Super Bowl Beer Sampling
I like professional football, more specifically the NFL, so Super Bowl Sunday is a special day that is typically reserved for imbibing copious amounts of alcoholic liquidities, parking ones ass in front of a preferably huge television, watching the million dollar thirty second commercials and eating various finger foods. During a recent trip to the local suburban strip mall, I made the decision that I wasn’t going to forget this Super Bowl. I decided that this special Sunday would provide an excellent window to do some beer sampling. I must say that my usual beer selection would be the run of the mill Canadian lager, to which I will not mention the name, which sort of like vanilla sex, good but not really all that exciting. I wandered into the accompanying liquor store, and decided to peruse the beer selection for something exotic, something special, something European. I am not sure if you have recently visited a liquor store in Alberta lately, but the price of beer has become ridiculous. I could tell you a sentimental story about how I remember when the price of beer was… but I will save it as it will date me. After nearly choking over a thirteen dollar six pack, I decided that my sampling would be done based off of 500 mL cans of 4 various import beers coming in at an average of $2.45 per unit. Not cheap, but not unreasonable for 2 liters of the nectar of the gods. It is a cost I am willing to incur for this review.
The Beers
Grolsch
Website: www.grolsch.com
5.0% alcohol
As the Bears scored the touchdown on the opening play of the game, I began to taste this Dutch treat. When I think of Dutch beer, I immediately think of Heineken and I found this beer tasting and smelling remarkably the same. It is deliciously smooth, with a quick finish and subtle bittersweet aftertaste presented in a rich golden color. I would drink this again and could see them going down in mass quantity.
Pilsner Urquell
Website: www.pilsner-urquell.com
4.4% alcohol
Halfway through the second quarter, I cracked open this Czech offering claiming to be the original Pilsner. I can’t qualify this fact but I can qualify its soapy opening and mid taste with a bitter, bitter finish and goldish tint. The taste of this pales in comparison to the Grolsch. I would have expected this beer to be stronger than 4.4% with such expressive flavors. As this tasting continued, this beer started to be tolerable, although I wouldn’t buy it or order it from a bar again.
DAB Original
Website: www.dab.de
5.0% alcohol
At the end of the 3rd quarter, I sampled this German Pilsner throat charmer. The hue of this beer is much lighter than previous tests, and it had a distinctive citrusy smell. It also poured with a nice, frothy head. The first taste took me aback as I still had the Pilsner Urquell taste in my mouth, but the second taste confirmed that this is a simple, uncomplicated beer with a slight bitterness at the end. This is my kind of brew; smooth and gentle with the ability to be chugged.
Holsten Premium
Website: www.holsten.de
5.0% alcohol
Game over, Bears lose. Time to drown my sorrows in the final test subject, Germanys Holsten Premium. So by this point I am pretty soused, so I have this feeling this is going to be the masterpiece of the collection. Boy was I wrong, this has a metallic tin can taste which can probably be attributed to the fact that it came from a can. Strangely though, I do not recall this sensation with the three other test cases. It is bitter from start to finish, and is the palest of the bunch. I could just be trashed, but I continued to drink it and its not half bad, although not great either.
Verdict:
Beer coupled with the right situation is an excellent choice. I recommend drinking it en masse, and trying several different kinds in one evening to really broaden your horizons. Coupled with delicious breads, cheeses and animal flesh, it can be quite a refreshing and enlightening beverage.
- Super Bowl Beer Sampling
- by Adrian Bryksa
- Published on February 15th, 2007
-
Beer:
Grolsch
Pilsner Urquell
DAB Original
Holsten Premium
More from Adrian Bryksa:
-
2006 Pillar Box Red
Decant, decant, decant. I find myself talking about this more and more when it comes to red wines, especially new ones.
-
Best of 2006
Everyone is attacking your personal addictions about giving your body an inner glow and your desire to slowly asphyxiate yourself. Thankfully, the city of Calgary has accelerated their decision and made bars and clubs smoke free for January 1st, 2007 and has now prevented you from asphyxiating others.
-
Wyndham Estates Show Reserve Cabernet Merlot
Do rewards come to those that wait? I have had this wine in my cellar for a few years and Sunday was going to be its day of reckoning.
-
2007 Calgary Tattoo and Arts Festival
They can tell the world that you are an outlaw, or let people know that you were young and dumb once and have some souvenirs to show for it. These days, they can be a lifestyle indicator or be can added as a one of a kind piece of art.
-
Summer Party Naval Styles at Seven RestoLounge
Oysters, like wine are affected by terroir and these Miyagi’s flavor profiles ranged with one showing a cleaner, almost tropical profile and the other being more salty, marine driven. As I was devouring the seemingly endless plates put in front of us, I sipped on a glass of fine sauvignon blanc.
-
Value Wine Experiment – 3 Reds under $15.00
He pulled me over to an Australian blend which seemed interesting as a 2005 at 11 dollars, so I made it my choice. Ian grabbed a 2007 Chilean Cabernet and David jumped on an 2006 Argentine Malbec
Other recent features:
-
Sónar 2010 – Barcelona, Spain
The festival attracts a lot of outsiders, but the Mediterranean, Spanish and more specifically Catalan nature of the people makes the festival what it is. Catalan people are passionate and this passion is infectious. The atmosphere is electric in Barcelona as a city and heightened by music and intoxicants at Sónar.
-
Summer Party Naval Styles at Seven RestoLounge
Oysters, like wine are affected by terroir and these Miyagi’s flavor profiles ranged with one showing a cleaner, almost tropical profile and the other being more salty, marine driven. As I was devouring the seemingly endless plates put in front of us, I sipped on a glass of fine sauvignon blanc.
-
R4NT Radio March 2010
R4NT Radio March 2010 um wow it’s been far too long since the last edition edition, featuring: Hector Hernandez, The Infesticons, Blockhead, Gramatik, Emika, Thunderheist, Parov Stelar, Eddy Meets Yannah, Anti-Pop Consortium, The Slew, Lighterthief, Andreya Triana, Parasyte Woman, Mathon, Venetian Snares, and Funki Porcini.
-
O Restaurant & Lounge revisited
Calgary has a diverse set of urban communities, most of which have the ubiquitous strip mall watering hole. In the South West community of Marda Loop, a reinvention of this paradigm has been established.
-
Predictions 2010.. and beyond!
So 2010 eh? Almost but not quite (no year zero they say) another decade? It seems like just yesterday that the world was waiting for Y2K. R4NT started publishing in March 2001, so we’re not quite 10 years old yet, but in internet years we are already a senior citizen.
-
Invictus
No matter what, the reality of Nelson Mandela is something that deserves screen time. Should this film even remotely intrigue the masses to take interest in this figure, the world would likely benefit greatly from it.