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Hacker-Pschorr

Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Hell

Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Hell

https://www.hacker-pschorr.com/

Brewed by Hacker-Pschorr Bräu GmbH (Paulaner)
Style: Munich Helles Lager 
Munich, Germany

Hacker-Pschorr is a brewery in Munich, formed in 1972 out of the merger of two breweries, Hacker and Pschorr.

Hacker-PschorrHacker was founded way, way back in 1417, and the Pschorr bit comes from when Joseph Pschorr, in the late 18th century, bought the Hacker brewery from his father-in-law, Peter-Paul Hacker. He subsequently founded a separate brewery called Pschorr, who would have guessed, eh? His two sons, Georg Pschorr and Matthias Pschorr Sr., divided his estate by each taking control of one of the two separate breweries. 

As mentioned, it wasnt until 1972 that the breweries Hacker and Pschorr merged to form Hacker-Pschorr Bräu AG, and in 1993, the brewing plants were merged with those of the Paulaner brewery. Since 1998, the beer is only produced in the plants of the Paulaner brewery. Now that’s what you call a complete takeover! 

Hacker-PschorrIn Munich in 1810, the Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria, decided he wanted the whole of Bavaria to join him in celebrating his wedding. He commissioned a collection of the top Munich brewers, including Josef Pschorr, then the brewmaster of the Hacker-Pschorr brewery, to develop special brews to commemorate this special occasion. Overtime this occasion has evolved into the world city of Munich’s Oktoberfest, which is attended by over six million people each year. By Munich law, only the six breweries within the city limits of Munich are invited to serve their beer at Oktoberfest. Hacker-Pschorr is one of the six and today’s event is held on land donated by Josef Pschorr, further highlighting the special relationship this brewery has with the city. 

Hacker-Pschorr produce up to 16 different beers, some of them are only seasonally available. Hacker-Pschorr Weisse is the most popular of the company’s beers.

Review: 0,33L Flip top Bottle of Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Hell: ABV: 5% vol 

The appearance is one of an amazingly clear beer, Jesus, I have to say it really was an impressive sight! A light crystal clear colour of golden yellow. Got a frothy white head that settled perfectly. 

Looks pretty inciting overall and nice to look at, even if the head dies a little death.

For the aroma I got a fairly faint and light beery yeasty smell, very faint and with some malts on the nose.

Hacker-PschorrOn taste, got some really lovely mouthfuls, a very good start, very refreshing. Beery and lagery but in a nice way, sweet with some fruits and not too off putting.

Very smooth, very drinkable. Very malty.

A little bite to it too, but not strong, small bit of a taste from the hops.

A light lager in flavour and taste. A bit creamy, light tough and easy to drink.

Not awash with flavours. But refreshing and nice to relax with.
Not bad, could have a bit more of a kick to it (lost it in the second bottle)
A bit plain. But good for a session. Not a bad beer. The initial taste, with its great big mouthful, is the highlight for me.

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Kozel Premium

Kozel Premium

Kozel Premium 

www.kozel.cz

Brewed by Pivovar Velké Popovice (Asahi)
Style: Czech Pilsener
Velké Popovice, Czech Republic

Kozel is a Czech beer from Pivovar Velké Popovice. Produced since 1874 when Franz Ringhoffer took over a brewery in Velke Popovice just southeast of the beautiful city of Prague.  The brewery had a long history, since the 14th century, and was also once owned by some Benedictine monks, but it wasn’t until Franz acquired the property that things really got going. He built a completely new brewery with the, as of then, most uptodate brewing equipment he could find. 

Kozel PremiumThe year 1874 was also the year that Kozel was produced. Kozel, which means “goat” in Czech, is well presented in the stunning and very unique logo, which is of a big brown goat enjoying a pint of Kozel, almost with a cunning smile on his face!  Apparently the eye catching logo was created by a wandering French painter who was so enamored by the hospitality that he received in Velke Popovice that he designed the special emblem as an expression of his gratitude.

As for a lot of European breweries, both World wars caused a halt to the Kozel beers rise and slowed down production. During the first World War, raw materials were scarce, as were workers. And in the second world war, Hitler’s Germany took control of the Sudetenland, Velké Popovice and the surrounding region, eventually making Kozel into a state-controlled company.

After 1945 the Velke Popovice plant was nationalized, like everything else in the Soviet sphere of influence, and it wasn’t until 1991 with the fall of Communism in the East of Europe that the brewery became independent again. After its privatization, it became part of multi-national beer giants, SABMiller in 2002 and eventually sold to Japanese beer kings, Asahi Breweries in 2016. That’s capitalism for ya! 

Kozel PremiumThe beer is popular, especially in Eastern Europe, in Russia, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine. Recently it has entered new markets in Scandinavia, the UK, North America, Israel, Greece and Turkey. All this production and export has made Kozel become the best-selling Czech beer brand in the world.

And not only that but it also has won numerous awards, first place in the beer World Cup in the USA in 2003 for its Velkopopovický Kozel Premium, and in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999 it won the gold medal in the World Beer Championship in Chicago in the Pilsner category.  

