Beer - #619 - Obolon - Premium

Ukraine! so exotic beer, exotic music, usual numbers and members of the party.

"It is highly stable beer with special freshness and saturation,  It has a distinct taste"

500ml bottle of beer of 5.5% ABV so about 156 calories a serve size, an there are the equivalent of 2 standard drinks in this bottle

Brewed by Obolon in the style that is of a  Pale Lager and they are in Kiev, Ukraine

[caption id="attachment_11292" align="alignright" width="300"] Wooly man drinks cold beer[/caption]

Especially refreshing and effervescent, high-stability beer with a pronounced taste and pleasant bitterness. In addition to traditional ingredients, rice is used in the production of Obolon Premium.

This is one the most popular beer brands due to its mild taste and average solids content.

It has a distinct taste and nice bitterness.  Due to its soft flavour and medium content of solids Obolon Premium is one of the most popular beers.

So what could possibly go wrong?

Well it's in a lovely shaped and tactile bottle, which I'm always a fan of.

Gosh that's a strong aroma of hop and malt. Pour is a that lovely pale yellow, and there is a small white head of head, I'm doing well so far.

What can I tell you about a taste that isn't remarkable or different in a way that I can tell.

There is an overarching taste to this that has a lot of linger, that in itself is unusually pleasing, it is veering towards sweet.

Unremarkable, when they say mild taste they hit the nail on the head. I can imagine that this is popular because it's just cold quaffing beer.

And in the spirit of not saying anything if you can't say anything nice I'm done.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 5 of its things from the thing. There is nothing scary or daunting about this, there is nothing remarkable, unusual, different or quirky either, aside from the bottle which is lovely. You could hardly be offended if someone turned up with this, unless you like lager beer with a bit of a hop bite in there somewhere.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? It's quaffing beer, quaffing away nicely.
Would I have another? It would be easy not to have another, it's quaffing beer.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Possibly if it was bring something from somewhere I've never been and not likely to go to day.

Music for this, there's only two kinds of music.. Country and Western... but I digress... tonight though James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.

This is a track called "Today, Today, Today" from a new album 'Before this World.  Of course you can listen most of the places or here on Spotify 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zrqM85B5ik

It has crafted lyrics but is a bit muzak.

PALE LAGER

The colour of pale lager ranges from light bronze to nearly transparent and the alcohol anywhere from 4-6%. Adjunct usage may be quite high, though in some cases the beer is all-malt. Carbonation is typically forced, though not always. One thing that doesnt vary is that neither the malt nor the hops make much of an impression on the palate. These beers are brewed for minimum character, though faint traces of hop or malt may show through. More likely though is that adjuncts like corn will show through, or you’ll find notes of higher alcohols (fuel notes) due to the use of high-gravity brewing. The body will be thin and watery, and the finish is typically non-existent.

Beer - #568 - Harrington's - The East Indies Lager

Lager, Larger, Largest, Large!

A clean refreshing lager, moderately hopped.

The 500ml bottle of beer, that is 5% ABV, 150 calories a serve size, making this about 1.97 standard drink units.

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch), this one in the style that is good old Pale Lager and they do that in Christchurch, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_10706" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lager Lout![/caption]

Brewed using only the finest natural ingredients. The result is a smooth Indian lager that is the perfect beer to enjoy with spicy foods.

East Indies is batched brewed to the authentic style of an East Indian beer. Amber in colour, full in flavour light on the palate with a hop edge to compliment a dry finish. We love it, and know you will too.

What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing exciting on opening, aroma is standard lager type aroma, slightly green slightly sour.

Extremely pale pour, with a lovely head, well carbonated. Aroma moves to something more peppery.

Not as much 'bite' as you get with some lager offerings.

It is then for all intents and purpose a stock standard beer, of which I can't think of anything to say, good or bad.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as  6  of its things from the thing. It's just un-inspiring and a bit bland.

It's missing the soft fully full mouthfeel, it's missing the hop bite, it's missing that grassy under-note.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes, despite it being a bit run-of-the-mill


2. Would I have another? Possibly, it's a bulk over substance beer.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Beer for beer, dollar for dollar, nom you'd embarrass me with something you had in your fridge, similar but a bit different.

Note: I was provided this beer by the brewer to try and review, without catches,  this is 1 of 12 should wonder about the sudden love of a brewer out of the blue. 

