Closter Zell (Golden Abbot)
Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle GmbH

Closter Zell (Golden Abbot)Closter Zell (Golden Abbot)
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From:
Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle GmbH
 
Germany
Style:
European / Dortmunder Export Lager
ABV:
6.3%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.47 | pDev: 28.24%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
22
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 21, 2013
Added:
Feb 12, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Rated: 1 by BGsWo22 from Texas

Mar 21, 2013
 
Rated: 1 by EvanWilliams from Illinois

Dec 23, 2012
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly clouded amber gold with a decent crème head. Nose is thick with caramelized sugar and a slight bit of cooked apples when you go deeper. Malt is there as well. Flavor is extremely sugary sweet. I get mild apples here, but more so the uncooked body of one and not the skins. Feel is okay. Low carbonation and a sticky syrupy edge to it as well. I can’t say I really appreciate this one too much. One too many things going in too far a direction.
Jan 01, 2008
Photo of brewdlyhooked13
Reviewed by brewdlyhooked13 from Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance - pours a thin, slighty hazed golden amber. Some decent head action, foaming up to two fingers pretty quickly. Standard white color with good stick on the sides, leaving thin curly lacing behind.

Aroma - caramel malt base with a little diacetyl. A small touch of citrus at first but it fades at the beer settles.

Taste - sweet malts, not much hop to balance it out. Some occasional light toasty qualities on the exhale breath. Okay but could use some hop presence, otherwise it has this 'English malt liquor' kind of thing to it except without the abv.

Mouthfeel - some good smoothness, lightly carbonated. I like the mouthfeel.

Drinkability - Classed as a Dortmunder, I think it misses. However, it bills itself as a pale lager and on that front it does better than its peers.
Nov 21, 2007
Photo of dherling
Reviewed by dherling from New Jersey

3.54/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
poured out a warm orange honey brown color, with a thick, barely off-white head that lasted about ten minutes or so. Got mostly yeast and malt in the nose, but some slight orange too, bit of spicyness around the edge. I get some mollasses and alcohol upfront on the first tasting, a healthy amount of malty sweetness. Finishes a tad heavy, a little cloying sweetness. Overall, a fairly balanced beer, some nice character to it, and very enjoyable. Some alcohol, but not much, it is hidden well by the body of the beer.
Oct 10, 2006
Photo of TastyTaste
Reviewed by TastyTaste from Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Hazy gold color, a couple bubbles makt there way to the surface. Big frothy white head.

Smell: Very grainy, slightly doughey, with a sharp smokey smell.

Taste: Very grainy and fairly inoffensive. Not bad, although bland, but nothing to really complain about.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation, not bad.

Drinkability: Is it fresh? I don't know, there is no freshness date. Still, not the worst thing I have tasted.
Jan 20, 2006
Photo of DESTRO
Reviewed by DESTRO from Nevada

3.78/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
pours out a nice deep golden with a slight orange tint. nice head that quickly dies down to a thin white coat. some lace. sweet aroma, think honey and lots of it. sweet in the mouth but not overly so. fruity and buttery and with huge honey like notes everywhere. smooth in the mouth with a nice light carbonation. alcohol is well hidden. a quality brew, a bit much for a session or everyday brew but when in need of a crisp sweet lager that packs a nice little punch, this hits the spot nicely.
Sep 05, 2005
Photo of Frozensoul327
Reviewed by Frozensoul327 from Michigan

3.74/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Not a bad Dortmunder. Poured out to a yellow color that had a trace of a pumpkin like orange color to it. Slightly cloudy presentation. Medium carbonation. Nice head, about 2 inches, and no traces of lace. Nice odors of grain and sweet smoke, with solid notes of malt. Flavor was a bit of a let down from the smell, as I was expecting more. Flavors of mild fruit, massive malt (but very smooth malt) and some hints of grain and grass. Finished smooth with a touch of mild bitterness. A nice lager. Recommended.
Sep 01, 2005
Photo of WesWes
Reviewed by WesWes from New York

4.42/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
The beer pours a golden color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has a nice malty scent that boasts of pale, Munich, and some carapils malts. It's sweet and fruity with a yeasty aroma. It's quite buttery. The taste is good. It has a rich pale malt flavor with other sweet specialty grains to add color and taste. It goes down easy with a smooth buttery finish; very good. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn good beer. It has awesome aroma and taste; a fine sessions brew.
Aug 02, 2005
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

3.49/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Presentation: A distinctive and very colorful black, gold and cream colored label sits affront the ubiquitous standard looking Teutonic 500ml brown glass bottle. An interesting label requires some more explanation. A light lime green middle section has a dark blue triangle that has an image of a jovial looking Monk fondling a large golden stein. Brewed by “Neuzeller Kloster-Bräu” and listed as “Golden Abbot Lager” (obviously the dude in the triangle) and listed as a “Rare Gold Beer from Germany Monastery Brewery Founded 1589…the taste of paradise”. Dated 14.07.04, which I presume (hope!) is the actual bottling date as this was advertised as a new brew at the store where I bought it.

