Tonights review is taking us on a trip over to Germany. Specifically Radeberg, Germany. Famous for Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei, this Pilsner boasts a royal history dating back to 1872. The label informs me that it was "Born at the Royal Court of Dresden". Digging further into Radeberger's helpful website I found that the Royal Court of Saxony and Prince Otto von Bismarck appointed the brewery as purveyor to their courts. Now I'm no historian, but I'm pretty sure being the purveyor of anything related to beer back in the day was a good thing for the brewery doing the purveying. It means people liked your beer! It also means I'm excited to try a bottle of my own.
The 500ml bottle fills my mug right up to the top with crystal clear, pale yellow liquid gold. A nice white frothy foam builds up to the rim and gives off a sweet malt and subtle earthy hop aromas. The overall appearance is very inviting! Smooth and sweet mouthfeel with the sweet malty/grainy flavors making another appearance. Both the aroma and taste are very clean and crisp. A smooth bitterness lingers as I swirl a sip through my palate. The finish is refreshing with the carbonation and bittering hops finishing off a well rounded pilsner.
Overall - If I had to pick two adjectives to summarize this brew it would be 'smooth' and 'crisp'... and 'balanced'. This German brew is different than most state side pilsners in that it didn't put the hops in the forefront of the beer. Too many times us Americans get caught up in the thought that more hops are always better! Well the Europeans are a testament to the fact that old school can still reign supreme and simple, balanced recipes brewed by knowledgeable and experience brewers are some of the best beers you will find in the world. I'm not saying this is the best in the world of pilsners, but its certainly a refreshing example of what a delicious beer can be.
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