Saku Originaal

Brewed by Saku Õlletehas (Baltic Beverages Holding - Carlsberg )
Style: Pale Lager
Saku, Estonia

Great Beer from Estonia! Love the look of the bottle. We have it in USA in 0,3l bottles, perfect for me! One thing tough: never, ever drink it warm!!! Always has to be ice cold.

The production date on my bottle says it was made only two weeks ago. For an import to be that fresh from the LCBO is insane! Pours the nice gold colour with a large, frothy white head. Aroma: Some grassy hops on top of some grainy malts, not much going on, but nothing offensive. Taste: Not half as bad as the low rating will make you think. Nice malty sweetness up front, a tad grainy which I love in my lagers, which leaves a sort of wet feeling on the tongue, followed by some hop presence in the finish, followed by just a touch of skunk. I can’t believe my luck that I got a fresh sample, so I guess this is pretty much as good as this beer can be. And it’s pretty decent. It’s nothing spectacular, so give it a freaking break people, it’s just a lager, nothing more. I’m sure there’s better from Estonia, but this does seem to be getting a rough ride here. EDIT The new canned version is actually really, really good, a big improvement. Very soft, like a Helles, with a perfect blend of pale malts and hops, with a great floral aroma.

Bottled on Jan 18 2006. This poured a clear, light gold along with a whacking great foamy white head. The hopping was evident from the instant the cap came off. Taste, mouthfeel, and aftertaste were typical of a better-quality Euro-lagers. This was a nice beer to drink and I’d have it again.

Draught in Estonia. Golden beer with a light head. The aroma is yeasty and dry and the flavour is wheaty, dry, lightly yeasty and watery. Overall a reasonable refreshing beer.

I think this beer is getting a rough ride here. I have to admit I was a tad biased after being burned out by the flood of east block welfair pilsners on the shelves...most of them either bland or with whacky off tastes that defy description...so, I thought, another slovack pilsner here...well I have to say I was prejudiced and almost missed a decent beer. I’m a Pilsner fancier and this beer is certainly a Bohemian styled lager...just has the saaz hopping is toned back... this exposes the sweet grainy malts . The body is substantial for a pils and there is ample malt as the gold color and great lacing attest to...for those wanting the dry bitter "bite" of Urquell...you won’t find it here...this beer is sweet, grainy and cidery with a sweet finish...almost like a Salzburg lager. At any rate I liked it..it was all malt and had a nice mellow decernment with just a tickle of hops that leave a cider impression....I think it has quality and is in the same class a Budvar.

Bottle. Poured a light yellow color with barely any head or lacing. It had a malty, buttery, caramel nose and taste. It had a sweet lingering finish with barely any hop presence at all. I'm not sure why, but the style here is listed as an American Standard, but the label states that is is a Pilsner! I'd consider it a Pilsner, since the manufacturer should know what he is making, and it tastes somewhat like a Pilsner.

Bottled. A little bit sweet for a mass-market export lager. Not as bad as the reviews here would indicate - Not sure why people have such high expectations for such a thing.

Re-rate for February 29/08- LCBO bottle purchase- Fluffy and uneven clouds sit on top of sparkling gold liquid. Grains and grass run a muck in the nose, and are stopped by a solid malt aroma. Mouth is full sweet grains, hay, with a decent hops bitterness backbone. Smooth mouth feel, with a mildly pleasant hops aftertaste. Pretty good by Euro Lager standards. And with the low ABV, it becomes more appealing as a session drink. Glad the LCBO got this one in. Original score 2.7.