Schonramer Pils
Private Landbrauerei Schönram
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- German Pilsner
Ranked #72 - ABV:
- 5.4%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #19,147 - Avg:
- 3.86 | pDev: 12.95%
- Reviews:
- 49
- Ratings:
- From:
- Private Landbrauerei Schönram
- Germany
- Avail:
- Year-round
- Wants
- 6
- Gots
- 13
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Notes:
Reviews: 49
| Ratings: 103
4.12/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16.9 oz. Bottle
Best By: 21.09.19
Poured into a Squatters true pint glass a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden yellow color, pretty nice carbonation, with a nice thick/creamy two-finger white head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, hoppy, with a nice touch of lemon, bready, kinda wheaty. The taste is nice, malty, hoppy, with some lemon, bready, wheaty, nice little sweetness. Medium body, ABV is hidden pretty nicely, with a nice little dry/bitter finish. Overall, a pretty tasty beer, a nice thirst quencher.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16.9 oz. Bottle
Best By: 21.09.19
Poured into a Squatters true pint glass a pretty nice clean/clear dark golden yellow color, pretty nice carbonation, with a nice thick/creamy two-finger white head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, hoppy, with a nice touch of lemon, bready, kinda wheaty. The taste is nice, malty, hoppy, with some lemon, bready, wheaty, nice little sweetness. Medium body, ABV is hidden pretty nicely, with a nice little dry/bitter finish. Overall, a pretty tasty beer, a nice thirst quencher.
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3.69/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Taste: Snappy cracker crisp lemon citrus dry hop finish. Same with the nose. Straw color hue, mostly clear, big foam head with ringed lattice. Medium to med/light body. Had some 2 years ago.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Taste: Snappy cracker crisp lemon citrus dry hop finish. Same with the nose. Straw color hue, mostly clear, big foam head with ringed lattice. Medium to med/light body. Had some 2 years ago.
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2.78/5 rDev -28%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Golden haze look. Smells hoppy. Well balanced flavor between hops and malt. Medium body, properly carbonated. Good aftertaste (bitter vanilla). I preferred this to the weihenstephaner due to the better balance of flavors (weihenstephan's Pils was a bit too hoppy) and this one smells better (no skunk smell).
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look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Golden haze look. Smells hoppy. Well balanced flavor between hops and malt. Medium body, properly carbonated. Good aftertaste (bitter vanilla). I preferred this to the weihenstephaner due to the better balance of flavors (weihenstephan's Pils was a bit too hoppy) and this one smells better (no skunk smell).
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4.38/5 rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pours a beautiful golden clear color with a big, froth white head.
Smells of fresh cut hay, which got a faint honey note to it, creating a gentle flowery, crackery interplay. Offers just a note of toffee atop this foundation with a light herb appearance.
Drinks incredibly soft and smooth for a Pils, while the beer manages to create a late, sparkling effervescence. This results in a great drinking experience, which appears perfectly balanced and refreshing.
Tastes of an astonishing initial aqueous softness, which slowly develops a soft sparkliness, inviting toffee malts and a well dosed amount of hay to the palate. The beer turns drier then, with a crackery quality toning down the malts in favor of a slowly unfolding herb bitterness. Finishes doughy, with an utmost refreshing hop punch, which lasts incredibly long and highlights a fantastic herbal complexity.
This is truly great throughout with an exeptional mouthfeel to it, featuring a hop driven refreshment which is mind blowingly good. Every Pils should be at least a little bit like this one.
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look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pours a beautiful golden clear color with a big, froth white head.
Smells of fresh cut hay, which got a faint honey note to it, creating a gentle flowery, crackery interplay. Offers just a note of toffee atop this foundation with a light herb appearance.
Drinks incredibly soft and smooth for a Pils, while the beer manages to create a late, sparkling effervescence. This results in a great drinking experience, which appears perfectly balanced and refreshing.
Tastes of an astonishing initial aqueous softness, which slowly develops a soft sparkliness, inviting toffee malts and a well dosed amount of hay to the palate. The beer turns drier then, with a crackery quality toning down the malts in favor of a slowly unfolding herb bitterness. Finishes doughy, with an utmost refreshing hop punch, which lasts incredibly long and highlights a fantastic herbal complexity.
This is truly great throughout with an exeptional mouthfeel to it, featuring a hop driven refreshment which is mind blowingly good. Every Pils should be at least a little bit like this one.
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4.34/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I was at Hunger & Thirst yesterday for a hoppy beer event & when I made a tour through the bottle shop, I saw this 500-ml bottle at a VERY attractive price point. I had drank one on draft over there once before, but since I seldom do field reviews any more, this seemed like a good one to bring home.
