Trumer Pils - Trumer Brauerei Berkeley

jdhowe

California

3.21/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Time to review something local.

Poured a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: About what I'd expect of a pilsener, a light amber body with minimal bubble white head that rapidly dissipates. A small continuous bubble stream from the base of the glass, but not enough to sustain anything other than a flimsy lacing along the outside of the glass. As I drink this, there is a surprising amount of lacing left down the glass for something with such minimal head.

S: Bready malt backed by a little bit of yeast and hop. Nothing I am excited about, and something small I am not able to label that just isn't doing it for me.

T: The bready malt dominates, light hop bitterness shows through. Some alcohol is evident, but doesn't contribute strongly to the flavor as one might expect from something so light. Something showing up in the middle of the sip that is mildly fruity in the same way as a cider, but not nearly as strongly. Not typically a pilsener fan, I find very little engaging here, but I didn't really expect to find anything. Markedly average. The strange pungent thing from the smell showed only slightly in the first sips of this beer, but vanished once I really got into this beer. Overall it drinks fine.

M: Crisp, refreshing, and while it's tough to uncouple from the flavors I'm not really a huge fan of, the mouthfeel of this beer is quite good for its style.

O: Just fine. Not something I would seek out to serve to myself or others, but not a beer choice I could fault someone for making if looking for something that is "light and refreshing" but not miserable. I won't go out of my way to revisit this beer, but could see myself picking this up preferentially out of common offerings at social events.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 22:59:53 | More by jdhowe

scottfrie

California

4.69/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.5/4.5/4.75/4.75/4.75
12oz bottle into SA perfect pint.

A: Pours a light golden yellow with a huge dense bright white head that slowly faded into a faint scum leaving a network of streaky lace down the glass.
S: Light crackery malt, mild lager yeast, crisp earthy hops and peppery spice.
T: Follows the nose with bready malt, a light sweetness, spicy leafy hops, and doughy yeast. Crisp overall.
M: Medium-light body, slick clean crisp mouth, perfect creamy carb.
O: One of the best you can find in a six pack. Easy to drink, flavorful and clean.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 02:50:46 | More by scottfrie

olfolxholme

California

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle into Trumer Pils signature style flute (the tube looking one)

A - Crystal clear golden beer with bright white foam. Pours with a big head which slowly slowly dissipates until your next sip. Some patches of lacing. Good looking beer.

S - Nice zesty hops, and some classic "lager yeast" aroma. Acceptable mineral presence.

T - Super clean flavor. Zesty, herbal hops and a golden shortbread flavor. Nice bitter finish that lingers.

M - Appropriately light, with a nice little bite that fades away. Aftertastes buzzes a bit.

O - Very drinkable. Nothing fascinating about this beer, but it's nice. This beer appeals to a lot of non-beer drinkers, BMC drinkers, and the ilk... But it is actually a very nice beer. So, you don't have to feel like a total sell-out if you bring this to the party. Definitely worth trying, especially if you are a fan of the style.

56

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 05:31:39 | More by olfolxholme

magictacosinus

California

3.83/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pilsner glass from a 12oz bottle.

Presents itself in a golden-yellowish color with a decent 1.5 finger head. Lots of big, bubbly carbonation bounces up towards the top of the glass in a playful, festive sort of way. Head reduces considerably into a good ring but lacing remains to my surprise all around the edges of the glass. Very clear in appearance. A good take on the style so far.

While not the most powerful around, there's (as expected) an overall grainy, sugar cane filled aroma overall. I can easily sense the malts on the nose, as well as a slight, lemon-y zest, but there's an undeniable skunkiness that serves as a backdrop after all of these flavors waft away. However, in my past experience, this usually is not a problem, and in this case, it ends up producing a mellow, flavorful aroma at the finish.

The flavor retains the slight yeasty skunkiness, but it ends up complimenting the initial waves of hoppiness and grains. The sugary malts really seem to prevail here, even in the aftertaste. It mostly ends up grainy, but there are delightful yeasty flavors and a smidgen of booziness that confort the neck at the finish. This is surprisingly thick, especially for a beer as sessionable as this. Tons of carbonation explode on the tongue at every sip, yet there is a slight astringency that makes it only so uncomfortable to drink, perhaps caused by an imbalance on the hops' part. Nevertheless, this is very balanced, and so easy to drink it could be easily finished quicker than expected if consumed in a passive manner.

