König Pilsener

My set of new beer glasses arrived just a few days ago, they look excellent and what's better is that having the proper glass is actually bringing out the full character of the beer. I always wondered what all the fuss was about selecting the proper glass, apparently there's something to it! At any rate, today I'm tasting the König Pilsener.

König Pilsener is the centerpiece of the König Brewery product line. König is located in the Beeck area of Duisburg, Germany. Apparently the brewery has been around since 1858 when it was founded by Theodor König. The Pilsener-style brew was unique at the time, but pilseners became fairly widespread towards the end of the 19th century. As a matter of fact the first records of the König Pilsener brand was in 1911. During the early 21st century, the brewery changed hands a few times and finally ended up owned by Bitburger Holdings.

So, let's get a Pilsener glass... and check this thing out...

Color: The beer has a pale, golden color, characteristically crystal clear. It looks crisp, no clouding at all, no particulate.

Pour: It poured nicely, not very aggressive which meant no sneak-attack from the head, which was a thin, fizzy head that dissipated quickly to a film. Bubbles continue to appear well after the pour, almost champagne-like. (Note: The thin, bubbly head will slowly reconstitute as the beer reaches the bottle-neck of the pils glass. Swirling will cause showers of bubbles to fall into the beer and then rise back into the head)

Nose: Very subtle nose with just the hint of hops and pine.

Taste: The brew starts with a sharp bite of bitter hops which swiftly blooms into a combination of more complex flavors, which came as a pleasant surprise. The first of the flavors is an earthy one, presumably the character of the malt coming through, this lends to balance the beer. A slow sip also presents subtle hints of honey and pine. It finishes gracefully with a lingering bitterness from the initial hops flavors. There's something over-all floral about this beer, but I can't place it.

Feel: Very crisp, soft carbonation but not soda-like. A slight sharpness on the tongue but very drinkable.

Over-All: This was a pleasant surprise for me. The Pilsener has always been an interesting beer to me, it's pale color and crisp feel are certainly characteristic of it's lager brothers, but it is punctuated with a strong "hoppiness" that isn't present in most pale lagers, and lends a little more 'umph' to the drinking experience. This is a good all-around beer for the beer taster. Very refreshing, good collection of flavours, and just enough hops to really stand out. Is it my all-time favorite pils? Probably Not. Is it a darn good traditional pils? absolutely. If you're bored of your "smooth drinking" go-to beer and need a wake-up call for your taste-buds that won't fill you up in the process, I'd say this is a good way to go.

What Am I drinking this week?