From the bottle: "Brewed According to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516"; "The Big Beer From the Little Brewery"; "Since 1780"; "Brewed exclusively with the finest Spalter and Hallertauer aroma hops by the Private Landbrauerei Schönram".
Having Pop!ped the cap & with a Pilsener glass at the ready, I gave it a heavy-handed pour. This raised two-plus fingers of dense, puffy, bone-white head with excellent retention. Color was a Pale-Straw (SRM = 1 - 2) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was an interesting combination of cattiness & grassiness, but as a self-avowed, self-described hophead, my mouth was watering in anticipation. Mouthfeel was medium, actually kind of big for the style. The taste was less catty than on the nose, very grassy, but with a lemony biscuitiness, undoubtedly from the malt. This was really close to being a Czech Pils, IMHO, but I was fine with it. Finish was semi-dry and very refreshing. I would be elated to find out that they also CAN this one. It would be great on a hot summer's day.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I was at Hunger & Thirst yesterday for a hoppy beer event & when I made a tour through the bottle shop, I saw this 500-ml bottle at a VERY attractive price point. I had drank one on draft over there once before, but since I seldom do field reviews any more, this seemed like a good one to bring home.
From the bottle: "Brewed According to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516"; "The Big Beer From the Little Brewery"; "Since 1780"; "Brewed exclusively with the finest Spalter and Hallertauer aroma hops by the Private Landbrauerei Schönram".
Having Pop!ped the cap & with a Pilsener glass at the ready, I gave it a heavy-handed pour. This raised two-plus fingers of dense, puffy, bone-white head with excellent retention. Color was a Pale-Straw (SRM = 1 - 2) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was an interesting combination of cattiness & grassiness, but as a self-avowed, self-described hophead, my mouth was watering in anticipation. Mouthfeel was medium, actually kind of big for the style. The taste was less catty than on the nose, very grassy, but with a lemony biscuitiness, undoubtedly from the malt. This was really close to being a Czech Pils, IMHO, but I was fine with it. Finish was semi-dry and very refreshing. I would be elated to find out that they also CAN this one. It would be great on a hot summer's day.
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2.5/5 rDev -35.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
BOTTLE: Purchased at Ambrosetti in Berlin. Best before: 26.05.16. 500ml. Brown glass. Traditional German label (with cliche Bavarian font). Branded pry-off crown cap.
Served chilled into a pilsner glass. Expectations are high given this brewery's reputation, though this is my first Schonramer beer. Reviewed live as a German pilsner for obvious reasons.
5.0% ABV.
HEAD: ~10+ cm wide. White colour. Quite frothy (to style). Average thickness. Has a decent consistency and complexion. Leaves cobwebby lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes, which take a good ~4 minutes (not great retention for a pilsner, but certainly above average).
BODY: To style, it's a clear straw yellow. Vibrance is merely average. Clean, with no visible yeast or other particulate.
Appears well-carbonated. It's a classic conventional pilsner appearance, but certainly more vibrance, better retention, and a softer looking head would improve its liveliness.
AROMA: Soft. Straw, pilsner malts, naunced Noble hop grassiness, a kiss of herb (also from Noble hops), and even a hint of kellerbier-esque must.
Suggests a crisp, clean pilsner with a surprisingly varied and subtle hop presence. Aromatic intensity is average.
The absence of esters indicates cleanly attenuating lager yeast, though no overt yeast notes are present (to style). I find no off-notes or any of the usual pilsner pitfalls (e.g. metallic character).
TASTE & TEXTURE: The promises of the aroma go unfulfilled; this offers only a generic grassy hop profile in addition to somewhat stale pilsner malts. The texture is quite poor however, bordering on buttery and certainly artificial. Not the crisp, clean presence on the palate you'd want in a great pilsner. And coupled with the cheap malt sweetness at the heart of the beer, the effect is off-putting. It comes off more as a Euro pale lager than a proper pilsner. Too sweet to be balanced, though I can't tell if the problem is the malt bill or the yeast attenuation. Maybe they fermented too cold?
Simplistic and cheap-tasting. It's a shame...the aroma suggested a vastly superior brew.
OVERALL: A big disappointment, especially as my first Schonramer beer. I love a great pilsner, but unfortunately one of those this be not. I'd caution others against purchasing it, and given Schonramer's high reputation (and this beer's current 87 rating - which is high for a pilsner amongst BeerAdvocate's American-centric member base) I have to wonder if I even got a bad bottle - but then I remember I bought this at Ambrosetti, a store pretty well regarded here in Berlin. I'll finish the bottle, but it's largely unpleasant.
High D+ (2.50) / NOT RECOMMENDED
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look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
BOTTLE: Purchased at Ambrosetti in Berlin. Best before: 26.05.16. 500ml. Brown glass. Traditional German label (with cliche Bavarian font). Branded pry-off crown cap.