A great take on the style, and as simple and subtle as this beer is, it's wholly enjoyable. Years ago, I didn't seem to like it as much, but after a long busy day, I would happily take one of these to set alongside myself as a doze off to the late hours of the evening. Good stuff, and local too!

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 04:56:45 | More by magictacosinus

flagmantho

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz green bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: light golden hue with a clear body and a strong effervescence. Head is a thin finger of frothy white foam without much retention. Mean for the style.

Smell: medium-light malt with a touch of grain. Pretty clean, but there is a light skunkiness to it as well.

Taste: lightly malty with a little bit of grain and a pretty satisfying flavor of noble hops. Clean and tasty.

Mouthfeel: light body with a good level of carbonation and a nice, refreshing prickliness. I like it.

Overall: a tasty and drinkable Pilsner. Not a show-stopper, but decent enough that I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 21:54:52 | More by flagmantho

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Great carbonation, but beyond that not much. Standard yellow pilsener.

Smell: Basically grass. Maybe a hint of lemon. A fairly mild smell.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Crisp beer, but mostly fresh grain in the flavors. Again, pretty standard.

Overall Drinkability: Not really impressed, but not offended.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 03:05:52 | More by tjsdomer2

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a nice German Pils. Kind of grassy, a pretty consistent character to it, and fairly smooth. There is some tang to it and what seems like a thicker malty sweetness to it as well. Overall it's a pretty easy drinker and a good alternative to anything yellow and fizzy. You can't really go wrong with it.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 04:07:54 | More by RblWthACoz

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle date of 2/12/12.

Pours a murky yellow with a 1 inch foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, grass, and some slight skunk aromas that start to go away after I pour the beer into a glass. Taste is of grain, herbal hops, and some alcohol. There is a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the skunk aroma blast I got when opening the bottle was not too pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 04:15:55 | More by UCLABrewN84

colforbin73

California

4.53/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

outstanding PILS! can;t believe i haven't reviewed already.

pours a fizzy champagne color and white fizz. the smell is dry, a little peppery -- grassy malts and a touch of hops. very clean and inviting.

the taste is superb! dry and fizzy on the tongue, the sting of hops and a good foundation of perfectly mashed pilsner malt.

i wanted something light and session-able tonight... and i just met my new summer beer. TRUMER PILS.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:54:55 | More by colforbin73

rawfish

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very promising pale straw, crystal clear with a creamy soft two finger high white head. Good retention but no lace on the glass.

Floral for a pils, light and airy straw, lemon grass and slightly biscuity, great aroma from a pilsner.

Earthy crackers, hay, and grassy with a zip of lemon zest on the finish. Slightly bittering with a touch of tart spice.

Affected negatively by temperature. Light body that fails to dry out as the beer warms. Average carbonation that compliments the spices well. Smooth all the way down.

Drinkable and the aroma was near perfect for a pilsner. One that has the markings of being specialized and well crafted. Care need to be taken with how this one is served.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 22:15:24 | More by rawfish

depechemode1983

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear golden with a white foamy head. Retention is good and leaves some pretty good lacing.

S - Bright citrus and flora hops with an edgy grainy quality that gives it a little roughness. Mostly a natural earth like nose.

T - Extremely grainy. Lots of lemon grass in the taste as well.

M - Damn refreshing and smooth as hell.

O - This is from Cali? Not bad at all. I could knock back a six pack of this stuff no problem.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 02:34:09 | More by depechemode1983

DocJitsu

California

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light wheat color with a soapy white head. White lacing remains on the glass as the beer is consumed. Tart hard candy and, perhaps, some notes of banana. Very nicely carbonated. Sweet ripe banana notes balance the tart fruit. Very good pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 02:31:38 | More by DocJitsu