It's time for a bit of Seasick Steve's who has a new album “Sonic Soul Surfer” -  listen here

This is "Summer Time Boy" Bit of Blues never hurt anyone. Especially good Blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq0PmDhkb4c

 

PALE LAGER

The colour of pale lager ranges from light bronze to nearly transparent and the alcohol anywhere from 4-6%. Adjunct usage may be quite high, though in some cases the beer is all-malt. Carbonation is typically forced, though not always. One thing that doesnt vary is that neither the malt nor the hops make much of an impression on the palate. These beers are brewed for minimum character, though faint traces of hop or malt may show through. More likely though is that adjuncts like corn will show through, or you’ll find notes of higher alcohols (fuel notes) due to the use of high-gravity brewing. The body will be thin and watery, and the finish is typically non-existent.

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Beer - #526 - Hinano - Ambrée

Exotic Beer, Exotic Music, Exotic Numbers and Exotic Parties.

But there is more!

I had to look Tahiti up on a map!

This is a 330ml bottle of beer, 5.5% ABV, 1.43 standard drink units, and 150 calories a serve.

The labelling is great and is very attractive.

Brewed by La Brasserie de Tahiti (Heineken)  This is in the style that is Amber Lager/Vienna and they are in the well exotic and wistful sounding Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. Right,  "Amber Beer" covers a lot of things. This is a lager style, and is malted up. We agree on Vienna style. 

Hinano Ambrée is not only made from unroasted malt, which is used in all beers, but also from slow-roasted malt, giving the beer its unique character.

[caption id="attachment_10205" align="alignleft" width="300"] It's sunny what could go wrong[/caption]

But there is more! The aromatic hop used strengthens the intense flavor of Hinano Ambrée.

In the Hinano range, Hinano Ambrée is a unique amber ale combining quality, crispness and innovation. Thanks to its specific manufacturing process, Hinano Ambrée offers a refined and full-bodied taste as well as a color made of shades of yellow and red ochre.

The use of aromatic hops strengthens the complex flavor of Hinano Ambrée.

So there you go, it's all on in the pacific. Whats the worst that could happen. Vienna Lager though, that's very specific.

That is a familiar dark malt aroma on opening.

That really does look blindingly good, dark chestnut brown, decent head, a 10 for appearance!

Aroma is fairly malty, it's quite nice, has a sort of pepper thing going on, might catch you out.

Well that unfolds pretty quickly doesn't it.

This is a tad sweeter than it needs to be, really. I like a sweet beer and that this just has a bit too much candy in it.

I enjoyed it for what it was, got distracted finished it and therefore have to conclude that it was easy drinking beer, ideal for a holiday destination, but not really ablate stand up against a Vienna Lager from perhaps Europe or Vienna.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing. It's not bad, you need to drink this as the beer it is, without distractions as although it's not brilliant it's not really that bad.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Clearly yes I drank that in quick time.


2. Would I have another? I would love another, your beach umbrella or mine.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Sunny afternoons with a cheeky cocktail this would be welcome, come on over.

And I was listening to an LP from 1979, "Elvis Costello" and his "Armed Forces"  Lp of which there are many great tracks (and a few shockers). Of Course "Olivers Army"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow1S4DJtLOk

I was dancing in the garden, I was sent back inside to dance in the comfort of the lounge.

AMBER LAGER/VIENNA

Your typical macrobrewed Dark Lager, often rendered dark with either brewer’s caramel or black patent malt, but each brewery will have a different approach. Aside from caramelly notes, these beers will not typically resemble other dark lager styles so much as they do the lighter styles, due to low amounts of hops, malt and body. Vienna as a beer style was theorized by Michael Jackson, but his oft-cited example was Negra Modelo, which is a macro dark lager like all the others. Some beers have taken on the idea of a Vienna lager as a distinct style, loosely based on the 1840 Anton Dreher beer, and these can be expected to be all-malt, with a fuller body and more character than the average macro dark

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Beer - #462 - Tiger - Tiger Beer

So another of the more accessible beers - this one Tiger beer, available in supermarkets, and in restaurants that want to offer "authenticness" to their menu, as a representative beer. I'll admit to buying a few on my travels.

Beer from Singapore then. I checked it's not a locally made under licence version, this is important to me.

