Efes Özel Harman Malt
Anadolu Efes Brewery

Larnaka 18/7 2017. 33 cl bottle from Sokmar Off-license in North Nicosia. Bought as "Efes Malt".

Pours clear pale yellow with small bubbly white head. The head disappears fairly fast leaving very sparse remnants of foam floating about. No lacing toi speak of.

Aroma is medium intense and fairly sweet. A little skunky, grains and sugar sweet malts.

Medium carbonation. Thin, watery and lively texture.

Flavor is medium intense with a rather strong sweetness followed by a moderately strong bitterness. Aftertaste is sweetish and finish is sugary and malty. Not much bitterness present.

As far as I have understood the concept of 100% maltit is that it’s not filled with sugar, corn, rice and other interesting things. Not that it should be without hops. In this case I could fear that it’s unfortunately the last interpretation of the term.

 

 

Decanted from an 11.2 oz (330 ml) brown bottle into a conical pint glass; no production information.
A: Pours a ever so slightly hazy, golden to amber color with a quarter inch, white head, little retention, and almost no lacing.
S: Aromas of dark bread crust and spice predominate.
T: Cracker to bready taste with a sweetness and creaminess I associate more with a Dortmunder. A little bitterness at the back end leads to a plus or minus crispness to the finish.
M: Light, but fuller bodied than one would expect from the style. Low carbonation and retention.
O: Certainly palatable, but at the bottom quintile of Pilsners I have tried. Basically not really refreshing which is a characteristic of the style.

 

 

Can from an Istanbul Carrefour, as "Efes Malt 100% Malt." Rating from notes taken May 2016:

Metallic and just plain bad.

D / AVOID