Other beverages made by Plzeňský Prazdroj include the popular Kingswood ciders and the sparkling Frisco. Beers include its Velkopop Goat light, Velkopop “Goat black”, and the Velkopop. goat 11 ° Medium.

Review: 500ml Bottle of Kozel Premium: ABV: 4.8% vol 

The award winning beer, coming in a lovely brown bottle with that oh so cool logo of the drinking goat, excellent. 

On pour got a clear golden yellow colour with a white fluffy head.

Some small carbonation going on, buzzing along nicely.  Head dies.

Kozel PremiumHad a very light beery smell, yeasty with lots of malts, but overall it was quite a faint smell. 

Got a nice warm and sweet feeling on the initial taste, a nice big mouthful. Malty, very malty.

Tastes not really hitting me but man it is so drinkable, could nearly down it in one go. This beer is very smooth, so easy to drink. I like it!

Pure malt, with little sign of the hops, low bitterness.

Not the best tasting beer, very mild with the tastes, but oh my god it is so smooth and crisp. Good solid beer, you can’t go wrong.

Had a good few of these beers in the session and the next day I felt fine which was a bonus. Just goes to show that its a good clean beer. Nice.

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Ueli Bier Reverenz

Ueli Bier Reverenz, a real David versus Goliath success.

Ueli Bier Reverenz

http://uelibier.ch/biere/

Brewed by Brauerei Fishcerstube
Style: Naturtrüb/Helles 
Basel, Switzerland

The brewery Fischerstube AG is a Swiss brewery with its headquarters in Basel, a city on the Rhine River in northwest Switzerland, close to the country’s borders with France and Germany. It produces beer under the brand name “Ueli beer”.

Ueli Bier ReverenzThe brewery Fischerstube was opened in 1974 as an act of defiance, a protest against the cartel of the large local breweries and their protectionism racket. Hans Jakob Nidecker was not allowed to sell a particular beer he wanted, a local Warteck beer brewed almost around the corner. Instead he was told to sell Anker beer, a beer outside the city. Sick of this he decided to brew his own beer and founded the brewery Fischerstube. He had a small brewery set up by a German brewer at the back of the Fischerstube, so customers in his bar could directly peek into the brewery up the back and on November the 13’th, 1974, the first Ueli beer was tapped. Great, if you cant beat them join them in brewing your own beer, love it!. It was a brave thing to do as at that time many small breweries were closing and larger breweries were gobbling up the market. People were saying that Han’s pet project was never going to take off. But the beer was well received and the business paid off, and what started off as a small protest has today become a mini success story, a real David versus Goliath victory.

In 1992, the brewery took over the neighboring house on Rheingasse 43 with the restaurant Linde, which has since been run as the second brewery restaurant. At the same time, the production facility was expanded and between the two locations, a 127 meter long underground beer pipeline was laid.

Ueli Bier ReverenzToday, the brewery sells a wide variety of beers and also does a good trade in seasonal and iconic brews. They have taken on some interesting brews with an eye on what is happening in the local area. When the Basel Antiquity Museum had a Tutankhamun exhibition in 2004, this inspired the brewery to bring out The Tut-Anch-Ueli, brewed according to an ancient Egyptian recipe of barley malt, emmer, hops and dates and found ripping heel. They did likewise when Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso had exhibitions in the local art gallery. For Van Gogh they actually had a sunflower flavoured beer in their Van Ueli beer, while for Ueli Beer Pablo they brewed a powerful beer with Absinthe, as “Powerful as a work by Picasso”.  And for the annual Basel carnival, they have their own specially themed Bock beer, and they also produce a Christmas beer in the run upto to the end of year festivities. In total, more than 50 such specialty beers have been brewed, each available for a specific occasion or seasonally, there really is no occasion without a Ueli beer at hand!

Review: 50 cl. Can of Ueli Bier Reverenz: ABV: 5% vol

Ueli Bier ReverenzOn pour nice get a frothy head, with a lovely looking light yellow coloured beer, looks good.

Very light and clear yellow, and a very good frothy white head, looks good.

Some good lacing.

The aroma is quite piercing, but nice, get a very berry smell. Citrus, malts and the yeast. Not bad. 

On taste, get nice big mouthfuls, a light beer but nice and tasty.
Very nice and very smooth and very easy to drink, and you get a lot in the can.
Malty, has a nice taste of grain and wheat, biscuit or bready flavours, very nice taste.
All in the front taste, no bitterness or hoppy taste, very refreshing.
Like it, recommended, found it very nice and definitely one to saviour especially the long full bodied taste.

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Eidgenoss

Eidgenoss

Eidgenoss

https://shop.falken.ch/

Brewed by Brauerei Falken AG
Style: Amber Lager
Schaffhausen , Switzerland

EidgenossFalken is an independent brewery in Schaffhausen, a Swiss town on the upper Rhine River, near the border with Germany. It has been in existence since 1799 and is Switzerland’s fifth biggest brewery, selling drinks of all kinds mostly in the areas of Schaffhausen, Thurgau and Zurich.

