therefore inoffensive. Proper application of hops is evident, and while it's not exactly a world-class Pilsner, at least it's identifiably a beer, and therefore scores better than more commercial brews.

Smell: light, fresh Saaz hop aroma, with a hint of malt coming through. 3/4

Colour: a pale yellow, with a great, frothy white head. 3/4

Taste: a little bit of toasted malt, with a balanced hop bitterness and a dry finish. 3/4

Overall: a very drinkable European Pilsner 9/12

Bell rates... Tennents Pilsner

type: lager 
origin: Scotland 
ABV: 3.4% 
location: Moriarty's, Cumbernauld 
served: draught pint 

'Pilsner'? Eh, no.

Smell: almost nothing 1/4

Colour: looks almost like a Pilsner, but not quite 2/4

Taste: not like Pilsner, anyway. 1/4

Overall: should be done by trading standards. There's nothing to connect this slop with Plzeň, or anywhere that produces proper lager. Avoid. 4/12

Bell Rates... Pilsner Urquell

type: Pilsner

origin: Czech Republic

ABV: 4.4%

location: Biergarten

served: 500ml bottle to a glass

  
The beer from which all Pilsners get their name, Urquell was first brewed in 1842 in Plzeň, in what is now the Czech Republic. Of course, 'Urquell' is German for 'primary source', which makes it sound a bit like spring water. The Czech name is 'Prazdroj', but SABMiller probably think that'd be a bit too difficult for the punters in the UK to pronounce - especially after they've had a few - so it gets the German translation. 

Since I've mentioned the brewery's parent company, this seems like a good opportunity to reflect on the brand identity and quality - and Pilsner Urquell has an enviable position. Few brewers can claim to have invented an entire style of beer, especially one so broadly accepted as Pilsner, so it immediately has a feeling of heritage and tradition. How much tradition is left after Miller's acquisition and modernisation is anyone's guess, but the corporate machine has either kept its distance or done a good job of concealing its meddlesome practices behind the premium branding. Urquell does deserve a 'premium' tag though, as it feels like a good quality product, and not just some corporate facsimile of one.


Having been named in the 19th century, the title probably wasn't the output of some business-school board meeting, nor a focus group. The name is quite well chosen though, as apart from the obvious meaning of 'primary source' as the beer that all Pilsner-styles are formed after, the spring water-sounding tag allows me to work in a nice link to the water used in the brewing.


Plzeň has really 'soft' water. For those unfamiliar with the term, it basically means that the water is very pure, and has less minerals in it than hard water. Now, companies trying to sell you bottled water may promote the fact that their product has lots of minerals in it, but while lots of minerals may be good for you if you're jogging or working in an office environment, lots of minerals in the water may not be great for brewing beer. 1


So, the local water is pretty celebrated, and the region is also notable for Saaz hops, which don't impart a lot of bitterness to the brew.




Smell: a slightly citrus aroma, balanced but not overly strong. a soft and bright, but largely unobtrusive smell, almost certainly due to the water and hops. 2/4


Colour: Urquell has a fairly ideal pale lager colour... although you'd expect it to, being the original that all the others have copied. With a golden sort of hue, it looks inviting enough, and not too artificial. 3/4


Taste: it's sharp and very hoppy - perhaps over-hopped for some - but not too bitter. The citrus smell carries over into a fruity taste, and the beer has a decent amount of body. Quite a lot of aftertaste, too. 3/4




Overall: a refreshing, drinkable beer, which is different enough to stand out from the crowd, but not so different that you need to go to a really snobby pub just to find it. 8/12





 1. or maybe it is, depending on the style, and if you're a brewer based in Burton-on-Trent or not.

more info: www.pilsnerurquell.com