640Ml Giant bottle (1pt 5.6fl oz) . 5% ABV, 150 calories a serve and about 2.5 standard drink units in NZ

[caption id="attachment_9484" align="alignright" width="300"] Tyger Tyger burning bryte[/caption]

Brewed by Singapore Brewery (Asia Pacific Breweries-Heineken) in the style that is  Pale Lager and they are in Singapore, Singapore

Brewed in Singapore since 1932, Tiger Beer is a full-flavored, pilsner-style golden lager with a slightly sweet note and an amazingly clean finish.

2010 World Beer Cup Gold Medal (international style lager).

Again what could go wrong..

Beer - #477 - Bachata - Bachata Rum Beer

Despite everything wrong with this I'm going to attempt to drink a Bachata.

" ’’Ba-cha-ta’’ Finest quality lager blended with a dash of golden rum to create an exciting new flavoured beer." 

Made by Flagship Brands, brewed at SHS Drinks and in the style that is  Pale Lager this hails from Manchester, England, not a million miles, literally, from Cuba.

Thankfully a small bottle 330ml, 159 calories in total for a 5.5% ABV beer, this makes it a bout 1.43 standard drink units in NZ

Premium lager blended with golden rum, a touch of vanilla and a hint of orange zest to create a

[caption id="attachment_9475" align="alignright" width="300"] That is a full frown[/caption]

delicious new 5.3% flavoured beer.

Bachata is a style of music based on Cuban salsa with Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

Bachata beer was inspired by Alvaro, a Cuban musician who travelled the world jammin' with Latin bands and partying at every opportunity.

Alvaro enjoyed a few drinks after the gigs, but often disappointed with the local lagers, he would flavour the beer with a slug of his favourite rum and a wedge of orange.

Bachata beer contains genuine Cuban rum.

Serve chilled with a slice of fresh orange and taste the real spirit of Cuba

Orange slice in my beer. I'll give it a go what's the worst that can happen

Beer - #413 - Ochakovo - Stolichnoe Double Gold

Da! Ochakovo Stolichnoe Double Gold,  MrsPdubyah thought she was being nice and brought me this from the supermarket, and what finer an example of Russian beer than that which is a  Lager Beer.

Brewed by Ochakovo in the style that is Premium Lager and they are based in Moscow, Russia

Russian Lager!!!

Funky bottle  contains 500ml  of a beer that is 5.5%, 165 calories a serve, and 2.17 stand drink units - Боялся, что будет ужас-ужас. 

" Двойное золотое» необычный сорт пива - пиво «с телом». Плотность 13% и содержание алкоголя 5,5% обеспечивают пиву интенсивный солодовый вкус и крепость вкупе с приятной бодрящей горечью. Особенная горчинка, присущая марке «Двойное золотое», достигается применением уникальных сортов хмеля. Его эфирные масла наполняют пиво ярким и оригинальным ароматом. Пиво имеет также необычный янтарный цвет с золотисто-каштановым отливом "

[caption id="attachment_8888" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie фото[/caption]

"Double Gold" unusual beer - beer "with the body." Density of 13% and 5.5% alcohol content beer provide intense malt flavor and strength, coupled with a nice crisp bitterness. Special bitterness inherent in the brand "Double Gold" is achieved by using unique varieties of hops. Its essential oils fill the beer bright and original flavor.

Beer is also unusual amber color with golden chestnut hue."

So Comrades lets begin!

Beer - #373 - Schipper’s - Herr X Vienna Lager

Change of pace, Schipper’s Herr X Vienna Lager because just because.

Schipper’s Beer Company have this Brewed at Tuatara Brewing Company in the style of an  Amber Lager/Vienna and Schippers are in Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand, which I never knew, and go to often, so I should pay more attention. Or google them and visit.

500ml bottle, of a beer that is of 4.8% ABV and 31 IBU things, this is 1.89 standard drinks in NZ. It's about 144 calories a serve.

[caption id="attachment_8158" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

A complex but elegant lager with subtle cherry and raisin aromas. 80’s music nerds will be interested to note that Herr X is the B-side of Ultravox’s Vienna.

Vienna lager. Soft sweet spice and soft bitterness. Cocoa and biscuity notes with a hint of a smokey oaky note at the finis

A coat of many colours then, this might be a lager but not as we know it.

Just a hint of sugars as you open this.

