Shiner Kosmos Reserve - Spoetzl Brewery

lanechaffin

Texas

5/5  rDev +50.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Kosmos Reserve okay. I like the bottle it looks exceptional but i don't know what color the beer is. Twist top and off allright.
Hoppy, flowery, taste good and good for you no doubt.
goes down easy i cojuld drink a case. I like this beer about as much as the Smokehaus its one of the best from Shiner.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 02:37:51 | More by lanechaffin

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +33.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought as part of the shiner "family reunion" six pack.

Nice bready malt aroma. Piurs a bright clear orange with a short white head and lots of lingering bubbles.

Flavor is very good, one of the best of an often mediocre style. Very balanced between malt sweetness and fresh crispness. Some hops but not too much. Just a little less than an american pale ale.

Medium mouthfeel.

I recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 15:43:23 | More by jmbranum

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +30%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I bought a single bottle of this at Woodman's in Rockford, IL for about $1.30 in Winter 2010.

Another good find from Shiner. This Kosmos Reserve pours a golden amber color with good scent of wheat and malts. It has a very bold flavor of herbs but is surprisingly mellow. A very surprising taste for a pale lager.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 20:09:39 | More by Lemke10

tobymugg

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Lacy, tan, foamy head. Pure Gold.

Smell: Hops. Lots of hops for this category. Good malt smell, but overridden by hops. Floral, sweet, roasted.

Taste: Smooth, starting out like a fairly strong golden lager. Very well balanced. Ends with a flourish of hops with biscuity bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, comfortable.

Drinkability: I would venture to say this is one of the best beers you can buy in the 8-dollar-six-pack range. Unfortunately, it is only available with other Shiner beers in the Family Reunion six or twelve-packs.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2009 04:14:25 | More by tobymugg

NuclearEra25

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance, beer poured a light amber color, clear and clean look. White head that dissipated quickly however lace around the glass did not.

smell, was sweet and mild, slighly malty with some sweet hops

taste, very flavorful, alot of malt sweetness, very little bitterness, I notice some spices that wake up the senses...

mouthfeel, very smooth, lightly syrupy finish, medium carbonation..

overall, a very nice pale lager, well done by the folks at Shiner.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 20:45:45 | More by NuclearEra25

mjurney

Texas

4.19/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance:
Deep golden color, clear. Lots of carbonation rising up. Thin head.

Aroma:
Sweet malts, a little caramel, spicy-grassy hops.

Taste:
Sweet pale malts, biscuit, touch of caramel and butter. Hop bitterness is mild-medium, mainly spicy, a little citrusy. Finish is crisp, clean, a little dry. Body is medium, crisp, refreshing, semi-dry, well carbonated.

Overall:
Very good for an American Pale Lager. Sadly it only available in variety pack, only wish Spoetzl Brewing Company release a 6 pack of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 23:24:10 | More by mjurney

Mosstrooper

California

4.1/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz. bottle into Roanoke College branded American pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a golden color with a very large, slightly tan head. The head dissipates slowly and gets fluffier, leaving behind a lot of lace around the glass.

Smell: They say on the bottle that it's been dry-hopped, and it sure smells like it. Floral and nutty hop notes all around. Although, the aroma is weaker than one might expect, but this seems to be a common issue with Shiner beers.

Taste: Tarts off a bit toasty with notes of sweetness, and finishes with a good butteriness and a balanced hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Pretty thin, with only a bit of carbonation. Seems to stick on the palate.

Drinkability: Possibly the best balanced beer that I have had from Shiner and overall a pleasure to drink. It's not quite hoppy enough for hardcore hopheads, but is still enjoyable for your average beer advocate. Also might be a good gateway into hoppier beers. Would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 00:11:33 | More by Mosstrooper

aeminter

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Fizzy and yellow...ok pale gold, weak lacing, initial head is about 1 cm, but quickly falls to a very thin persistent film

S - Pleasant slightly sweet aroma, some hops but not remotely overpowering

T - Very mild, hop flavors and bitterness is hardly noticeable, slightly sweet...especially the aftertaste

M - Med-high carbonation, medium body

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2009 04:57:23 | More by aeminter

nickfl

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on top of a amber-gold body with excellent clarity. The foam settles a bit but it is supported by rapidly rising bubbles.