Bernhard Fischer, in 1799, opens his tavern the “Zum Zedernbaum”. The beer brewed there was tapped off in the inn “Falken”, which lay next door in the Schaffhausen old town. From this inn the name of the brewery dates back.

After surviving many trials and tribulations, two world wars on its doorstep and aggressive buyouts of smaller breweries by large agglomerates, the brewery still remains fiercely independent today. 

Review: 50 cl. Can of Eidgenoss: ABV: 5% vol 

Really dull looking can has a picture of Swiss cross/flag on the can, but it doesn’t really stand out amongst all the other beers on offer.

On pour, dark orange coloured beer with a reddish hue and a nice big frothy white head, all looks good.

EidgenossHead maintains and there is also some nice lacing.

The smell was lagery, got the barely and the yeast, the malts, and fruits all on the nose. Very nice and piercing, a nice smell.

On taste get a nice smooth pleasant drink, that is very tasty, not bitter and very easy to quench.  
Nice enough mouthfuls, not bad, I like it, it is very good, very easy to drink. Malty and light bodied. 

A long lasting pleasant taste that is left in the mouth for one to savour. 
Creamy mouthfuls. Very smooth. Not a large array of flavours, and it is very light but it is all nice and easy to drink, very easy to drink.

Lovely. Quiet strong actually, definitely felt the alcohol after.

Like it a lot, very refreshing, recommended.

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The Foxes Rock

The Foxes Rock

The Foxes Rock 

http://dev.stationworksbrewery.com/products/?s=the-foxes-rock

Brewed by Station Works Brewery (Cumberland Breweries Ltd)
Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland

Pearse Lyons, from Dundalk, is from a family steeped in the brewing tradition and he was the first Irishman to achieve a Masters Degree of Science in Brewing Science from the British School of Malting and Brewing in 1968. While at university, he did an internship at Guinness and later worked as a biochemist for Irish Distillers, makers of the well known and loved Jameson whiskey. So you could say he is well versed in the craft.

The Foxes RockHe set up the company Alltech in his garage in 1980 while living in Kentucky for work purposes. Lyons used his fermentation expertise to helping brewers. He then moved into agri business, more particularly, animal feed and animal nutrition. Overtime Alltech has become one of the fastest growing companies in the global animal health industry, continually making a tidy profit year in year out, and with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion. Not bad for the fella who got a 10,000 Dollar loan to start off in his garage!

But not to forget the roots of the industry, Lyons jumped at the chance to purchase Lexington Brewing Company in 1999, and over time he managed to resurrect the brewing and distilling tradition of Lexington that dates back to 1794, and produce a successful range of Kentucky Ale beer that have proved popular amongst the drinking masses.

Growing his international alcohol division, Alltech acquired a craft brewery in Northern Ireland (The Station Works Brewery) and also one in England (Cumberland Breweries Ltd), representing a return to his roots as such, and a major expansion into Europe of his successful American brewing division.

With three new breweries under construction in the United States, and a major investment in a new distillery in the heart of the Dublin at the former St James Church, where his grandfather is buried, Lyons is set to continue the family history.

Review: 500ml Bottle of The Foxes Rock Pale Ale: ABV: 4.5% vol. Style: Irish Craft Pale Ale

The Foxes RockHand crafted Irish ales, as it says on the bottle. Note to the clowns in Beeradvocate/ratemy beer…..that means it is an Irish beer and not a British beer!

Got a lovely dark golden colour with a nice frothy white head on the appearance. Some small carbonation too.

Head did die a little and there was only some small retention.

Goes a bit murky and cloudy as the hops settle.

The beer had a nice malty smell, very nice aroma, with some citrus notes as well, piercing on the nose.

The Foxes RockOn taste, a lot of hops, very hoppy as you would expect for a standard craft beer pale ale.

It is ok, with nothing amazing, just a pretty standard fare beer, and if IPA is your thing then probably this would be fine for you.

Strong, can feel the alcohol.

A hoppy, slightly malty, yeasty drink and is tasty enough, but standard and nothing special. 

Ok as a slow burner, but overall it is too bitter for me and forgettable.

Review: 500ml Bottle of The Foxes Rock Red Ale: 4.5% vol. Style: Irish Red Ale

The Foxes RockOn appearance we get a very darkish red colour as you would expect, with a small frothy white head, looks ok.

Some small carbonation going on, and some good lacing. Looks decent enough, even if it goes a bit cloudy in the end.

The aroma is lovely, Smell is tinty and piercing, and smelling the fruits and sweet malts,

It has a nice light lager smell.

Tastes like a full bodied ale, as it should be really. 

The Foxes RockAnother slow burner, very hoppy.

For a red ale this could and should be better. Also a good bit hoppy, like the Pale Ale and not a whole lot different in the taste if truth be told.  

On second bottle, the tastes start to become clearer, get a half decent initial taste that is ok, a nice big mouthful of malt and fruits. But is just a little too hoppy and bitter for me.

Is tasty but nothing overall to back it up and let it linger in the mouth.

Another disappointment. 

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