The Most Bitter Pils

Tasting session 20

Beer 1 Choices: International Amber Ale, Strong Bitter, American Pale Ale, Belgian Blond Ale

Beer 2 Choices: Kölsch, American Lager, German Pils, Munich Helles

Score: 2/2

Beer 1 things to look for:

International Amber Lager: neutral, maybe bitter, light body

Strong Bitter: yeast character (esters), UK hop/malt character

American Pale Ale: US hop character and strong bitterness

Belgian Blond Ale: yeast character (esters+phenols), high carbonation

Notes:

My first impression after tasting the sample was that I was sure it wasn’t Belgian. The carbonation was lower than I’d expect for a Belgian Blond, and it lacked phenolic spice character. There was also no upfront bitterness or notes of pine/grapefruit/orange/cannabis that would indicate it was an American Pale. I did detect some dried apricot/currant yeast ester character along with notes of wheat bread and toffee that seemed very indicative of British beer, so I chose Strong Bitter. 

I don’t think that Boddingtons is considered a “traditional” Strong Bitter though. I sadly haven’t had the chance to try a lot of British beer because it’s hard to find them fresh in the US. The Strong Bitters I have tried seemed more bitter with noticeable earthy/baking spice hop notes, orangey yeast esters, and a more pronounced biscuity malt note; they have been bolder in flavor in general. England is next on my list for beer travel, so I’m stoked to learn more soon! 

Beer 2 things to look for:

Kölsch: esters, possible T2N (oxidized/papery), possible biterness

American Lager: light body/neutral profile/not bitter

German Pils: bitter

Munich Helles: malt character dominates balance

Notes:

This was a very interesting one. The aroma wasn’t giving it away, and a taste test determined that the bitterness present was too high for a Munich Helles or American Lager. German Pilsners typically have medium/high perceivable levels of bitterness, and Kölsch can have pronounced bitterness too, so that was a tricky distinction. I wasn’t getting much fruity ester character that would indicate it was a Kölsch, but then again, ester character can be very subtle. I decided to go to my other sample and come back.

I came back, tasted, swallowed, and waited. The amount of bitterness that crept in was immense. Bitterness was dominating the balance in a way that I haven’t experienced a Kölsch to ever do, so I picked Pils. 

Bitter German Pils is delicious and I’ve tried a lot of them, but I have never had one this bitter. I’m not sure if it was the particular bottle I had or an age/handling issue, but the bitterness was almost overwhelming in a not-so-pleasant way. I’d like to try a fresher sample and see if it’s any different.