S - Toasty malt notes with some surprisingly strong, spicy hops.

T - Soft, malty notes up front with some toasted character. Spicy, herbal hop flavors begin to come out in the middle. The beer finishes with dry, toasty malt and spicy, green hop flavor that imparts only light bitterness.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - I didn't expect much from this beer, and while it isn't very complex, it is much better than I assumed it would be. The malt is light and simple, but pleasant enough, however the hops are what really stands out in this beer. They are spicy and earthy with a very fresh character that makes the beer extremely drinkable. This beer is excellent for what it is and I would happily drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 00:59:51 | More by nickfl

Atlas1

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Like the first reviewer, I haven't had Kosmos Reserve in over 10 years. Last time Shiner released this beer, I was in college and had not yet refined my beer palate as much. I'm extremely happy they re-released this beer again.

Pours bright and shiny, clear and straw-colored, with a one-finger head of white fluff on top. Nice enough to look at. The nose is light and fruity, but substantial. Apples, pears, berries, with a nice subtle hop character built in. Sweet aroma overall, but not syrupy. Taste is more earthen and yeasty. Dull at first, but upon further inspection the flavors are more complex and layered. Just subdued at the same time. Almost medicinal, but with a lingering malty sensation. Quite nice, if not spectacular. Mouthfeel is clean, refreshing, and dry.

A totally drinkable beer. I wouldn't mind at all if the brewery brought this back on a year round or seasonal basis. It's a solid lager and makes a fine session beer. Along with the 100th anniversary beer they did (dopplebock), Kosmos helps make 2009 a very good year for the folks at Shiner.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 00:01:39 | More by Atlas1

MirkoCroCough

Croatia (Hrvatska)

4.05/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

From a Shiner sampler.

Looks nice. Golden with a hint of amber. Very clear.

Smells like beer. Bit hops in there too.

Taste good. Finish is a little on the dry side, not too dry however.

Smooth. Not seltzery.

Goes down easy. Could drink a 12 pack with ease.

This is a beer without pretense. It taste good, looks nice in a glass and is easy to drink. Too bad they don't release this in cases. Should be there flagship beer. Much better than Shiner bock.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2009 20:31:55 | More by MirkoCroCough

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ba Review #23
Served On: 7/30/2011
Glassware: (Hershey Bears) Pint Glass

This one was in a Shiner family mixed 6-pack I stumbled across in a liquor store down in Urbana Maryland.

Look: Poured a clear light yellow color with a steady stream of carbonation bubbles. Head was a thin white coating.

Smell: The aroma had a spicy lager character to it. There was a sourness, maybe from a certain hop they used? Not a bad smell, just nothing too special.

Taste: Taste had a sour fruity note upfront, followed by some bready malts and a spicy lager quality. The finish was rough on the tongue from carbonation. Aftertaste was of dark fruits and that typical lager dryness. I could have almost mistaken this for an Altbier with the dark fruit and spice qualities. The palate is very similar to what I got with the Long Trail Double Bag.

Overall I really like this one from Shiner. This brewery was one that helped me discover the word of fine beer, so naturally I have always been somewhat partial to their offerings.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 20:18:40 | More by CraftBeerTastic

raznug

Ohio

4/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Kosmos pours a crystal clear deep orange color and is topped with a ½” of white head that dissipate very fast.
Smell: The hops play the main part of this beer but the malt has a very close back up role that makes for a tasty blend.
Taste: The hops and malt blend together nicely to make a very tasty lager that is one of the tastiest beer Shiner brews.
Mouthfeel: Kosmos is medium bodied and just an all around good beer that makes me love this brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 13:00:11 | More by raznug

Soilworker

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a pale gold with about a half finger thick white head with moderate head retention.

S: Bready malts and grassy hops with a slightl hint of ripe banana peel with an almost artificial like quality to it (almost like a banana Runt candy).

T: Similar to the nose by being dominated by a well balanced bready malt character and grassy hops. The combination seems to come off a bit sour. As mentioned before there is nothing terribly exciting going on here.

M: Crisp and refreshing. A little on the watery side but I think thats acceptable for the style.

D: A very easy drinker. Not really sure what the ABV is on this (apparently a secret, not sure why they wouldn't put this SOMEWHERE on the label). Goes down smooth and I don't detect any off flavors that make this once unpleasant to drink.

