Located in Holland, the Grolsch brewery has been around since 1615. As of 2008 however, the brewery is owned by SABMiller, the same company that owns Miller, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni, and others. The beer is labeled broadly as a lager, which simply means it's bottom-fermented, and usually at colder temperatures. More specifically it's been called a Pilsener, and beer advocate lists it as a Euro Pale Lager, lumping it together with beers like Heineken, Harp, and Peroni. Traditionally lagers have mild flavors, lighter colors, and are suggested to be served between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grolsch was one of my first ventures into the world of better beer. It was one of the first beers I shared with both Dan and Solomon as well. I originally picked it up because it was imported, not too expensive, and easily available most anywhere I went. One warning about it though - I've heard from many people that because of the green bottles, the beer can easily become light struck and skunk. I've yet to have a bad one, but I always buy it from good stores and store it properly. Don't leave it sitting out in sunlight and you should be fine.
I poured into my Pauwel Kwak glass as the recommended glass is a pilsener glass, but I don't have one (a sheer oversight on my part that I hope to remedy soon - I have pretty much no narrow mouth glasses). The Kwak glass is tall and mostly thin, so it's the closest thing I have, and the best substitute I could think of. The beer pours a crystal clear light golden amber color that's a bit yellowish. The head is frothy and nearly white, and is about 2 fingers thick when first poured. It has pretty good retention, and leaves a nice bit of lacing on the glass as the drink progresses.
The aroma is initially flowery and has overtones of banana. However, as this dissipates, the predominant scent is yeast and bread. The graininess of the malt comes through as well, it's fairly reminiscent of sticking your nose in a loaf of fresh-baked bread. Underneath I detected just a hint of alcohol at times, but it really depends on the glass. I smelled more of the alcohol in a pint glass than the Pauwel Kwak stirrup. This really goes to show the importance of a proper glass, especially since smell is the strongest sense tied to taste.
The beer is a bit bready in the mouth as well. There's mostly grain flavors, but with a little bit of round, yeasty bitterness on the back of the tongue. It's really neither sweet or bitter, and although it may not be nearly as nutritional as a dopple-bock, it's definitely got the flavor of a "liquid bread". As expected though, the flavors are mild and subdued, and can be a bit watery. The flavors aren't too refined, and in fact can be a bit on the harsh side, but for the price it's tough to beat.
The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium-light. I wouldn't go so far as to say airy though, it does have some substance in the mouth. It's fairly comparable to taking a mouthful of water. The carbonation is moderate, providing just enough bite for it to be crisp, but leaves the beer wet enough to still be refreshing. The coating on the mouth is a bit thin at first but as the beer progresses it leaves a nice film on the teeth and tongue.
The drinkability is one of the main reasons this beer has become a standby for me. It's incredibly easy to drink, but is still flavorful enough to be worth drinking. It's not a beer that overwhelms in any way - good or bad, but because of this, I feel like I could easily drink these all night if I wanted. Between that and the price, it's a great beer to have around to go with meals, to share with friends, and for whenever you're in the mood for something a little lighter. It also comes in a cool swing-top bottle, which it is somewhat famous for, and makes it a favorite of home brewers for re-bottling their own brews. Some people claim it tastes better out of these bottles, but I've never sat down for a comparison.
- Adam
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