Alpirsbacher Pils

Arcobrau Pils

Bitburger Premium Beer
73A slightly disappointing performance from a usually reliable pilsner producer in the Eifel region, near the Luxembourg border. Very good finish, though.

Brauerei Bischofshof Pils Premium
80A characterful pilsner from Regensburg, with good, clean flavours. Very drinkable.

Brauerei Bischofshof Weltenburger Pils
80A well-brewed, clean pilsner with oodles of character. Produced for the monks at Weltenburger by the Bischofshof brewery in Regensburg.

Brauerei Pinkus Pils
78Ultra crisp and sharp to the bottom of the glass. The aroma is not the most appealing, but that assertive dryness in the finish would make this a fine aperitif.

Budweiser Budvar Original
85Less hoppy and in your face than many Czech beers but classy and refined.

Budweiser Budvar Premier Select
83A silky upgrade to the standard Budvar, lagered for no fewer than 200 days. Perhaps still a touch too alcoholic for some drinkers.

Cameron's Lager

Cosmos Chang Draught Beer

Distelhäuser Premium Pils
78A pilsner from a brewery based near Würzburg. Not quite as subtle as others featured here but nicely balanced, with clean flavours.

Eichbaum Brauereien Ureich Premium Pils
73A rather chunky, functional pilsner from a large brewery in Mannheim.

Flensburger Pilsner
70The hops do just enough to make this beer from northern Germany quaffable, but the estery pear drops and graininess detract from the enjoyment.

Gambrinus Premium
75A very drinkable but not especially exciting premium lager.

Herforder Pils
75This beer comes from a brewery not far from Hannover. It'll be too sweet for some palates, but it's not bad.

Jever Pilnser
75It's a bit of a one-trick pony, with that resoundingly dry, hoppy finish the key to its success, but this is always a worthwhile option among German pilsners.

Kaiser Bräu Veldensteiner Premium Pils
75There's nothing to dislike here, but this Bavarian pilsner is not as crisp as others in this tasting.

Krombacher Pils
75Not as crisp or refreshing as the other beers tasted but this Rhineland beer is unusual and grows on you.

Lindeboom Pilsener
68Lots of taste and an interesting emphasis on bitterness for a Dutch lager, but it could be cleaner.

Meantime Pilsner
83This beer was tasted anonymously alongside the German pilsners featured later in this section and the score reveals that it more than held its own. A fine beer with bags of taste, packed with hop char...

Oettinger Pils
83A great example of how to offer bags of flavour without sacrificing delicacy, cleanness or balance. From a Bavarian brewery with outposts in other parts of Germany.

Paulaner Premium Pils
78A pleasant, easy-drinking pilsner from Munich that could be marginally fresher.

Pilsner Urquell
83An art treasure that needs a little restoration. Still a very fine beer with remarkable body for its strength, but not as classy as it used to be.

Primator Premium

Radegast Premium
A flavoursome premium lager perhaps over-dependent on an oily hoppiness.

Samuel Adams Noble Pils

Velkopopovicky Kozel Medium

Veltin's Pilsener
78An enjoyable golden German beer with plenty of taste. Clean and refreshing.

Veltin's Pilsner
85A perfect illustration of how to balance rather delicate malt with lots of tangy hops and create an eminently drinkable beer. From a village brewery south-east of Dortmund.

Waldhaus Diplom Pils
Straw to light golden in colour, very brightly filtrated... Perfect condition... Nice white head... Lovely fresh maltiness, crisp hops, slight sweetness followed by crisp bitterness... Very good... Gr...

Warsteiner Pils
75This is the nearest thing to a national brand in Germany, coming from a village between Dortmund and Kassel. It lacks some freshness but it certainly has character.

Weltenburger Kloster brewed by Bischofshof Barock Hell
85A treat. A high-quality German hell lager, as clean as a whistle and packed with character. One of the best bottled lagers I've tasted for some time. Unlike the other two Weltenburger beers tasted in ...

West St. Mungo
80A really impressive golden, Scottish lager. Naturally carbonated and packed with flavour.

Zatec Export
80A well-made, classy beer, with a very unusual, subtle fruit character.