Served chilled into a pilsner glass. Expectations are high given this brewery's reputation, though this is my first Schonramer beer. Reviewed live as a German pilsner for obvious reasons.
5.0% ABV.
HEAD: ~10+ cm wide. White colour. Quite frothy (to style). Average thickness. Has a decent consistency and complexion. Leaves cobwebby lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes, which take a good ~4 minutes (not great retention for a pilsner, but certainly above average).
BODY: To style, it's a clear straw yellow. Vibrance is merely average. Clean, with no visible yeast or other particulate.
Appears well-carbonated. It's a classic conventional pilsner appearance, but certainly more vibrance, better retention, and a softer looking head would improve its liveliness.
AROMA: Soft. Straw, pilsner malts, naunced Noble hop grassiness, a kiss of herb (also from Noble hops), and even a hint of kellerbier-esque must.
Suggests a crisp, clean pilsner with a surprisingly varied and subtle hop presence. Aromatic intensity is average.
The absence of esters indicates cleanly attenuating lager yeast, though no overt yeast notes are present (to style). I find no off-notes or any of the usual pilsner pitfalls (e.g. metallic character).
TASTE & TEXTURE: The promises of the aroma go unfulfilled; this offers only a generic grassy hop profile in addition to somewhat stale pilsner malts. The texture is quite poor however, bordering on buttery and certainly artificial. Not the crisp, clean presence on the palate you'd want in a great pilsner. And coupled with the cheap malt sweetness at the heart of the beer, the effect is off-putting. It comes off more as a Euro pale lager than a proper pilsner. Too sweet to be balanced, though I can't tell if the problem is the malt bill or the yeast attenuation. Maybe they fermented too cold?
Simplistic and cheap-tasting. It's a shame...the aroma suggested a vastly superior brew.
OVERALL: A big disappointment, especially as my first Schonramer beer. I love a great pilsner, but unfortunately one of those this be not. I'd caution others against purchasing it, and given Schonramer's high reputation (and this beer's current 87 rating - which is high for a pilsner amongst BeerAdvocate's American-centric member base) I have to wonder if I even got a bad bottle - but then I remember I bought this at Ambrosetti, a store pretty well regarded here in Berlin. I'll finish the bottle, but it's largely unpleasant.
High D+ (2.50) / NOT RECOMMENDED
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3.25/5 rDev -15.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Schönramer Pils has a very thick, frothy, white head, a hazy, straw appearance, with some ascending bubbles, and heavy and impressive lacing left on the glass. The aroma is of sweet, mild cracker, and the flavor is of white bread, sweet malt, and fairly prominent, grassy hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Schönramer Pils finishes crisp and refreshing.
RJT
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look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Schönramer Pils has a very thick, frothy, white head, a hazy, straw appearance, with some ascending bubbles, and heavy and impressive lacing left on the glass. The aroma is of sweet, mild cracker, and the flavor is of white bread, sweet malt, and fairly prominent, grassy hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Schönramer Pils finishes crisp and refreshing.
RJT
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4.11/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L:
-pours a clear straw-golden with a medium,frothy,white head
-high carbonation visible
S:
-spicy,honey,biscuits,floral,milky,bready,nettles
T:
-spices,bread,grassy,lemon zest,biscuits,some sweet yeast esters
F:
-medium-high carbonation,medium body
-quite bitter for the style
O:
Great German Pils
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L:
-pours a clear straw-golden with a medium,frothy,white head
-high carbonation visible
S:
-spicy,honey,biscuits,floral,milky,bready,nettles
T:
-spices,bread,grassy,lemon zest,biscuits,some sweet yeast esters
F:
-medium-high carbonation,medium body
-quite bitter for the style
O:
Great German Pils
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3.77/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a pale, straw gold coloring, with a slow flow of carbonation throughout the body and a fluffy, clingy, bright white head. Aromas of toasted grains in the backbone, subtle notes of honey, pepper spice, floral hops, and some piney notes. Flavors are bitter and toasted forward, with crisp and piney hops notes on a cracker backbone, with some subtle sweet notes of honey and floral highlights. The body is full, but crisp and slightly dry, making this amazingly drinkable. The aftertaste is more of the toasted notes, with a subtle lingering bitterness. The finish is dry and clean. Solid brew.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a pale, straw gold coloring, with a slow flow of carbonation throughout the body and a fluffy, clingy, bright white head. Aromas of toasted grains in the backbone, subtle notes of honey, pepper spice, floral hops, and some piney notes. Flavors are bitter and toasted forward, with crisp and piney hops notes on a cracker backbone, with some subtle sweet notes of honey and floral highlights. The body is full, but crisp and slightly dry, making this amazingly drinkable. The aftertaste is more of the toasted notes, with a subtle lingering bitterness. The finish is dry and clean. Solid brew.
