Pilsner Malt a.k.a. Pils malt
The cleanest, palest, most enzymatically active base malt.
What it tastes like
Pilsner malt is the lightest base malt — barely kilned, almost-white grain that produces beer the color of pale straw. It's the foundation of pilsner, helles, kölsch, and almost every European-style lager. The flavor is delicate: soft bread, faint honey, a clean grain sweetness without any toasted character. When you drink a great Bohemian or German pilsner, you're tasting Pilsner malt expressing itself fully because there's nothing to hide behind.
Best in these styles
For brewers — technical profile
Where to source
Maltsters that produce or distribute this grain:
History
Pilsner malt was developed for Pilsner Urquell (1842) when Bohemian maltsters started kilning at lower temperatures than the existing English standard, producing a pale grain that revealed the color and flavor of light lager. Bohemian Pilsner malt remains slightly different from German Pilsner malt — softer, breadier, more residual sweetness.