Gran Alpin Amber

https://www.appenzellerbier.ch/de/beer/gran-alpin-amber.html

Brewed by Brauerei Locher Appenzeller bier
Style: Amber Lager
Appenzell, Switzerland

Brauerei Locher AG is a Swiss based family business located in the town of Appenzell, near the Alpstein Alps. The brewery is in the hands of the Locher household, since 1886, and presently  running into the fifth generation of family ownership.

Their Appenzell Beer (Quöllfrisch hell), which I found very smooth and enjoyable, is known throughout the country as one of Switzerland’s finest beers, due to the traditional methods of production and use of the local fresh spring waters that produce a lovely clean natural beer. Also the fact that the small independent brewery is standing after all these years, and still producing top quality beers is a testament to how popular the independent brewery is. Something that hasn’t changed since 1886 when Johann Christoph Locher bought the brewery over a hundred years ago.

Appenzell beers are available throughout Switzerland with the Quöllfrisch and Vollmond brands being particularly popular. Apart from the wide variety of specialty beers they also make whiskey, a beverage one doesn’t perhaps associate with Switzerland.

Review: 33cl dark brown bottle of Gran Alpin Amber: 5.0% vol 

Bought this beer from the local Coop supermarket here in Basel, bought it in a six pack in a nice black packaged box. The bottle itself had a smart logo with the majestic looking Swiss Alps  looking all nice and shiny.  

Apparently this is an eco and bio friendly beer with the malted barley produced by organic farmers in Grisons, the Eastern part of Switzerland, and also using natural spring water from the Alpstein, part of the Appenzell Alps.

It also is produced using a two fold fermentation process. The Gran Alpin Amber beer is first fermented with bottom-fermented yeast, then fermented with a top-fermenting yeast, a process that takes about six weeks to complete. 

On pour got a small white head that fizzled out pretty quick, with a dark amber coloured beer. 

Head died a death, a very flat looking beer, not appealing on the eye at all!

No carbonation and also not a lot in the bottle, I wonder where it all went to!

Got a nice enough smell on the nose, very malty, caramel, grainy, some barley, and refreshing enough albeit a little faint too.

The taste is nice but not a whole lot in it. It is smooth and tastes likes a good old fashioned lager, but there are little flavours or tastes to get into in this beer which is all a little disappointing. 

Taste is malty and barley flavoured, and sweet, all in the front end. Smooth enough, but with a bit of a slightly bitter off aftertaste at the end.
Front end is ok, can’t taste much though or feel any of the alcohol.  Very light and tasteless.

Not great, very dull and boring, which is a shame. 

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Ur Bräu

https://www.urbraeu.ch/

Brewed by Ramseier Urbräu
Style: Landbier
Lucerne, Switzerland

The lovely lake of Lucerne, many a time I have gone on a cruise on this beautiful wonder. And on the odd occasion I have drank some Ur Bräu that does be served on the passenger boats and cruise ships. 

Lucerne is in central Switzerland, and its star attraction is its massive lake, a total area of 114 km² (44 sq miles). It is very scenic with many bends and turns and one can always see the Alps far off in the distance, most of the time with snow covered peaks. Taking a cruise is the way to go, and at peak tourist time they are regular enough, and stop at various points along the lake. Or, if you prefer, you can do some laps of the lake without getting on a passenger boat at all as there are scenic walks all around the lake.

Ramseier Urbräu is an unfiltered beer made exclusively for Tavolago, the food-supplier of SGV, the ship-company of lake Lucerne (Schiffahrtsgesellschaft Vierwaldstättersee). 

Review: 33cl brown bottle of Ur Bräu: 5% vol.

On the bottle you get a nice big UR logo, interesting and striking, it stands out. 

On pour I get a decent frothy white head that looks good and a palish golden looking beer.

Some lacing. head sticks around.

Not a bad looker.

The smell is faint, yeasty and malty, but not strong on the nose.

The initial taste was fantastic, very crispy soothing start, very good.

Lovely deep mouthfuls, the beer bubbling away on the tongue. Malts and fruits doing the business from the beginning. 

But after it settles, not so nice. Beer is a bit sour, bit bitter, too much corn and a bit metallic.

Best part is its initial mouthful. Probably a little too bitter therein afterwards. Not great actually in the final stretch.
Bitter taste in the aftertaste. Ruins the beer. Not great overall, disappointing. 

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