Allgäuer Büble Bier

Allgäuer Brauhaus, another part of the behemoth Oetker Group (under the Radeberger stable) has a much larger range than I previously thought. I got to try a tiny part of their range recently, beginning with their Allgäuer Büble Bier, the Edelbräu version. I'm guessing that Büble is Allgäur dialect for a little boy, similar to the local dialect in my village calling a boy a Bub, or a girl a Merle, and the picture on the label would reinforce this. No problem with little boys carrying foaming tankards here!

A sparkling, clear gold with a frothy white head, Büble Bier struck me as having classically German hop aroma, all grass, hay and pine cones in spades. All good so far. The first sip is remarkable fruity, in a raspberry, gooseberry way, but it's just a flash, replaced swiftly by a sugary sweetness which then moves directly on to a lingering bitterness that smacks just a little too much of burnt plastic for my taste. Simple and unpleasant. Looks nice, though, doesn't it?