- Czech Republic
- Lager
- ABV = 4.2 – 5.8% (Lower to normal)^
- IBU = 30-45
- SRM = 3.5-6
A gold-coloured Czech lager with complex, yet well-balanced, malt and hop flavours.
More colour, malt richness, and body than German Pils with a softer, rounded finish.
Appearance:
- Colour^ = Straw to gold
- Clarity = Very clear to brilliant
Key Aromas & Flavours:
Aroma
- Malt = Moderate; bready-rich
- Hops = Moderate; spicy, floral, or herbal
- Yeast = Clean fermentation profile (Optional: low level of diacetyl)
Flavour
- Malt = Moderate; bready-rich, may have a slight impression of caramel
- Hops = Moderate; spicy and floral
- Yeast = Clean fermentation profile (Optional: low level of diacetyl)
- Perceived Bitterness^ = Pronounced
- Balance = Well-balanced between complex malt flavours and a strong, but clean, bitterness
Aftertaste/Finish
The long, rounded finish can be balanced towards hops or malt but is never aggressively tilted either way
Mouthfeel:
- Body = Medium
- Carbonation = Low to medium
Characteristic Ingredients/Processes:
- Malt = Pilsner malt
- Hops = Czech hop varietals
- Yeast = Czech lager yeast
- Other = Soft mineral-free water is best suited for this style
- Process = Decoction mashing is traditional
Historical Development:
Commonly associated with Pilsner Urquell, which was first brewed in 1842 in Pilsen, Czech Republic.
In the Czech Republic, only Pilsner Urquell is called a Pilsner, despite how widely adopted this name is worldwide; hence the style name Czech Premium Pale Lager.
Commercial Examples:
Pilsner Urquell, Budvar 33 světlý ležák, Primátor Premium Lager
^Sourced from the Cicerone Certification Program’s International Certified Beer Server Syllabus (Version 5.0)
All other information is sourced from the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines
Discovering Beer is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Cicerone® Certification Program.
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