BJCP 2021 / 3B
Czech Premium Pale Lager
A rich, golden pilsner with bready malt balanced against Saaz bitterness.
- Drink fresh
- standard strength
- pale color
- bottom fermented
- lagered
Serve: 40 to 44F, Pilsner glass
OG1.120
1.044 to 1.060FG1.030
1.013 to 1.017IBU120
30 to 45SRM40
3.5 to 6ABV14%
4.2 to 5.8%Taste it in order
Aroma
12 pts- Spicy and floral Saaz hop
- Rich bready, cracker-like malt
- Clean with, at most, a faint buttery note
- Vague
- Hoppy and malty
- Better
- Floral hop over bready malt
- Best
- Moderate spicy and floral Saaz aroma with a toasty, bready malt base, clean lager yeast
Appearance
3 pts- Deep gold to light amber-gold
- Brilliant clarity
- Thick, creamy white head
- Vague
- Gold
- Better
- Deep gold with a rich head
- Best
- Deep gold, brilliantly clear, dense creamy white head that lasts for minutes
Flavor
20 pts- Rich bready and slightly toasty malt
- Herbal and spicy Saaz hop, not citrusy
- Bitterness is assertive but soft, finishing medium-dry
- Vague
- Balanced
- Better
- Rich malt with a firm hop
- Best
- Moderate toasty bread and light honey malt, spicy herbal hop flavor, firm soft bitterness, medium-dry finish
Mouthfeel
5 pts- Medium body
- Medium carbonation
- Soft and rounded
- Vague
- Smooth
- Better
- Medium body, round
- Best
- Medium body with a rounded, soft texture and medium carbonation
Overall Impression
10 ptsLifts it
- Malt and hop in balance
- Soft finish
Drops it
- Sweet syrupy malt
- Thin bitterness
- Grassy hop
Writing tip
Describe both malt and hop. Example: 'Rich bready malt with spicy Saaz bitterness, clean, medium-dry finish. Great balance.'
Pour these
- Pilsner UrquellPlzeňský PrazdrojThe original pilsner, richest when fresh and unfiltered
- Budweiser BudvarBudějovický BudvarSlightly sweeter and fruitier with a Saaz finish
- Czech PilsNotch BrewingA US interpretation, drier and crisper
Often confused with
- 3A Czech Pale LagerPale Lager is lighter and more drinkable, with lower alcohol
- 5D German PilsGerman Pils is drier and more minerally
Fine here
- Diacetyl: A very faint buttery hint is traditional
Ruinous here
- Oxidized: Dulls the hop and malt
- Light-struck: Skunk from green glass
- DMS: Cooked corn above a trace
Style names, numbers and vital statistics follow the BJCP 2021 beer guidelines. Descriptions and example choices are our own. Check a beer is still made before you hunt for it.