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4.66/5 rDev +20.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Bottle served into a Sam Adams Boston lager pint glass.
A: golden hue, straw grass
S: noble pils hops, lemon, fresh blade wheat switch grass, clean fresh brushed stainless steel.
T: this is the perfect pilsner. Plenty of noble hops, beautiful wheat alcohol esters that blend accordingly . The hops pucker the mouth while the wheat lemon grass pilsner bite and produces a beautiful dry biscuit resin that flows into a lemon pucker tongue enveloping your taste buds.
M: amazing. Simply amazing. Crisp yet medium to full bodied.It fizs on your tongue until it sinks in and swells your taste buds and thickens your tongue. Seriously this is an experience you must have!
O: This is the perfect pilsner!
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Bottle served into a Sam Adams Boston lager pint glass.
A: golden hue, straw grass
S: noble pils hops, lemon, fresh blade wheat switch grass, clean fresh brushed stainless steel.
T: this is the perfect pilsner. Plenty of noble hops, beautiful wheat alcohol esters that blend accordingly . The hops pucker the mouth while the wheat lemon grass pilsner bite and produces a beautiful dry biscuit resin that flows into a lemon pucker tongue enveloping your taste buds.
M: amazing. Simply amazing. Crisp yet medium to full bodied.It fizs on your tongue until it sinks in and swells your taste buds and thickens your tongue. Seriously this is an experience you must have!
O: This is the perfect pilsner!
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4.71/5 rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Again, this one has won some EBS awards:
European Beer Star in der Kategorie German-Style Pilsner:
2011 Bronze-Medaille, 2010 Silber-Medaille, 2009 Gold-Medaille.
I enjoyed reading the marketing blurb about this beer on their website.
My translation below. Notice their use of Fernsehbiere, Prussian (a.k.a. North German) as apposed to German,
"Stronger than the television hopped beers of our Prussian neighbors, but since only
Aroma hops are to be used, the bitterness felt is pleasant and harmonious. Without corners and edges. Nothing bitter!
Noblest and most expensive Bavarian aroma hops create a distinctive and elegant hop aroma, reminiscent of fresh flowers and pine resin. The first drink is very strongly flavored (spiced?) and bubbly, going into a dry but very subtle bitterness that lasts a long time but hi never astringent. In the finish you can taste notes of rose essence and resin (?).
The Schönramer Pils is very appetizing by its fine bitterness and is ideal as an aperitif."
Appearance: Bright, crystal clear golden straw under a snow white head.
Aroma: Quite typical German Pils aromas coming strongly out of the glass, even after sitting a few minutes waiting for me to type and make the above pic. I get toasty, bread Pils malts and grassiness in spades. This is what you expect a world class Pils to smell like.
Flavor: Lots of bitter notes up front with some grass from the Noble hops. The back of the label says "a special taste experience thanks to a quartet of finest Hallertauer and Spalter aroma hop varieties." Hallertauer and Spalter refer more to the hop growing region rather than any specific hop, so I'm guessing Mittelfrüh, Perle and/or Hersbrücke for Hallertauer hops, and Spalter Select or Spalter Spalt (for a treatise on this subject, read here.) Also up front I get a little malt Pils malt flavor, but only when I let it sit awhile on the front of the tongue. In the middle, a tad citrus-like tartness and more bitterness with a lot of sweet Pils malts around the edges of the tongue. In the back is where all the flavors come together and you get see how these muscular bitter notes mix with the sweet Pils malt flavors. I don't any "rose essence or resin" in the aftertaste, but there is something there reminding me of a fruit tea aftertaste mixed with hop bitterness and lots of Pils malt sweetness. If you skip the beer over the front and middle of the tongue you can bypass most of the hop bitterness and feel the malts really demand attention in the back of the mouth, yet then you miss all the hoppy wonderfulness.
Mouthfeel: Decent, goldilocks zone, neither thick nor thin like an AAL; just enough to give it heft and seriousness, but not thick enough to make it unenjoyable on a hot summer day.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Again, this one has won some EBS awards:
European Beer Star in der Kategorie German-Style Pilsner:
2011 Bronze-Medaille, 2010 Silber-Medaille, 2009 Gold-Medaille.
I enjoyed reading the marketing blurb about this beer on their website.
My translation below. Notice their use of Fernsehbiere, Prussian (a.k.a. North German) as apposed to German,
"Stronger than the television hopped beers of our Prussian neighbors, but since only
Aroma hops are to be used, the bitterness felt is pleasant and harmonious. Without corners and edges. Nothing bitter!
Noblest and most expensive Bavarian aroma hops create a distinctive and elegant hop aroma, reminiscent of fresh flowers and pine resin. The first drink is very strongly flavored (spiced?) and bubbly, going into a dry but very subtle bitterness that lasts a long time but hi never astringent. In the finish you can taste notes of rose essence and resin (?).
