A Bittersweet Tale of a Bittersweet Beer
Written: Aug 31 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sharp, fizzy, well-hopped, good balance
Cons: Predictable and higher priced.
The Bottom Line: Beck’s is crisp and well carbonated with good hop bitterness and dryness, as well as a subtle sweet undertone. A more than adequate lager and widely available.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Beck's Beer |
Anyone who drinks beer (and even many who don’t) knows the name Beck’s. It’s an undisputable heavyweight in the industry having been brewed since 1873 and sold in 120 countries. It is in fact Germany’s most popular brand of exported beer, and the only one really recognized worldwide.
German brewing benefits from the strictest quality laws (their Reinheitsgebot is a standard admired worldwide), the most creative range of bottom-fermenting lagers, and the world’s largest per capita consumption. As a brewing nation, however, the German’s are not particularly strong exporters. A survey showed that no German makes the list of top 25 world beer producers.
I was a little irritated to see those Beck’s Light commercials a while ago, and wondered why a German brewer should have to put out a product in response to those of Coors, Bud and Miller. Having read about the stubborn ignorance of the Coors family and its insistence on one product for many years, the reasons seem a little more clear. The release of products such as St. Pauli Girl, Haake Beck and Beck’s Dark are all attempts at growth and diversification of appeal to export markets.
However Brauerei Beck’s recently declared that it can longer compete on a world scale and announced itself for sale. Consolidation is a sad issue for beer fans. On the one hand it does provide lesser-known (an overstatement in this case) breweries with better promotion and distribution. On the other hand independence is the key to variety of choice.
It was probably a shared sigh of relief that speculated interest form those guys in St. Louis did not materialize. The sale went ahead to Interbrew, a Belgian group, for $1.6 billion. I’m not sure what the implications will be, and we can only speculate on whether the Beck’s we drink in the USA will actually come from the plant in Bremen.
Although not reflecting on this news at the time, it was probably no coincidence that I picked up a 6-pack of Beck’s for the first time in over 2 years. I had called in at my local gas station at my wife’s request for Miller Lite, and even though my beer fridge is more than adequately stocked, I often pick up a 6-pack when I’m not in the mood to write a review on one of those treasures. As it happened I hadn’t reviewed Beck’s, so a 6-pack allowed me plenty of time to make a few notes.
Tasting Notes
Beck’s pours to a pale-yellow, almost straw-like color, with good carbonation and a nice (although short-lived) foam.
On the aroma I get a good whiff of floral hops that is instantly appealing. It’s a little perfumey, a little herbal with a subtle underlying maltiness
The palate is light with a sharp spritzy carbonation. The carbonation is even sharper when drinking this from the bottle.
A hoppy bitterness and prevailing dryness runs across the palate making this a fine refreshing brew. At the same time there’s a pale malt backbone, and suggestions of lemon sugary sweetness that tease the taste buds while never quite shining through. There’s a more than adequate crisp bitterness to the finish making this a good refreshing dry lager.
Verdict
This is a widely available European lager, appearing on the shelves of most convenience stores and bars. Through it’s availability and origins, many drinkers may be tempted to throw it into the same category as Heineken, but it’s better than that. The green bottles may cause indifferent results, as they offer less protection from light than brown bottles, but there was no problem with any of the 6 in my pack.
Beck’s may not be the best product that the Germans have sent us, and there are better pilsners brewed in the USA. But it certainly does a few things right. The hoppiness and balancing sweet mellow undertones, along with the refreshingly dry crispness and pleasing carbonation combine to make Beck’s a more than adequate choice for a summer’s afternoon or barbecue. It’s not my first choice of lager, but I’ll certainly drink it again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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