Notes: I think this would be one of the beers that people might knock down just because its easily accessible and a basic lager. I think they hit on the intended style quite well: it has more complexity than an adjunct lager, which I like, and is quite refreshing. A decent lager in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 23:49:12 | More by Soilworker

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Shiner Family Reunion will end for me once this review is finished. I am really glad that I picked up this mixed-six pack while in DC and I would encourage others to try it.

From the bottle: "The original brewmaster of Shiner Kosmos Spoetzl [pictured]"; "This aromatic dry hopped lager is specially brewed to celebrate the man who started it all."; "Every drop of Shiner beer is brewed in Shiner"; "Prosit! to the original brewmaster of Shiner"; "The original brewmaster of Shiner Kosmos Spoetzel knew how to brew great beer. Born in Bavaria, Kosmos' mastry of German brewing carried him as far as Egypt before he found his way to the small Texas town of Shiner. Our proud brewery still carries his name and commitment to excellence in brewing, This full-flavored, hop-jacked lager is every bit as unique as the man himslef and our way of saluting the brewmaster who started it all. Prosit!"; "There's nothing finer!"

I am unsure of how Kosmos might have felt about twist-off caps, but I am not a fan. There is no Pop!, no nothing until the pour, in this case resulting in a foamy, soapy finger of eggshell-white head with moderate retention. Color was a gorgeous deep-gold with NE-quality clarity that would have made both Midas and Croesus sit up and take notice. Speaking of taking notice, the presence of earthy, grassy Noble hops really stood out on the nose. Mouthfeel was medium with a solid hop presence up front, underlain by a light malty sweetness. It was very clean and totally refreshing, especially for a lager. Finish was semi-dry and the hops really held their own throughout. I would drink this more often a) as an alternative to Pilseners and b) if it were sold in its own six-pack, instead of being lumped in with the Family.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 19:33:37 | More by woodychandler

HardTarget

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A) Golden hue, great clarity, nice finger of white head that dropped and disappeared without lacing.

S) Nice malty sweetness with a floral, peppery hop ribbon

T) Again, malty sweetness with a floral peppery hop ribbon! Firsh blush is a bit of seltzer water but mellows out to show a toasted malt base with a noble hop edge. Label mentions dry hopping, which I think adds to the complexity here.

M) It's a pale lager, it's light bodied but not weak, carbonated without getting too fizzy.

D) Easy drinking session beer, if you could get it as a session beer without the family pack (one of 6 different beers). I expect to see this as a stand alone sixer at some point, but this isn't going to stand out much from the Macro crowd.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 01:00:43 | More by HardTarget

mistascott007

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Coppery gold. Very mild head. Looks refreshing in pint glass.

Smell: Indistinct. Mild fruitiness. Sweet smell but not overpowering. Malty.

Taste: Heavy on hops. It almost tastes like a pale ale. Some soft fruity flavors. Nice aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: High carbonation, stings a bit but a smooth finish once it leaves the palette.

Drinkability: Very drinkable. Makes me want another sip. I typically prefer dark beers but I like this.

Overall: I like this beer. It doesn't seem like much at first, but it grows on you.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 04:55:26 | More by mistascott007

BgThang

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Let me just say its been 10 years since Ive had this beer. I remember it tasting like f'ed up shit. Of course this is before I learned about better beer and appreciated many different styles.

Appearance - very clean, ligth copper yellowish look. very well carbonated , but not alot of head.

nose - grassy, earthy malts. A little bit of a twang cannot pin it down.

Taste - Very descent for a larger if it is that. Sorry left my reading glasses at work and cannot read the bottle. There is something there that I got in the nose its a nice change from the norm. I am thinking its a unique hop that I have not experienced alot of. Still cannot place it.

Thoughts - This beer is one of my favs from shiner. I hope they re-release this as a seasonal in sixer. I like it. Alot. its not an A beer but a solid B beer. I do not care what you think, this is certainly a nice brew. ` If the rep for shiner reads this, RELEASE IT IN SIXERS!

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2009 02:06:02 | More by BgThang

Fnord

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Clear, light amber with a small but persistent off-white head.