The Schönramer Pils is very appetizing by its fine bitterness and is ideal as an aperitif."
Appearance: Bright, crystal clear golden straw under a snow white head.
Aroma: Quite typical German Pils aromas coming strongly out of the glass, even after sitting a few minutes waiting for me to type and make the above pic. I get toasty, bread Pils malts and grassiness in spades. This is what you expect a world class Pils to smell like.
Flavor: Lots of bitter notes up front with some grass from the Noble hops. The back of the label says "a special taste experience thanks to a quartet of finest Hallertauer and Spalter aroma hop varieties." Hallertauer and Spalter refer more to the hop growing region rather than any specific hop, so I'm guessing Mittelfrüh, Perle and/or Hersbrücke for Hallertauer hops, and Spalter Select or Spalter Spalt (for a treatise on this subject, read here.) Also up front I get a little malt Pils malt flavor, but only when I let it sit awhile on the front of the tongue. In the middle, a tad citrus-like tartness and more bitterness with a lot of sweet Pils malts around the edges of the tongue. In the back is where all the flavors come together and you get see how these muscular bitter notes mix with the sweet Pils malt flavors. I don't any "rose essence or resin" in the aftertaste, but there is something there reminding me of a fruit tea aftertaste mixed with hop bitterness and lots of Pils malt sweetness. If you skip the beer over the front and middle of the tongue you can bypass most of the hop bitterness and feel the malts really demand attention in the back of the mouth, yet then you miss all the hoppy wonderfulness.
Mouthfeel: Decent, goldilocks zone, neither thick nor thin like an AAL; just enough to give it heft and seriousness, but not thick enough to make it unenjoyable on a hot summer day.
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3.29/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Poured from the bottle into a pilsner style glass.
A light yellow with lots of green tinge color to the body, slight rising carbonation and a bit hazy. Big bleach white and very uniform head on the pour, easily four fingers, with lots of soapy retention. Weird looking color but otherwise not bad.
Nose is a bit hoppy. Hints of grass and green herbs. Slight doughy malts a little bit, with no sense of sweetness. Otherwise fine and alright.
Taste seems to be a bit helter skelter. Light bodied but with little mid palate flavor. Taste is all in the finish with a large hinting hop angle, that comes off very mineral and medicinal. A very unpleasant and unbalanced lingering medicinal bitterness will just not go away when having this. Warmth brings a real metallic twinge to this like eating aluminum foil.
Overall, it's not bad but the finish is a real mess and comes off real unbalanced.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Poured from the bottle into a pilsner style glass.
A light yellow with lots of green tinge color to the body, slight rising carbonation and a bit hazy. Big bleach white and very uniform head on the pour, easily four fingers, with lots of soapy retention. Weird looking color but otherwise not bad.
Nose is a bit hoppy. Hints of grass and green herbs. Slight doughy malts a little bit, with no sense of sweetness. Otherwise fine and alright.
Taste seems to be a bit helter skelter. Light bodied but with little mid palate flavor. Taste is all in the finish with a large hinting hop angle, that comes off very mineral and medicinal. A very unpleasant and unbalanced lingering medicinal bitterness will just not go away when having this. Warmth brings a real metallic twinge to this like eating aluminum foil.
Overall, it's not bad but the finish is a real mess and comes off real unbalanced.
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3.55/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Congregation Ale House in Pasadena, CA.
Pours a hazy light gold with a foamy orange-white head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Small patches of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, grass, and fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with grain, grass, and fruity flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty but has a slightly better smell in my opinion.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Congregation Ale House in Pasadena, CA.
Pours a hazy light gold with a foamy orange-white head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Small patches of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, grass, and fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with grain, grass, and fruity flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty but has a slightly better smell in my opinion.
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3.95/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Nice, somewhat different-tasting pils. Rather light in color, with nice head. Slightly weakfish aromas, but a little more body in feel. Taste is a bit different, maybe not as crisp as some pilsners but still satisfying. Almost a dry taste. Enjoyable.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Nice, somewhat different-tasting pils. Rather light in color, with nice head. Slightly weakfish aromas, but a little more body in feel. Taste is a bit different, maybe not as crisp as some pilsners but still satisfying. Almost a dry taste. Enjoyable.
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2.67/5 rDev -30.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured a pale straw color with a nice white head. The head started strong but quickly dissipated with time.
A decent aroma of malt and some grassy/earthy notes greets the nose. The flavor isn't very far from the aroma in that it offers more of that earthiness. A moderate amount of carbonation is visible. This beer does offer some nice hoppy bitterness, but doesn't ultimately live up to the expectation. This is something you can go ahead and pass on.
