Brewed By: Stiegl in Salzburg, Austria
Purchased: 16.9oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Fruit Beer/German Radler, 2.5%
Reported IBUs: ?
Tonight we are going to Austria, where Arnie does push-ups and something something Ze Germans. European History was always a little fuzzy for me. Speaking of fuzzy, who doesn't love the crackling carbonation of soda
combined with beer. Tonight we have Stiegl to thank for the libations. Stiegl is an Austrian brewery that has been making beer in Salzburg since 1942. They are the largest privately owend brewery in Austria, and boast some unique factoids (apparently Mozart drank their beer, the brewery burned down, same ol', same ol'). You can check out the full brewery history HERE.
Tonight's beer is a Radler. The Stiegl Radler Zitrone (or Lemon) is a 50-50 blend of lemon soda, and Stiegl Goldbräu. The Goldbräu is a mildly hoppy pale lager. Let's glass this up and get our soda-pop drank on.
The top pops off of this with a nice hiss. The beer pours with a pale yellow, piss-color, and kicks up a couple fingers of super white, soapy head. The head doesn't last very long, just like soda. There's some fat, lazy carbonation bubbles rising upwards, but most of the carbonation is waiting in the body. Waiting to assault your tongue. Boy, this friendly summer drink just got creepy.
The aroma is sickly-sweet, cloying lemon, with some saccharine Lager sweetness. You get various soda elements: club soda, ginger ale, and expired Sprite/7up that your grandma dug out of her garage 10 years after she bought it. There's a grainy component to the nose, and a dash of actual lemon juice and lemonade. This must be what summer is like if you crush up a Lemonhead and drop it in some Miller High Life.
Zitrone is also a synonym for diabetes, which is what I'm going to have after drinking this. The front palate is loaded with soda carbonation, sweet soda ala the non-diet, saccharine-forward lime brands (7up/Sprite), tons of sugary lemon drank/drink, and a dash of grainy Lager sweetness to. Mid-palate continues with the sugary assault, only with more lemon. And the back fades to a sugary, burpy, lemon-soda finish. Basically lemon soda.
"This is sticky, finishes dry on the lips, and feels a bit forced."
-Things you might tell your Therapist, for 500
Maybe I'm not the target audience here? I like my lemons less sugary, with a dash of acidity and sourness. I also like my soda strictly in the diet variety. Seriously, people still drink soda with sugar? The fuck is wrong with you? This has soda-esque carbonation, and a light to medium-light body. Palate depth is soda, and complexity is soda sweetness with a hint of Lager kick. Evidently a 50-50 blend means you get trace hints of beer and a frontal, mid-palate, and back-palate assault of sweet lemony soda. Need I describe the palate any more? Okay, there's a hint of grainy Lager.
Rating: Below-Average
I'm feeling a Light Below-Average on this. How is this not better than Leinenkugels' Summer Shandy? And that format wins everyday. You can buy that beer by the 6, 12, or 24-pack. This isn't bad per se, it's just lemon soda with saccharine assault! Hooray. Even as I try to justify this...like on a hot summer day by the beach...I feel like there are better lemony alternatives to what is going on here. Even in the beer world. I'd prefer the Stiegl Goldbräu straight up, or a toned down lemon kick, or a wheat beer. Or just give me some lemony spirits. This would pair well with your typical summer barbecue or maybe a Jack Johnson concert. Seems apropos. Is that a subtle dig directed towards frat culture's blandest, most chill douche bag? Of course not. There's nothing subtle about it.
Random Thought: Lawdy, does the sweetness of this beer linger. It's like sweetness trauma. Throw me a bone, Stiegl. Switch this up to diet soda, or toss in a little acidity to provide some balancing refreshness. I want to feel like a kid again, but I don't want to relive painful memories of being curled up with a stomach ache from eating too much candy.
Reported IBUs: ?
Tonight we are going to Austria, where Arnie does push-ups and something something Ze Germans. European History was always a little fuzzy for me. Speaking of fuzzy, who doesn't love the crackling carbonation of soda
 |
| Hey, Ladies. |
Tonight's beer is a Radler. The Stiegl Radler Zitrone (or Lemon) is a 50-50 blend of lemon soda, and Stiegl Goldbräu. The Goldbräu is a mildly hoppy pale lager. Let's glass this up and get our soda-pop drank on.
 |
| Stiegl Radler Zitrone |
The aroma is sickly-sweet, cloying lemon, with some saccharine Lager sweetness. You get various soda elements: club soda, ginger ale, and expired Sprite/7up that your grandma dug out of her garage 10 years after she bought it. There's a grainy component to the nose, and a dash of actual lemon juice and lemonade. This must be what summer is like if you crush up a Lemonhead and drop it in some Miller High Life.
Zitrone is also a synonym for diabetes, which is what I'm going to have after drinking this. The front palate is loaded with soda carbonation, sweet soda ala the non-diet, saccharine-forward lime brands (7up/Sprite), tons of sugary lemon drank/drink, and a dash of grainy Lager sweetness to. Mid-palate continues with the sugary assault, only with more lemon. And the back fades to a sugary, burpy, lemon-soda finish. Basically lemon soda.
"This is sticky, finishes dry on the lips, and feels a bit forced."
-Things you might tell your Therapist, for 500
Maybe I'm not the target audience here? I like my lemons less sugary, with a dash of acidity and sourness. I also like my soda strictly in the diet variety. Seriously, people still drink soda with sugar? The fuck is wrong with you? This has soda-esque carbonation, and a light to medium-light body. Palate depth is soda, and complexity is soda sweetness with a hint of Lager kick. Evidently a 50-50 blend means you get trace hints of beer and a frontal, mid-palate, and back-palate assault of sweet lemony soda. Need I describe the palate any more? Okay, there's a hint of grainy Lager.
Rating: Below-Average
I'm feeling a Light Below-Average on this. How is this not better than Leinenkugels' Summer Shandy? And that format wins everyday. You can buy that beer by the 6, 12, or 24-pack. This isn't bad per se, it's just lemon soda with saccharine assault! Hooray. Even as I try to justify this...like on a hot summer day by the beach...I feel like there are better lemony alternatives to what is going on here. Even in the beer world. I'd prefer the Stiegl Goldbräu straight up, or a toned down lemon kick, or a wheat beer. Or just give me some lemony spirits. This would pair well with your typical summer barbecue or maybe a Jack Johnson concert. Seems apropos. Is that a subtle dig directed towards frat culture's blandest, most chill douche bag? Of course not. There's nothing subtle about it.
Random Thought: Lawdy, does the sweetness of this beer linger. It's like sweetness trauma. Throw me a bone, Stiegl. Switch this up to diet soda, or toss in a little acidity to provide some balancing refreshness. I want to feel like a kid again, but I don't want to relive painful memories of being curled up with a stomach ache from eating too much candy.
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