Grolsch Premium Lager
Review Date 6/14/2001
Try? Re-buy?
When most people think of Dutch
pilsner, most of them think of Heineken. At least those who know Heineken is
Dutch and a pilsner do anyway. There’s much more to Dutch beer than
Heineken, of course, including delicious Trappist ales like La Trappe,
pilsners like Brand and of course, Grolsch Premium Lager.
Though I’ve been drinking craft beers for almost 20 years now, there are
some that have a special place on my palate, and Grolsch is definitely one
of them. The familiar swingtop bottle could be spotted in my refrigerator
right at the beginning of my Beer Awakening, and it’s been an occupant on
and off right up to the present day.
I have always liked Grolsch better than Heineken. It has always seemed to me
to be a more hoppy beer, and I can usually get it in better condition. You
have to love those swingtop bottles, too. The wonderful POP! sound they make
when you open them is music to a beer drinker's ears. They’re loved by
homebrewers everywhere, and appreciated aesthetically by your local Bruguru
too. One important safety tip: don’t toss them in your trusty blue recycling
bin. The caps are made of ceramic, and they will explode during the meltdown
process that glass goes through during recycling.
Speaking of explosions, the Grolsch plant in Enschede, Holland, was severely
damaged back in May 2000 by the explosion of a nearby fireworks factory. No
one was killed in the brewery, and fortunately the company operated a second
brewery not too far away in Groenlo. Still, the accident did put a major
crimp in Grolsch’s production. The brewery is planning the construction of a
completely new facility, which it hopes will be fully online by 2005. It has
run into some red tape on the matter at its intended site for the new
brewery, but vows, “We’ll build a new brewery no matter what happens.” Plans
are to close down the Groenlo when the new facility is opened.
Grolsch Premium Lager pours to a deep golden color with a prodigious fizzy
head of foam and a light malty nose. The palate is light bodied and crisp
with a generous dose of fresh biscuity malt character. The finish is alive
with an assertive hop bitterness that nicely punctuates this well-made
Pilsner style beer. There is one thing missing though. That’s the skunkiness
I usually get in Heineken, and indeed at times in this beer thanks to the
green glass.
A great beer with many foods, tonight it washed down slow-cooked barbecue
picnic shoulder on a poppy seed roll with pickles and onions, baked beans
and cole slaw.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler