Judge’s Review: 92 Rating – Praga Pilsner by Praga Brewing Group

Czech Pale Lager | Year-Round | Czech Republic

By Dan Martich

Judges Rating: 92
Aroma: 23
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 37
Mouthfeel: 10
Overall Impression: 17

Praga Pilsner by Praga Brewing Group  is being evaluated as a Czech Premium Pale Lager (Category 3B) from the 2021 BJCP Style guidelines. 
 Moderately rich malt aromas of fresh bread and melanoidins with a moderately amount of spicy hops come through in the foreground. The clean lager profile leads to no fruitiness, and shows a very little sulfur and carbonic nose that’s so common with certain lager yeast strains.
The appearance is deep gold with brilliant clarity. Tiny bubbles can be seen rising to the surface, while the white head crowned the glass to make a perfect portrait.
Crusty bread flavors coated the taste buds along with spicy hops – possibly Saaz, as Czechs are known to use – adding balance and delivering a higher-than-expected bitterness. There is a moderate amount of malt richness in the background, which is soft, yet keeps the finish dry. This beer is well fermented and conditioned, with no off flavors. 
The body is medium and so is the carbonation, which accentuates the dryness. A relatively smooth mouthfeel helps keep the malt profile on the palate.
Here’s an exceptional example of this style, one that exhibits the malt profile and hop dexterity necessary to be on point. However, I can’t shake the notion of the sample being not as fresh as it could be. The spicy Saaz hops (if used) do complement this beer beautifully.