Appearance: Rich deep golden body with a light brass-orange depth. Large off-white head rises and forms a typical looking Teutonic head that sadly does not live up to its initial promise, it soon falls to a broken clumpy covering which looks like the wake of an Arctic Ice-breaking ship. Medium conditioning and a light lacing on the dies which does tend to slide back down into the body of the beer.

Nose: Orange pith, fresh peaches & apricots mix well with some fruity citric aromas. Backed by breaded toasty malts and palatable sweetness.

Taste: Lots of malts, rounded and presented in a pool of malty sweetness it seems to work well at first. Baker’s dough and proving bread entrance this one, the middle has none of the fruitiness that I got in the nose – what happened? – the sweetness remains whilst the malts change clothes and develop a more straight laced toasted feel. Some barley-sugar hard-boiled candy flavors break the back end.

Mouthfeel: Starts creamy but becomes clumpy, a heavy feeling soft doughy texture breaks occasionally with some sharp edges. Feels a little up and down, left and right, ying and yang. Bock like it has an above average presence.

Drinkability: Minimal to zero hop feel, the sweetness, bakery character and toasted malts give this one a limited appeal for me in the long term. The half-litre bottle was fine, easily consumed, but offer me another – not thanks - one at a time is enough for me.

Overall: Cost me only $2.99, another rarely seen Germanic offering that I picked up at Hollingshead Delicatessen in Orange during a recent visit. A rather unique solid brew, a “Golden” Gold Beer, but I’m torn about this one, somehow the Mouthfeel & Drinkability undo the goodness of the Nose and Taste, it’s an open book if I really like this one or not . Maybe I’ll try this one again some time in the near future to reach definitive decision.
Jul 29, 2005
Photo of horndecker
Reviewed by horndecker from New Jersey

3.67/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Even with an aggressive pour, the head disappoints, never building to more than a finger and gone to almost nothing rather quickly. Still, it's a beautiful bright copper colored brew. There is some residual suds and lace.

The smell is all malt, molasses and caramel, along with a mild, funky, yeasty baked bread aroma.

It has a huge buttery malt backbone, accented by a moderate liqueurish sweetness. Subdued hop bitterness rides along, but hardly makes an impression. The finish is dry and oddly chalky, and, in spite of this being only 6.3%, the alcohol still seems to have a bit of a numbing effect, coating the top of one's mouth with cotton. The aftertaste hints at chocolate.

It seems medium to full-bodied, a bit syrupy. It's like half an Eisbock - all the malt but half the alcohol, half the complexity, definitely lying along the same path. Interesting and well put together, but this particular combination falls short in my book.
Jun 30, 2005
Photo of allengarvin
Reviewed by allengarvin from Texas

2.44/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Half-liter bottle, mail ordered from beergeek.biz.

Appearance: Clear golden amber, with a big frothy head of foam and fine lacing.

Aroma: Cracker-like, biscuit smell.

Flavor: Grainy, leafy-green vegetable flavor (spinach? mustard-greens?) with no hop flavor and little malt taste at all.

Body: Sprity mouthfeel, though slightly watery.

A very weird beer. If this were homebrew I'd call it infected. It was nearly undrinkable after half-way finished. Even worse than the sickeningly-sweet Black Abbot beer.
Jan 04, 2005
Photo of maxpower
Reviewed by maxpower from Missouri

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Hazy, bright amber-copper color with a small foamy off white head with some lacing. Has a sweet fruity and nutty aroma. Sweet and malty, bready caramel flavors, finishes sweet, medium body with a smooth and lightly carbonated mouthfeel, alcohol well hidden.
Jun 27, 2004
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a brilliant gold with a nice head that is gone pretty quickly,aroma of fresh rising pizza dough and some underlying fruitiness.Taste is very doughy and toasted with some light alcohol notes as it begins to warm a little,very hefty tasting.Lots of malt to this big tasting beer, has a vegetable-like aftertast something I dont think I have encountered before.A nice interesting spring bock to say the least.
May 29, 2004
Photo of Globetrotter
Reviewed by Globetrotter from Virginia

2.05/5  rDev -40.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Nice package - tall thin-necked brown bottle with a parchment like label featuring a monk appreciating a tall mug of beer. Purity law applies. Best before 6/18/04, I opened it on 4/13/04.

