The freshness lager that won't forgive bad storage. Here's the freshness window for Pilsner, what makes it age the way it does, and where to find the best examples.
Pilsners are built on noble hops (Saaz, Hallertau, Tettnang) that bring delicate floral and herbal notes. These compounds fade within 2-3 months. Pilsners are also notoriously vulnerable to skunking from light exposure — UV light reacts with hop iso-alpha acids to create the same chemical found in skunk spray. Brown bottles help; clear and green bottles are a disaster.
Cold and dark, always. Pilsners suffer more from warm storage than most styles because the delicate hop character is the entire point. Cans are vastly superior to bottles for this style.
Within 2 months for peak character. Past 4 months the noble hop expression is mostly gone.
These breweries either specialize in Pilsner or produce notable examples:
Freshie