Smell - Grassy and piney hops, some caramel malts, a bit of citrus.

Taste - A very crisp beginning, with some grass and sweet malts in the middle. There's a long but pleasant aftertaste of bittering hops and pale malts.

Mouthfeel - Medium body (for a lager), high carbonation.

Drinkability - Very good drinkability, especially when it's hot.

Notes - While not my favorite lager of all time, the dry-hopping definitely lends it its own unique aspects, so it's worth trying. I really wish they sold this by itself, though. Otherwise, it would have been a unique and interesting summer beer worthy of buying again. I don't want to buy another sampler for a single Kosmos Reserve, though.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2009 00:33:58 | More by Fnord

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle poured into a shaker pint. Bubbly see-thru gold with a 2-finger head that settles down into a denser skim. Good retention and lazy streaks of lacing.

The pleasant yeasty and grainy nose gives little more than a hint of the hoppiness to follow. In fact, there's quite a bit of lemony and grassy hop character. The vigorous carbonation seems to enhance a nice sting of bitterness. A slight hint of citrus juiciness at the swallow, then a clean grainy finish.

There are plenty of uninspired choices in this style, but Kosmos is not one of them. A good choice on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 01:48:33 | More by PDXHops

Beerbluesbiology

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pale amber-orange body with a small head dwindling down to just some bubbles sitting on the body. Smells albeit not too strongly of bread, biscuit-y and sweet with just a hint of hops. Nice upfront hoppiness is balanced by caramel malt throughout the sip. Hops kick in at the end again resulting in a pleasurable taste. This is probably the best Shiner beer I've tasted. Really a nice lager with flavor which does not fade out like a couple of the other Shiner beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 23:03:59 | More by Beerbluesbiology

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear golden-amber color with about 1/2 finger of off-white fluffy head.

The scent was of grains and sweet malt.

The taste was of sweet, toasted grains, some caramel malt, and notes of yeast.

Light bodied, crisp feel, moderate carbonation.

Overall I thought this was a good flavorful beer. This would be good to drink on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 14:21:27 | More by BeerCon5

jpaltan

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours straw colored, lots of carbonation, yet it fails to bring about any head on top. after mere seconds the head is gone. nose has some hop notes. kind of a hybrid of both citrus and piney. taste is nice and suprisingly hoppy. really a decent beer, but kind of shitty you have to buy it in that family pack. mouthfeel is pretty clean. overall refreshing,

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 18:43:41 | More by jpaltan

maleman

Mississippi

3.85/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. no freshness dating on bottle.

A - poured a one finger, bubbly white head that receded into a tight cap with thick lacing.

S - lots of hops, bready with some floral notes.

T - taste follows smell, very hoppy with some clove and other spices.

M - tasted in the back of the mouth with some slight aftertaste. a medium-bodied clean finish. above avg carbonation.

D - a good session quaff. if i see it again, i'll consdier buying it.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2009 23:27:13 | More by maleman

superdedooperboy

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12-ounce brown bottle with twist-off cap poured into a pilsner flute.

Appearance is quite nice. Deep gold in color with a thick two-fingered head of creamy slightly off-white foam that fades away slowly to a thick cap. A steady stream of bubbles provides excellent head retention and leaves behind a few fat rings on the walls of the glass as it empties. Wonderful clarity, as well.

Not a lot going on in the nose, with some mild honeyish, lightly toasted malt notes; virtually no hop character is detectable.

Light-to-medium in body with a moderate carbonation feel. Sweet, bready malt starts the show and carries through until the end, with some mild melanoidins and a moderate bittering hop character lending an overall impression of a lightened version of a Munich Helles -- it wouldn't be difficult to see this as a Pre-Prohibition era brew from a German immigrant brewer, making it quite fitting of its near status as such. The finish is semi-dry with a lingering note of sweet bread that is quite clean.

I seem to recall my first experience with this brew as being much more lackluster, but on this second go-around, mid-day when my palate is probably more attuned, it strikes me as a very decent representation of whatever it's aiming to be. Balanced with just enough character to keep it interesting yet not overpowering in any one area, this is what the German brewing tradition is all about. In this reviewer's opinion, Shiner "Bock" should kick the dirt and be replaced with this more characterful and authentic lager.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2010 18:31:30 | More by superdedooperboy