PRIMA!
It’s not often I find a beer that is worth shouting about. I mean, I find a lot of good beers, all worthy of conversation; but, rarely do I find a beer that is near perfect in my humble opinion.
This beer poured a fluffy white head in my pilsner glass that just held there while I examined its yellow, straw like, color. By the looks of the bubbles and the texture of the head I expect a moderately carbonated beer. The hop aroma was very present, but not overwhelming, with a citrus smell. (Saaz?) There was little malt aroma. The taste was fantastic, not weak at all. Light malts gave a nice mouth feel, more significant than its appearance would indicate, and the hop flavor picked up that much more, making it a real pilsner, not a want-to-be. The finish left the hops lingering in my mouth, with a slight malt sweetness, and absolutely no other off flavors.
Few beers nail it for their style, but this one does. This is American craft brewing at its best. A pilsner, by German definition, should have a malty residual sweetness with pronounced hop. Victory makes several other great beers, of which, I haven’t had in quite a while, but now I know I’ll be going back to revisit them.
I would love to have this at Easter with a pork loin in a light bourbon glaze. I think it would also be perfect for linguini in clam sauce. It would also pair well with a mild cheese, like brie, along side some pairs, sweet plums, or a sweet apple like a Honeycrisp, Gala, or Jonagold.
Victory Prima Pils! Go out and get some now. This beer is excellent.
On your recommendation, I ran out to my local retailer to see if they carried this and, hurrah! They do.
Unfortunately, I didn’t pay attention to the label. After I’d got it home and opened the first, I noticed several off-flavors. It was then I noticed: “Best enjoyed by January, 2006.”
D’oh!
And then my wife picked up a six-pack of Blue Ridge ESB Red Ale a couple of days ago with a “best by” date in March, 2006.
I’ve been surprised at the breadth of their selection, but the stuff doesn’t move fast enough and they leave it out until they sell. I avoid the dusty bottles, but apparently that’s not enough. I’ll have to journey a little farther from now on, I guess.
And I’ll get a fresher six-pack of Prima Pils and see if you’re right.