Sunday 6 June 2010

Yarr! Störtebecker Pilsner!

Klaus Störtebecker sounds like he was a bit of a colourful character, as most pirates are, but given that his nickname "Störtebeker" meant "empty the mug in one gulp" in Old German (apparently he could empty a four-litre mug of beer in one gulp), I was wondering what he'd make of the beers bearing his name.

Störtebecker Pilsner, an almost green-tinged yellow pils that falls bang on the regulation standard of 4.9%, has been rated "Sehr Gut" in ÖKO-TEST magazine in 2008 and 2009, presumably because they use organic hops. Past experience with this magazine tells me that this ranking amounts to a hill of beans though.

With an aroma that suggests pine trees that have been dusted with a light powder coating of sulphur, the the first sip is surprisingly sweet, delivering a fruity, yeasty taste up front. This leads a sweet, bready charge, followed by a soft floral-infused bitterness. The finish is dry, while retaining those sweet elements, and has a lingering pine note. It's not a bad beer, but I got bored with it. I got the impression that it being "breadier" than most pilsners around these parts rounded it out a bit, but perhaps too much. Not quite Sehr Gut, in my humble opinion.

A combination of work, travel, fantastic weather, BBQs and beer consumption has left me little time, or desire for posting recently. I'm sure I'll be forgiven :)

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