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

i almost never like beers in this style too much, but this one hit the spot for me. coming off a big playoff win in beer league hockey, one of the boys broke out a case of this stuff. ice cold, i enjoyed the first couple right from the bottle. great malty nose that promises refreshment. flavor is balanced but the german malts are on display here. extra crisp finish that leaves you needing another. the feel though, is what makes this beer for me. its very bubbly and majorly light in the body, but without being watery and flavorless at all. its a perfect post-athletic beer, and you can drink a fair few of them without much trouble. this is up there for me with the better american pilseners that ive had. some of the micro gurus wont want to hear that, but in the right setting this is a very very solid beer. see for yourself!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 21:41:37 | More by StonedTrippin

czfreeman

Michigan

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle.
one of my first beer reviews from my new home in San Fran.
Pours a clean, golden tone.Nice amount of carbonation.
Smells of German Pils in every sense, after living in Germany over two years, I have become rather critical of the category.
Biscuit, breads, sharp Pilsner malt, finishing with a minerally bitter hop bite, the aromatics are right up there with the greats, i.e Bitburger, Tannzapfle, etc..
Flavor is spot on. Snappy, citrus, hops, bitterness,Biscuit upfront, slowly evolving into a nice balance of hops, pepper, bitterness of citrus rind, and hops.
A great Pilsner, holds its own among the best of the best.
Highly enjoyable on its own and pairs great with food.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 02:44:13 | More by czfreeman

Philousa

California

4.83/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sits a pale gold with absolute clarity in the glass with a thin, delicate layer of head that clings to the glass. Tart pale malt, honey sweet aroma with unmistakable German lager phenols and sweet soapy acids. Walnut is in there somewhere and gets stronger as it warms. Tart, sweet, and bitter at the same time, but the bitterness lasts with a very mild flowery ester flavor. Banana ester is also in there with the nuttiness, which makes itself apparent with time. Medium body with a dry finish. Less filling, tastes great.

This beer takes me back to Munich and helps me understand why people like lagers. I can drink this all day and not feel full. No wonder the Germans stick to this style without complaint! If only the big three could make something close to this. Instead of just tasting like lightly flavored water, this has many subtle flavors to it, with different notes being played a little louder with each gulp. I'm pretty happy this is brewed an hour away from me in Berkeley. A trip to Deutschland is only a six pack away.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 06:32:38 | More by Philousa

FosterJM

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

955th Review on BA
Bottle to Pilsner
12 oz

No bottle date
Single 12oz from Bevmo Chino Hills

App- A very very clear yellow with a lot of bubbles filtering from the bottom up. A one finger head with a fast receding pace. Left about 4 clings of lace on the sides.

Smell- My wife says it smells like Pot. What is she not telling me? A pretty good aromatic display of wheat, lemon, herbs (parsley) and that classic pils malt.

Taste- It's one of the better Pils I have had and to be from Nor. Cal says a lot. To review to style its pretty lacking more than a baseline flavor profile but this is not my favorite style and this is one I would come back to. More lemony, grass with a slight bitter. A nice bit of malts on the backend.

Mouth- A good light bodied pils with a nice light/medium carbonation. Leaves a good residual earthy, lemon and wheat flavor.

Drink- A solid 3.5 all across the board. As I stated above it's more than average but not quite their yet. To me it needs a bit more balanced and pop but I would come back to this one in a pinch.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 06:36:31 | More by FosterJM

dansmcd

Australia

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pale straw colour, crystal clear, thin bubbly white head with good retention, sheet lacing.

S - Hay, cracker malt, lemon and sesame seed.

T - Lemon, grass, herbal hops, salty cracker like malts.

M - Crisp and refreshing, thin body, moderate carbonation with a dry finish.

O - Good, solid, easy drinking, German style pils.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 23:34:40 | More by dansmcd

dunit697

California

3.13/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had this Beer from an all around the world combo pack I got at the World Market. I honestly couldn't taste what people get excited about with this beer. It was fine, but nothing special. It's biggest problem is that I couldn't taste a unique timbre I look for in every beer I drink, it just tasted very standard to me.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 01:56:46 | More by dunit697

taigor

New York

3.03/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into pilsner glass.

A - Poured clear pale yellow straw color with big white head that quickly dissipated leaving slight lacing around the glass.

S - Grassy and earthy with slight scent of hops.

T - Grains predominate with slight hay and malt flavor. Somewhat watery with not much there.

M - Light bodied with high carbonation.