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look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Poured a pale straw color with a nice white head. The head started strong but quickly dissipated with time.
A decent aroma of malt and some grassy/earthy notes greets the nose. The flavor isn't very far from the aroma in that it offers more of that earthiness. A moderate amount of carbonation is visible. This beer does offer some nice hoppy bitterness, but doesn't ultimately live up to the expectation. This is something you can go ahead and pass on.
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2.86/5 rDev -25.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: Poured from a bottle to a pilsner glass. Had a pale yellow color and a clear consistency. There was an inch and half of creamy, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.
S: Not a great aroma, with traces of hops, malt, and a definite skunky quality.
T: Like the smell, the taste had a pronounced skunkiness to it. Very unpleasant. In addition to this, the hops level was out of balance and kind of harsh. Had some malt and citrus in it, but this didn't help. Not a great flavor.
M: A good amount of carbonation with a harsh finish. Light-bodied.
O: For sure, this is a misfire of a beer. Could have been better.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: Poured from a bottle to a pilsner glass. Had a pale yellow color and a clear consistency. There was an inch and half of creamy, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.
S: Not a great aroma, with traces of hops, malt, and a definite skunky quality.
T: Like the smell, the taste had a pronounced skunkiness to it. Very unpleasant. In addition to this, the hops level was out of balance and kind of harsh. Had some malt and citrus in it, but this didn't help. Not a great flavor.
M: A good amount of carbonation with a harsh finish. Light-bodied.
O: For sure, this is a misfire of a beer. Could have been better.
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4.5/5 rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a big, brilliant gold, topped with a craggy, bulbous, living head. The head fades down to a thin film, but leaves a lovely lacing. Sic transit gloria.
Aroma is lovely -- fresh, grassy hops, clean, four-on-the-floor lager yeast. A powerful, evocative nose.
Taste builds even further -- first, even-handed, silky blonde malt kisses the tongue with sweetness; then a lashing whipcrack of chlorophyll-laden hop freshness. The finish is dry, bitter, and begs for another sip. Muscular without being over the top, full without trying too hard, the flavors here, from start to finish, are just tremendous.
Mouthfeel is a little prickly, but not outside the style. Good scrubbing bubbles that, if met with food, would surely take any pork fat to task and refresh the palate as needed.
Overall this is a nearly perfect beer, and certainly the finest German Pils I've ever had. Having tried many of the style both here, and then fresh on the European side of the pond, I can only imagine how truly remarkable this must be on tap. A new favorite. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
1,078 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a big, brilliant gold, topped with a craggy, bulbous, living head. The head fades down to a thin film, but leaves a lovely lacing. Sic transit gloria.
Aroma is lovely -- fresh, grassy hops, clean, four-on-the-floor lager yeast. A powerful, evocative nose.
Taste builds even further -- first, even-handed, silky blonde malt kisses the tongue with sweetness; then a lashing whipcrack of chlorophyll-laden hop freshness. The finish is dry, bitter, and begs for another sip. Muscular without being over the top, full without trying too hard, the flavors here, from start to finish, are just tremendous.
Mouthfeel is a little prickly, but not outside the style. Good scrubbing bubbles that, if met with food, would surely take any pork fat to task and refresh the palate as needed.
Overall this is a nearly perfect beer, and certainly the finest German Pils I've ever had. Having tried many of the style both here, and then fresh on the European side of the pond, I can only imagine how truly remarkable this must be on tap. A new favorite. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
1,078 characters
3.91/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very surprised to see this Pilsner (and its Dunkel sister) on tap in the Greenwich Union: the Meantime Brewery tap house. Reason being, I’d never heard of the brewery before.
Had a half pint just to review it on here.
This is one of the better Pilsner beers I’ve had and was certainly an improvement on the London Lager and Helles that Meantime had up against it on tap in their bar.
This oozed classic Pilsner: the colour, smell, body and overall feel of it just seemed right. Served well and at a good chilled temp it slipped down far too well.
I’ll not go into great detail (I only had a half don’t forget and I was on a mission to try a few brews that day), but this is well worth finding and trying if you get the chance.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very surprised to see this Pilsner (and its Dunkel sister) on tap in the Greenwich Union: the Meantime Brewery tap house. Reason being, I’d never heard of the brewery before.
Had a half pint just to review it on here.
This is one of the better Pilsner beers I’ve had and was certainly an improvement on the London Lager and Helles that Meantime had up against it on tap in their bar.
This oozed classic Pilsner: the colour, smell, body and overall feel of it just seemed right. Served well and at a good chilled temp it slipped down far too well.
I’ll not go into great detail (I only had a half don’t forget and I was on a mission to try a few brews that day), but this is well worth finding and trying if you get the chance.