Beer - #324 - Liberty - Halo Pilsner

Moving the dial again, this next beer the Liberty Halo Pilsner offering.

Brewed by Liberty Brewing Co and this then is styled as a Pilsener and you know they are located in Auckland, New Zealand.

[caption id="attachment_7142" align="alignright" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

"Nelson hopped Pilsner"

Halo Pilsner is quite positively a monument of New Zealand Pilsner. Proudly brewed with glorious Gladfield malts and a free rein of Nelson Hops. You can expect a good lashing of zesty lime citrus peel accented with tropical passion fruit, all shining proudly

A 330ml bottle 5.4% ABV, 1.62 calories a serving, this would be about 1.41 standard drink units in NZ.

Watching the F1 and Seb Vettel dipping out in the qualifying. That must taste a bit bitter in the mouth. Rain separates the talent and the ability.

Amyway....

Lightly hopped aroma, nice hiss of carbonation on opening,

Incredibly pale pour, but with a decent and persistent head, more happiness in the aroma.

There is a palate smashing amount of grassy happiness in the palate for this, much more than I thought would be there.

The pdubyah-0-meter springs to an 8 on the scale of all things arbitrary, making this a very good beer.

Of its kind.

The over-hoppiness is appealing in its way, but it's also the thing that this is. Ideally you'd have this with something that would counterbalance the profile and compliment the food.  But that would give you a bunch of peaks and not a whole curve in a profile of taste.

The #PhilsBeerFest14, one Saturday only, is going ok, but I don't know I can keep it ip .

Final thing. Enjoying it? Yes, Have another? This is slower drinking not quite ready

PILSENER

While the definition of "pilsner" is open to much debate in the beer community, it generally refers to pale, hoppy lagers, ranging from 28IBUs and up.

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Beer - #243 - Garage Project - La Calavera Catrina

The 2nd of the day of the dead beers, this one the Garage Project La Calavera Catrina. Brewed by Garage Project This one also in the Style of a  Spice/Herb/Vegetable and of course from windy Wellington, New Zealand.

The brewer says "Blonde Lager". but they could be making that style up and mean plain old Lager of course.  650ml bottle of a 6.9% ABV beer, in NZ being 3.54 standard drink units.

La Catrina is as blonde as Day of the Dead is dark, but she’s no lightweight. The base beer is a blonde lager with a cheeky, even ironic addition of maize. Maize is an ingredient you’d normally associate with much blander lager offerings, but here it is fired up with a generous addition of organic Habanero chillis, giving Calevera a far more assertive chilli heat than the smoky chipotle of her brother. To this blonde chilli base went an addition of rose water and watermelon. The result is a complex and surprising beer we think can stand proudly beside the Day of the Dead. Cheeky, ironic, complex and firey – what more could you want in the Lady of Death? We hope you’ll give her a warm welcome.

Aroma perhaps of sour fruit on opening. Pours orange golden with a fair fluffy head, which is two in a row, on a roll here!!!

Firstly there is something nice, like watermelon, but it's a ruse because there is a rabbit punch of chilli that fair assaults you.  Made my eyes pucker.

Yes this is as pale as the other is dark. This has a front taste that the other didn't, but this is far and away more chilli bite than you'd expect, or perhaps is warranted.

It's more a pepper than than a chilli though, and it's that harsh and blunt that it has to be a bit of a 'have'. I don't doubt that making a chill beer is a challenge, but this sort of isn't that, it seems like a beer that they tipped some chilli as an addition after the fact rather than as a balanced part of a project or end goal.

Garage Project seem to be aggressively brewing different beers in an almost endless procession,  you would hope that they'd stop and think, or get some feedback from a focus group. Not that they're failing but you can wander down a pathway that might take a while to get back from. Sure they've had a few hits and misses but they tend to be close or near to the mark.

I can't see though how this beer fits with anything. It's not a beer to accompany anything, it's a bit overwhelming on the palate tanging everything up, it's not a session beer,  frankly it's a bit of a challenge (I was told it was easier drinking, it isn't),  and it's not something that I would let a friend drink, except perhaps as a prank. Which means for the pdubyah-o-meter that this is struggling to find a home. I want to say 6 - average, it has great colour, great aroma but it's just not pleasing.  Six it is making just above average, but that might be taking into account the nice things about it. of which the chilli smash isn't one of them.

