Grolsch Premium Lager

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More Good Than Grosch

Anthony Says:

Having been on sale for something like 5 straight years at my local beer store, Grolsch has the distinction of being one of my single most consumed beers. In fact, in terms of sheer volume, I’ve probably drank more Grolsch than any other beer I can think of. With little exaggeration, I can pretty much imagine what Grolsch tastes and smells like with a scary degree of accuracy. While I could probably have done this review off the top of my head, I decided that would go against the spirit of this blog. And hey, maybe I’d discover something new, right?

Grolsch is certainly a drinkable beer, even if not particularly remarkable. Despite lacking the body of some other Euro lagers, the mouthfeel is pleasantly crisp and nicely carbonated. Taste is refreshing, albeit not particularly dynamic- slightly grainy with a noticeable hop presence. Grolsch is oddly both maltier than expected and slightly bitterer than other Dutch brews. To make things even stranger, it seems to get increasingly more malty and bitter as it warms. This really isn’t a good thing, and probably contributes much to its reputation for a certain je-ne-sais-quoi funkiness.

Generally speaking, this is a competent Euro lager while cold, but transforms into something entirely- and unpleasantly- different as it warms. Rather than discovering anything new, I suppose this just affirmed what I already knew about Grolsch.

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Gatlin Says:

Grolsch is actually the very first beer I ever drank. My Dutch grandparents always used to give me a little taste when I visited them. Unfortunately, any soft spot in my heart for this brew does little to overcome its mediocre stature.

Technical Rundown:

• Container: 341 mL green glass bottle
  
• Alcohol:5.00% by volume
• Colour: 3 SRM
  
• Bitterness: 30 IBU

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This beer pours a light golden colour with little to no visible carbonation. The head foams-up moderately, leveling off in a bright white head that quickly reduces to a small-bubble ring. No lacing was visible. The smell comes across as generally acidic with a mild skunkiness. The overall aroma is very light and plain.

To me, this beer tastes just like any mass produced light lager, but lacks any noticeable adjunct tastes. The hoppiness is a little more pronounced, but there isn’t much depth to it: just a little bitter and a little skunky. The malts come through as moderately sweet about mid-sip. The aftertaste became quite unpleasant as the beer warmed.

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Some Final Thoughts

Anthony Thinks:

Pros

• Crisp and refreshing (though not watery) when fresh, cold and served on tap
  
• Surprising maltiness makes for a less bland variety of Euro lager
• Tastes immeasurably better when consumed with something hot or spicy
  

Cons

• Perhaps one of the skunkiest beers I’ve had- might want to think twice buying bottles
• This is a beer that need be drank quickly, as the taste profile changes for the worst as it warms
• Bitterness lingers a tad long on the palette
  

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3 stars overall. While not a particularly good representation of a Euro lager, Grolsch is perfectly serviceable while served cold, fresh and preferably on tap

Gatlin Thinks:

Pros

• Purity of ingredients
• Sometimes comes in fancy min-growler bottles
  
• European cache?

Cons

• Underwhelming in the smell and flavor department, and doesn’t particularly make up for it in other qualities
• Kind of expensive considering what you are getting

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Overall this is a 3 star lager. This might be a good purchase if you are bored of typical macro-lagers and want something that is a little more pure

So, What’s On Your Mind?

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