739 characters
4.13/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Pours with two and a half fingers of white foam on top of a perfectly clear, golden body. The head settles slowly and leaves excellent, sticky lace on the glass.
S - Light, bready malt with pungent, herbal hops and a bit of floral character.
T - Soft malt with some vanilla and honey notes in the front. Herbal hops come out in the middle and intensify towards the finish as they become more floral. Some grassy notes linger on the palate with moderate bitterness.
M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.
D - A classic pilsner, lots of rich malt and more than enough hop character to balance things out. Very nice.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Pours with two and a half fingers of white foam on top of a perfectly clear, golden body. The head settles slowly and leaves excellent, sticky lace on the glass.
S - Light, bready malt with pungent, herbal hops and a bit of floral character.
T - Soft malt with some vanilla and honey notes in the front. Herbal hops come out in the middle and intensify towards the finish as they become more floral. Some grassy notes linger on the palate with moderate bitterness.
M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.
D - A classic pilsner, lots of rich malt and more than enough hop character to balance things out. Very nice.
645 characters
3.56/5 rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle dated 10.01.12 which I'm assuming is an expiration/best by date of January 10, 2012.
A: The beer pours a very pale yellow color with a rocky white head that is retained very well.
S: Definite skunk on the nose which worries me. Plenty of lager yeast and pale, cracker malts. Some lemon zest and floral hops, and a light fruitiness--maybe apples.
T: Pale malts with a soft bread flavor. Lemon zest, lightly bitter, earthy, and floral hops. Some cracker malts and a light sweetness. A light but pleasant beer.
M: Light in body and moderate to high in carbonation.
O: Would have been nice if it didn't have the skunkiness. Otherwise, not bad.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle dated 10.01.12 which I'm assuming is an expiration/best by date of January 10, 2012.
A: The beer pours a very pale yellow color with a rocky white head that is retained very well.
S: Definite skunk on the nose which worries me. Plenty of lager yeast and pale, cracker malts. Some lemon zest and floral hops, and a light fruitiness--maybe apples.
T: Pale malts with a soft bread flavor. Lemon zest, lightly bitter, earthy, and floral hops. Some cracker malts and a light sweetness. A light but pleasant beer.
M: Light in body and moderate to high in carbonation.
O: Would have been nice if it didn't have the skunkiness. Otherwise, not bad.
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4.61/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from bottle into Hefe vase. Freshness date 20/8/11.
A: Straw color with pretty bubbles. Generous head dissipates to leave suggestive lacing.
S: Floral noble hop notes, perhaps Saaz, with refreshing slight citrus character
T: Perfect balance of hops and malt leaves slight fresh bitterness on the tounge. Grass and floral notes play center role.
M: A bit creamy, carbonation level just enough to keep it interesting.
This is an outstanding Pils. Make sure you get a fresh one and enjoy.
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look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from bottle into Hefe vase. Freshness date 20/8/11.
A: Straw color with pretty bubbles. Generous head dissipates to leave suggestive lacing.
S: Floral noble hop notes, perhaps Saaz, with refreshing slight citrus character
T: Perfect balance of hops and malt leaves slight fresh bitterness on the tounge. Grass and floral notes play center role.
M: A bit creamy, carbonation level just enough to keep it interesting.
This is an outstanding Pils. Make sure you get a fresh one and enjoy.
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4.36/5 rDev +13%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A- Textbook example of what a German Pilsner is supposed to look like. Clear straw yellow body, carbonation bubbles running to the top. Fluffy thick head about an inch, looks like a pillow.
S- Light hops, floral qualities are present, basic malt bill backing it up.
T- Hops really take a bite out of your palette. The execution of the balance of this brew is done to perfection.
M- Crisp, cabonated, and fresh.
D- Nothing to get weary about, I can have pint after pint.
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look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A- Textbook example of what a German Pilsner is supposed to look like. Clear straw yellow body, carbonation bubbles running to the top. Fluffy thick head about an inch, looks like a pillow.
S- Light hops, floral qualities are present, basic malt bill backing it up.
T- Hops really take a bite out of your palette. The execution of the balance of this brew is done to perfection.
M- Crisp, cabonated, and fresh.
D- Nothing to get weary about, I can have pint after pint.
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3.7/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: The beer is crystal clear straw yellow in color and poured with a two finger high bright fluffy white head that slowly died down leaving a thin layer of bubbles consistently covering the surface. A moderate amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There are moderate aromas of grainy malts in the nose along with some notes of grassy hops.
T: The overall taste is quite malty and is accompanied by a relatively strong amount of bitterness from the hops in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and very crisp on the palate with a medium amount of carbonation. The finish is very dry and leaves you longing for another sip.
D: If you like bitterness, this beer is very easy to consume.
