Beer Stats

• Packaging: 12 oz. Bottle
• BJCP Style: Czech Pilsner
• ABV: 5.4%
• Hops Variety:  Cascade (usually Saaz)
• Malts Variety: Pilsner Malt
• Brewery:  Patagonia Brewing Co. – Fairfield, CA
• Beer Connoisseur Rating: None

LUDB Tasting Notes

• Bitterness Level:  None*
• Drinkability:
  • Would I buy it again? Yes
  • Would I stock it? No

Appearance:  Brilliant gold color, clear, fluffy white head with good retention

Aroma:  Biscuit-like malt; but no hops

Flavor & Aftertaste: Medium sweet malt flavor. No hops flavors and no bitterness

Palate:  Soft and sweet on the palate; short finish with no bitterness

Balance & Drinkability: Clean pilsner profile, sweet and smooth. Easy drinking.

Commentary

Right off the bat, let me say this is a decent beer. It’s one of those Pilsners that is beautiful and inviting in a tall stemmed Pilsner glass. Don’t hesitate to order it if you are looking for nice, clean Pilsner without any bitterness that will not overwhelm the food you are eating.  That being said, don’t expect it to deliver a unique experience.  This beer of Argentine origin is actually made in the United States by Patagonia Brewing in Fairfield, CA.  The parent brewery Aguas Primitivas de la Patagonia S.A. made the decision to brew inside the United States in order to deliver fresh beer to the domestic market. 

This Bohemian or Czech style Pilsner pours a brilliant, clear gold color with plenty of carbonation building into a fluffy white head that exhibits good retention.  The distributor’s, as well as, the brewery information indicates that Cascade hops is used; but I am unconvinced.  The bottle I sampled had virtually no hops aroma or taste; which I found strange.  The beer was several months away from its Use By date, so it should have been fresh.  It exhibited no bitterness; but did have a sweet malt back bone and culminated with a short aftertaste with no bitterness on the finish. I was admittedly disappointed, as I had high expectations for it.

I hesitate to throw around a lot of negativity and criticism of this beer because it was not a poor tasting beer. It is simply just not very interesting and missed the mark for Czech Pilsners.  It could very well be the batch was just flat. It was not spoiled and did not have any off aromas or tastes. 

I picked this up at my local Total Wine and More store. The manager on duty struck up a conversation with me as I did my usual perusing of the craft beer singles aisle. After asking me what styles I like, I mentioned Pilsners and he said they had just received a shipment of the Patagonia and I should give it a try. Being the diligent beer enthusiasts I am, I thought, sure why not, I’ll give this a spin.

I’ll have to try another bottle sometime later to compare.  I would just have to describe Patagonia Bohemian Pilsner is simply a below average Czech Pilsner good for summer months and would pair well with bold, spicy foods. It was certainly not a bad tasting beer; just not outstanding.

Thanks for reading, until next time…Let Us Drink Beer!

*Bitterness Scale: None, Restrained, Moderate, Aggressive, & Excessive