O - Ordinary pilsner that's too watery and no crispness. With not much standing out I would not recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 16:02:14 | More by taigor

dmcbeerington

California

2.88/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This is a decent beer that is very easy to drink. Easy to drink most of the time means lacking of taste. Yes, i think this beer is a little too watery in a way, but it is totally drinkable.

A. The color is too pale. The head disappear in seconds.

S. Normal beer smell, nothing very special to it.

T. I can taste a little sweetness in it, no much bitterness. It is definitely easy to drink.

M. Mouthfeel is actually good. It is a above good standard. I can notice honey and some kind of sweetness inside the beer.

O. Not a bad beer, nor a good beer. I think this is an average beer. Maybe just a little above average. But it is surely very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 01:31:50 | More by dmcbeerington

Vashtar

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -28%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

It smells like old, treated wood. Not something I'd want to put in my mouth

Appearance is dull and not quite clear. The fizz lasts the perfect amount.

The taste is average. It tastes very... beer. Plato might give it a 10 in beerness.

The mouthfeel is smooth and doesn't have any slime.

The taste was pretty average though, so I'm not complaining. I wouldn't buy a six pack, though.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 01:24:46 | More by Vashtar

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Stange glass. I have to say the label fooled me, I really thought this was German until I looked closer!

Pours with a light golden-accented straw yellow body under three fingers of pure white sticky, fluffy head.

As expected, just after the bottle is opened, the strong aroma of sulfur is released and it dominates all the other smells. Within a few minutes however, this has totally dissipated and uncovered a wonderful concoction of very light, toasty, slightly sticky malts, paired with grassy zesty noble hops.

The flavor is initially quite good, and displays some pale malts and a fair dose of noble hops. Within a few sips I find that my first complaint is that the hops are more bitter than they are flavorful, and this biting bitterness detracts from the malts. As I continue to drink I think I am totally fine with the hops the way they are, but I wish there was more malt to give the white-bread-toast flavors that often go hand in hand with spicy hops in beers of this style. There is an "almost" off flavor in the aftertaste, but it never rears it head and thus my respect remains. The end is very dry, and quite tasty.

The mouthfeel is light with higher carbonation, as I would expect for this style. The hops and carbonation feel a bit spicy and zesty in concert, and I expect nothing less.

Conclusion: Before finishing this beer I paired it with some sharp cheddar to see how that would affect the flavor. Overall I feel that this beer knows what it is doing and is doing it well. This is a great pilsner, and my previous hesitation was due to the fact that this beer attacks with palate without asking permission- which is a great thing in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 23:12:13 | More by allforbetterbeer

armock

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Safeway market in Manteca, CA

A - Poured a straw color with a white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of grassy hops with light pale malt

T - Like the nose grassy hops on top of some pale malt

M - This beer has a light body with higher carbonation to it

O - This is a good everyday type of beer thats easy to drink tastes good that you can drink a number of because its light and refreshing that helps out on hot days worth a try and I'm not a big pils person

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 05:59:12 | More by armock

Halcyondays

California

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. green bottle,

A: Pours a clear blond with a medium white head, good retention, some spotty lace.

S: Strong grassy and floral hops, light bready malt.

T: High hop flavour for the style. Hay, flowers, some almost cilantro like herbal character, interesting mix.

M: Light-bodied, frothy carbonation, not as crisp as I'd like though.

O: A good pilsner for sure, but what's with the green bottles, you'd think an American brewery would know better, especially in this style.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 22:50:18 | More by Halcyondays

SamN

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nicely poured beer with a fantastic head; fluffy, soapy, soft and lasting with a fine delicate lacing left behind. The liquid is slightly hazed and lively bubbles visible. The smell is hay-like, almost grassy, with a sweet cracker like background aroma. Better than most. Taste is balanced, with a crisp hop intro, moving to biscuity malts with a kiss of sweetness and finishing on slightly bitter, west cop hoppiness that never gets too much. Everything stays nicely in check, nothing wild, a understated pils that still has flavor. Mouthfeel is a little over carbonated, too much roughness but decent for a pils.

Overall, pretty good. I'm not blown away like the Paulaner, but am satisfied as far as an Americanized German pilsner goes. Good hopping done in this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 22:08:34 | More by SamN