So if the random score isn't about the chilli what is it about? I'm going to cower and say it looks great, pours great, has a head, and the aroma was pleasant. The chilli is "as advertised" and so therefore this is what it is. You might like it.

Probably won't.

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Beer - #242 - Garage Project - Day Of The Dead

Keeping in theme with heavy metal then, or not, I have the pleasure of a Garage Project beer, this one  "Day Of The Dead" Brewed by Garage Project in the rather mixed style of a  Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer, and they are of course in the windy city of Wellington, New Zealand.

The brewer says "Black Lager" though , for this, a 650ml bottle of a 6.7% ABV beer, making it in NZ 3.44 standard drink units.   This would then be similar in taste then to the Rogue Farms – Dirtoir Black Lager that I had and rated a high 9, he said hopefully.

Lager, but not as we know it. Garage Project’s Day of the Dead - astrong black lager inspired by the Aztec beverage xocolatl, “a bitter, frothy, spicy drink” combining cocoa and chili. Brewed with smoked chipotle chili, refermented with organic blue agave syrup (the basis of Tequila) and conditioned over raw cocoa nibs - rich and dark, Day of the Dead is smooth and drinkable with a complex mix of smoke, chocolate and restrained chili heat. A true celebration of the dark side. First available November 1, in celebration of  El Día de los Muertos - Mexico’s Day of the Dead.

Opening you get a cocoa aroma,  Pours with a decent head, dark dark black (it does say black lager), but the aroma is hard to pick now.

To the taste though. This is sort of lager like, but it isn't. They've faffed with it of course, and then this loses the 'aaah' in lager.  What you get is a brief familiar lager introduction taste and 'bang' a sucker punch of spice zing. Not a punch in the mouth, more a playful punch on the arm.

So I'm a little confused, this is 'hot' in the way that that hard to describe, there is more a pinch at the back of the throat, and you play with trying to identify what exactly is causing it. I have no idea, so I refer to the label,  and some chipotle in tequila has been added. Makes Sense.

Not sense ending in -ible because this isn't at all sensible.  It is a good thing though. Because (a) you have no idea what you're drinking, a lager or a spiced beer (2) if you drink it all you forget that it's 3 1/2 drinks you just had, because (c) you can't easily pick that you have a beer of stronger than normal. But this brings me to (4) Could you go another ?

I don't think I could, and I have a La Calevera Catrina, in the fridge, the companion to this, and that by all counts has Chilli that might kick your teeth in - (I'm kidding) (I hope).

As this  gets warmer it begins to gather more body about it, and turns it hands to a more porter like profile. But with a kicker that is more muted but there, like a mosquito in your ear at night, just out of reach, and it appears to tail off the more you have, or the warmer it gets, and it's only a matter of degrees.

This would be a fantastic "to share" beer with friends as a discussion, and the pdubyah-o-meter says at 8 this would be a very good idea. It's not at all like the Rogue Farms Dirtoir Black Lager, but that's a good thing, because they're really not the same thing.

Beer - #168 - Queenstown Brewers - Steam Brew

Another new find - Queenstown Brewers - Steam Brew - Brewed by Queenstown Brewers in the Style of a California Common and not surprisingly they do this in Queenstown, New Zealand.

330ml bottle 5.9% ABV (around 1.3 standard drinks) and an IBU of 33 - which is low end English Bitter . Califonia Common - Style originating in 18th century California, where brewers without access to refrigeration produced beers using lager yeasts and warm temperatures. These still retain some of the rounded character inherent in all lagers, but with a dose of ale fruitiness.

During the Otago gold rush, miners brought with them a thirst for a beer that originated in the Californian goldfields called Steam. It was a highly charged brew that let off a good head of steam when the barrels were tapped. The brew had the smooth richness of lager, combined with the fruity bitterness of ale, much like the beer you are drinking now.

Bready yeasty aroma to kick off with.  It is a really nice brown colour beer, and has a decent head to go with it. Aroma on the pour moves more to hops.

This is decently bitter, but instantly I'm thinking it lacks body. There are grass notes on the palate, but there isn't a lot of length in the taste to linger over it. There's not a lot of swee under notes either. A bit one dimensional.

It is decently carbonated and as it sits for a bit the floral note is more evident. But it's not really enough to move this forward. It is another new brewer doing something safe and middle-of-the-road, which for a commercial enterprise is dandy and fine. But this isn't going to ring any bells and as a result the pdubyah-o-meter says that this is a middling 6 of it's things on the scale of things.