693 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: The beer is crystal clear straw yellow in color and poured with a two finger high bright fluffy white head that slowly died down leaving a thin layer of bubbles consistently covering the surface. A moderate amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There are moderate aromas of grainy malts in the nose along with some notes of grassy hops.
T: The overall taste is quite malty and is accompanied by a relatively strong amount of bitterness from the hops in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and very crisp on the palate with a medium amount of carbonation. The finish is very dry and leaves you longing for another sip.
D: If you like bitterness, this beer is very easy to consume.
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4.4/5 rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Schönramer Pils acts according to the textbook - which isn't surprising considering the Germans had a big hand in writing, and also perfecting, the damn thing. The big difference between this brewery and most others: they don't just mindlessly, boringly read it line for line from notes - they bring the thing to life like a Broadway theater production...
First, bright spotlight is flooded on the appearance, which, it must be said, is quite embracing of it. Its flaring yellow body is most eye-catching; unashamed by its naturally occurring haze it gleams notwithstanding with a lambent, almost neon-lime glow. Its bubbles whiz by and its head, even as the liquid drains beneath it, remains allegiant and resolute.
Secondly, the aroma which - despite the prevalence of bready, grainy and lightly sweet cereal grain - belts out a fetching chorus line of green, flowery hoppiness. The clean, wholesome, undecorated scent of Pils malt, and a yeast neutral of any esters or by-products, allows for teeming citrus and brimming floral notes to co-inhabit.
Most importantly, its taste bends, holds and hits all the right notes. Its maltiness is well attenuated and impresses clean, toothsome notes of cereal grain and bread, while its noble (highly perceptible) hop bitterness is accentuated by good dose of sulfates in the water. It is crisp and dry as well as lightly tangy and acidic. An unrivaled quencher.
It wouldn't be unfair to say of German brewers that they're unimaginative and predictable - the kind of people to wear the same Halloween costume year after year. But some costumes are quite good, and timeless, so why change them? Don't confuse this beer's simplicity and conventionality as making it somehow uninspired, dull or mediocre...
Those words might describe a great many beers released in this style, but not this pilsner nor any other true, high-quality rendition. If any of the above scores were increased I would have no problem with it. This was one of the finest pilsners, from Germany or anywhere, that I've tried to date and knowing both what I like and what is expected of the style, I can't imagine much of anything could be done to make it any better.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Schönramer Pils acts according to the textbook - which isn't surprising considering the Germans had a big hand in writing, and also perfecting, the damn thing. The big difference between this brewery and most others: they don't just mindlessly, boringly read it line for line from notes - they bring the thing to life like a Broadway theater production...
First, bright spotlight is flooded on the appearance, which, it must be said, is quite embracing of it. Its flaring yellow body is most eye-catching; unashamed by its naturally occurring haze it gleams notwithstanding with a lambent, almost neon-lime glow. Its bubbles whiz by and its head, even as the liquid drains beneath it, remains allegiant and resolute.
Secondly, the aroma which - despite the prevalence of bready, grainy and lightly sweet cereal grain - belts out a fetching chorus line of green, flowery hoppiness. The clean, wholesome, undecorated scent of Pils malt, and a yeast neutral of any esters or by-products, allows for teeming citrus and brimming floral notes to co-inhabit.
Most importantly, its taste bends, holds and hits all the right notes. Its maltiness is well attenuated and impresses clean, toothsome notes of cereal grain and bread, while its noble (highly perceptible) hop bitterness is accentuated by good dose of sulfates in the water. It is crisp and dry as well as lightly tangy and acidic. An unrivaled quencher.
It wouldn't be unfair to say of German brewers that they're unimaginative and predictable - the kind of people to wear the same Halloween costume year after year. But some costumes are quite good, and timeless, so why change them? Don't confuse this beer's simplicity and conventionality as making it somehow uninspired, dull or mediocre...
Those words might describe a great many beers released in this style, but not this pilsner nor any other true, high-quality rendition. If any of the above scores were increased I would have no problem with it. This was one of the finest pilsners, from Germany or anywhere, that I've tried to date and knowing both what I like and what is expected of the style, I can't imagine much of anything could be done to make it any better.
2,186 characters
3.3/5 rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Radek's bottle shared. No aroma. Pale yellow body, very little head. Dry, some pils taste, mineral, faint hops.Passable beer, unoffensive.Drinkable on a warm day or if the only beer about.Clean, slight fizzy carbonation.A tad lemony. Fair, but nothing special for style.
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look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Radek's bottle shared. No aroma. Pale yellow body, very little head. Dry, some pils taste, mineral, faint hops.Passable beer, unoffensive.Drinkable on a warm day or if the only beer about.Clean, slight fizzy carbonation.A tad lemony. Fair, but nothing special for style.
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Schonramer Pils from Private Landbrauerei Schönram
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
103 ratings
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