Clausthaler Classic (Premium)

Brewed by Binding-Brauerei (Oetker Group)
Style: Low Alcohol
Frankfurt, Germany

The body is a light gold color with a large white head. The aroma is lightly skunky with some carrots. There is also raw bread dough. The taste has celery and a light note of bread. A decent light brew for a non alcoholic.

(Bottle 50 cl) Clausthaler is probably the best known German alcoholic beer. Apparently a result of years of studying into how to make a NAB (sad brewung-science....). Nicely golden with a pretty, creamy head. The initial flavours are a soft sweetness so often found in NABs, but then you’re hit by a pretty harsh hoppy finish. But actually rather delicate and surprisingly full-bodied for it’s type. 221099

Germany vs Switzerland Flyweight Bout: Clausthaler Classic vs Feldschlosschen Schlossgold. The Swiss weighed in at a puny 0.4% abv, while the German packs slightly more muscle at 0.45%. Ding ding, Round One (appearance): little to choose between them as they emerged. The Schlossgold looked marginally better but quickly faded. Both looked skinny, flat and uninspiring. 2/5 for both. Round Two (Aroma): the German stank in this round - specifically of raw turnip. One of the strangest aromas I’ve come across in a beer, and elegant proof why you shouldn’t brew beer from turnips. The barley malt is there, too, but it’s impossible to get beyond the vegetable stench. The Swiss, on the other hand, smells like Kelloggs Frosties and malted milk. At least there’s some genuine malt presence. The judges score 4/10 for the Swiss, 2/10 for the turnip, oops, I mean Clausthaler. Round Three (Palate): Clausthaler is predictably thin, a little slick on the tongue, with a bat-squeak of bitterness in the finish. Schlossgold is equally thin, but with a nasty tart finish, courtesy of the added ascorbic acid. Judges score 3/5 for the German, 2/5 for the Swiss. Round Four (Flavour): Clausthaler is very sweet and malty, with some cereal. Schlossgold is acidic but not in a good way. The sweet malts are overpowered by the nasty ascorbic acid which is presumably added to make it taste of at least something. Weird and unbeerlike. Clausthaler 3/10, Schlossgold 2/10. Overall: a poor contest between two very mediocre flyweights. Clausthaler 4/10, Schlossgold 2/10.

Skunky, hoppy nose with some malts. Clear, pale yellow/golden coloured with a lasting, medium white head. Taste is sweet, grainy, hoppy, some hay and some malt. Lacking body. However for a low alcoholic brew this one is quite okay.

Bottle. Pours light gold with a foamy white head. Nose is skunky hops and a surprising maltiness. It’s actually not as horrible as I expected. Light bready/biscuity malts in this. Taste is light hops, bready malts and some faint hay notes. Body is light-medium and moderately carbonated. Finishes with more bready malts, light hops and some notes of hay. It’s actually not that bad. Drinkable for an N/A beer.

Bottle. Clere golden colour with a medium white head. Sweet hay aroma and a sweet hay dry ashtray taste. Light body and a sweet harsh finish.

Pours a deep gold with a thick, fluffy white head. Aroma is almost sugary malt with a touch of hoppiness. Flavor is bitterish sweet ... a mild malt sweetness with a touch of hops. Not bad at all for a low-alcohol brew, but not really my cup of ... uh ... beer.

Bottle, at home. Yellow with white head, almost disappearing. No lacings. Aroma light of malt and hops. Flavor of malt, light of hops (light acidic?). Light body, dry, lively carbonated. Good non-alcohol beer.