If I'm in Queenstown again I'd be sure to look up the brewery and be in awe of the enterprise. This though as a beer is drinkable, enjoyable and would carry you a night of merriment and good company, but it wouldn't be remembered for it's presence. And that's a pity.

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Beer - #167 - Berthold Keller - Super Strength

Well this was a gift. A Can of beer. A Can!!! Berthold Keller - Super Strength - Brewed by Martens in the style of a  Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils and they're in Bocholt, Belgium.

9% ABV 500ml can, being 3.6 Standard drinks of,  this is as far from craft as Noah's Ark would be from an American Cup Yacht.

So A Belgium beer, which should rock my boat, but 9% ABV which will make my world spin.

And a can. I have to admit that the quality of beers in cans in NZ is lacking.

But I'm game so here goes.....  Sweet aroma on opening, pale golden yellow, lots of carbonation, but the head settles to a film and doesn't hold, the aroma settles to a base malt. It's really fizzy.

Now to be fair, I thought that initially this carries itself ok, there is that nice malty sweet taste, and a small kicker of alcohol at the end. But this is thin as rice paper, with no depth of flavour or carry. The after note of sour makes this slightly odd.

However I've had worse Belgium beers than this. What's interesting is that you don't get an overt indication that this is a very strong beer. But at the end of the day a lack of any taste means that there isn't a lot to wrote home about.

The pdubyah-o-meter says 5.5 of it's things of things, and I'm not overly unhappy. I really have had beer that's been sold as being a thing, this comes in a can with no fanfare, and there is no downside to no marketing.  It's not all bad, it's just not a beer you might want your mates to see you drinking, as there appears to be no benefit or reason for the high ABV count other than "it just is" perhaps they have a different audience.

Beer - #134 - Boundary Road - Brewer’s Cut -Ein Stein

This was a gift to me a few weeks ago - Boundary Road Brewer’s Cut Ein Stein. Boundary Road Brewery Brewed at Independent Breweries (New Zealand), And they say that this is in the style of a  Dortmunder/Helles and they're a local brewer in Auckland, New Zealand.

The label says "Much Lager", it's 500ml of a 5.3% ABV beer (2.1 standard drink units)

Dortmunder/Helles :  These two styles are closely related, the former hailing from Dortmund and the latter from Bavaria. Both are slightly strong (5.0-5.6%), malt-accented pale lagers. The cookie-like or bready maltiness should be very much in evidence in a traditional example. These beers are clean and easy to drink in quantity. Some Dortmunders made in Denmark and the Netherlands are stronger.

When you think of Bavaria you probably picture two things. Beer and theoretical physics. Einstein, who invented science in Munich, was not only a brilliant physicist, he was also a brilliant coincidence. His name happens to be German for "one beer". This Munich lager is just the sort of "Ein Stein" you would enjoy at Oktoberfest. Smooth, crisp and pouring the same large head as its namesake. It'll satisfy any man in leather shorts.

Well no leather shorts, but I am in need to a refreshing beer while I'm waiting for the bread machine to do all the work in the kitchen.

I'm also going to put out there that this is one of 16 "craft" beers from this brewery that is an acquired company. And that being that I'm going to get something that is competent and palatable if not remarkable.

So pre open hopes: Pale blonde, yeasty, and no alarming flavours, will have a head.

Aroma of yeast/bread, golden yellow colour, and a head like a chuppa-chup on a stick, very happy with that result.  Nice lacing too, they're getting some thing spot on.

To the taste, which offers that basic hop note you'd expect, a mouthful of fizz, and a slightly sour note in the mix, not disturbingly so, but a reminder that they've tried hard to get this right as a homage to beer that is produced by the everyone.

This isn't spectacular or quirky enough to make you add this to your must get in the shopping beer list, it sits along all the other six-pack lagers as just a lager, no more or less.  It delivers nothing more than you expect.

Not ghastly and rating a 7 on the pdubyah-o-meter as being competent, not offensive and least likely to upset a beer drinker the Ein Stein is a beer from a brewer trying to touch as many market points as possible, some of them well, some not.  I would rather they stuck to producing fewer better more memorable beers, but that wouldn't fit a commercial venture now would it.

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