Oh my. Is this a fake? Pours a clear orangish-gold under a half-pencil thick off white head of big bubbles that pop almost immediately. The nose reminds me of too many cheap Russian beers with its strong sourmash malt tones. The mouth is medium carbonated and fairly heavy with sweetness. There's a strong sourmash taste, with hints of apricot and bad watermelon. I detected just the tiniest trace of hop presence in the finish. The aftertaste is sour sweet. If you like this beer, try any of the Zhigulovskoye style from Russia. Not for me, thanks.

By the by, this is no Kölsch.
Apr 14, 2004
Photo of cokes
Reviewed by cokes from Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Deep and sparkling golden, with dancing bubbles of carbonation, under a sponge-like, uniform white capping that never seems to fade.
Plenty of good ol' Germanic maltiness on the nose. Sweet and pale, with underlying leather and caramelized sugar.
Massively malty upfront. This is what a helles bock is all about. Sweetess to spare, but far from obnoxious or cloying. Caramel, cane sugar and raw honey. Works itself up to toasty suggestions midway. Brown sugar later. Concludes grassier and lightly vegetal as the drying hops creep in largely unnoticed. No boozy traits noticed, except, perhaps, on the inhale.
Sturdy medium-full in stature. Drinkable, but slowly so.
Quite well done, all around.
Sep 28, 2003
Photo of putnam
Reviewed by putnam from Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
tawny orange...cream-colored head, viscous mousse but durable.

Aromas of flowers, honey and buttered cakes made from rye meal and corn. A sweet, natural smell...perfumy. Dulled hops on the nose contribute to the impression of round shapes. These are large, globule layers of soft, bronze malt streaked with delicate smoke and flint notes. Lovely.
Once in the mouth it shows no resistance. Low acid, barely bitter, the dominant impression is one of concrete-aged honey water. This is like caramelized Duvel, only slightly dilute on the finish.
Aug 11, 2003
Photo of kevinl6
Reviewed by kevinl6 from South Carolina

4.39/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Whoa.....this is a damn fine lager! I still enjoy a good lager now and then, and this is one of the best. Pours a nice golden, amber color. Is a bit bubbly in the glass with a silky, 1 finger deep head capping it off. Smell is malty and very fruity....a very strong aroma for a lager. It taste very fruity...period! Quite tasty for this style. It is very easy on the palate, and surpisingly smooth for this style. Very drinkable without a doubt....I could have polished off a few with no problem. If you enjoy a good lager, definately give this one a try.
Aug 05, 2003
Photo of tavernjef
Reviewed by tavernjef from Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Classy looking tall-thin necked 16oz. brown bottle, classy label and even the cap is classy. Color is a direct reason for the name, at least thats my take, its a solid haze of gold color a little more clear at the bottom of the glass. Thinly topped of loose glue-like white bubbles which faded in a snap, leaves a thin ring and tiny spotty lace. Smell is all sweet malts, hints of caramel and honey, a hard candy-like sense lingers in the the nose. Taste is also all malts, sweet, in a easy fruity sense, creamy, smooth, rich, like a liquid Jolly Rancher of malt, a bit of caramel like smoothness and taste as well. Full body feel, rich, and creamy smooth with a thinning fruitish presense in the finish. Pretty good pleasing malt crazy lager.
Jun 18, 2003
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: bright golden to orange in color, with a short, white head.
Aroma: thick, bold, fruity (orange, citrus, peach), some hops, but largely malt, which provides the big sweetness that abounds through every aspect of this brew. So sweet that it's a touch candyish at times, and a little coppery, too.
Reminds me of a marzen/Oktoberfest, though it also feels a bit like a bock.
A rich nose, with considerable depth.
Smooth tasting, with a faint, lingering, fruity sweet finish, with more flavors emerging as we drink. Huge malt is everywhere, in each swallow and gulp, very giving, very generous, rich and delicious.
A very tasty lager, which would go fine with most any meal, and isn't bad on it's own. No wonder those monks look so damned contented!
Jun 11, 2003
Closter Zell (Golden Abbot) from Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle GmbH
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 22 ratings