Knappstein Reserve Lager - Enterprise Brewery (Knappstein Wines)

SmashPants

Australia

4.11/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: standard brown 330mL bottle with a stylish translucent label. Reeks of quality.

Appearance: a crystal clear pale yellow with a reasonable amount of carbonation. A fluffy head drops to a thin white cap. Looks good.

Aroma: passionfruit citrus and grassy floral hops, with some sweet bread malts backing up. There is more to it though - an almost sweet peel / orange pudding as well. Smells good.

Taste: akin to the nose - sweet citrus and floral hops. A wonderfully refreshing pilsener.

Aft

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 05:26:42 | More by SmashPants

soju6

Missouri

3.33/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear golden color the a decent head that fades to bits of lacing.

S: Aroma of fruit, some malt sweetness and bit of grain.

T: Taste is a bit of citrus and some malt sweetness, grain and fruit. light bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Light body, crisp smooth and refreshing. Nice balance.

O: easy drinker, quite enjoyable. good for a few.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 06:02:54 | More by soju6

PolarBear3

Australia

3.09/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

A - Pours a pale straw colour with a light fizzy head and leaves a little lace.

S - sav blanc like aromas - lemon, grapefruit and light hoppiness

T - get pretty much the same as lemon, or even shandy like with some passion fruit and a slight spicy and mild bitter finish

M- medium carbonation and light bodied

O- interesting beer, very refreshing and would go down well on a hot summers day.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 08:33:33 | More by PolarBear3

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle poured into pint glass 15/8/12 thanks Mikey for lugging this one across the Pacific
-from notes

A clear pale yellow with lots of tiny suspended particles being moved around by lots of big bubbles, not much for head or lace though just a thin film and a few random patches of lace

S passion fruit and guava come out right away, floral and tropical notes blend beautifully with the Sauv Blanc notes from the hops, not quite cat piss and gooseberries but I can relate to the grape

T much like the smell with just some faint sweet grains and maybe some papaya, very well done, not sure if this ones would pass for a pilsner in Germany like its listed but its passing for one of the better lagers I've had recently

M light and airy but the bubbles seem too push the beer all around the mouth bringing out the flavor, the finish is the only place where the grains are stronger then the hops and the flavor lingers for ages

O its been a while since I've had a a light lager this good, I'm loving the hop profile and could drink this one all day

I can't say I'm rating this as a German Pilsner because the hop profiles way off, that being said the hop profile is whats making this beer kick so much ass.
thanks again Mikey for this gem, drink this if you ever get the chance

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 23:43:02 | More by wordemupg

Zimbob

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a unique beer compared to the US and typical Australian markets. Truly shares features of a white wine, although clearly a beer, the aroma suggests a yeasty Chardonnay.

Color dark gold, clear and untroubled. Pours with almost no head, little/no carbonation - would think it was flat but for the explanation on the label that "wine and brewer skills combine to craft this lager bearing the imprint of the Clare Valley".

A tiny bit of cling in the mouth. Flavor full of flower, yeast, A little cheese, some notes of alcohol but much softer than a wine. A- 

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 23:17:17 | More by Zimbob

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from local grocery store. From notes.

A - Poured a light golden colour with strong carbonation. Three fingers of fluffy and soapy white head. Spotty lace and a film of retention.

S - Tropical fruit was dominant with some noble hop and grass and lemon.

T - Nice tropical fruit hop. Not much else involved. Lot's of Kiwi hop.

M - Strong carbonation, medium body and a good bitterness.

O/D - Tasty lager. Hop forward and easy drinking. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 22:28:02 | More by tbeckett

MrKennedy

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle from Porters Northwood, poured into a Great Divide Cervoise goblet.

Nice see-through, sparkling appearance, very pale golden, light straw. Had a white fluffy head that poured at an inch and settled above film.

Smells of home-grown passionfruit and a fair bit of it. Stays with it for some time.

Taste has the same passionfruit as the smell, home-grown. Tastes sweet, but not over the top. Fruity.

Good solid body, well hidden ABV for the size of this lager. Late bitterness which is noticeable but not over the top.

Decent beer, not the most sessionable. Nice lager experience nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 07:59:45 | More by MrKennedy

rodenbach99

Quebec (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brown bottle brought back from Australia by brother-in-law. Intringuing lager from Clave Valley more renown for it's riesling than their beer. Best before 13 june 2012. Nice straw-wheat field colour with a white head. At first the smell is very nice, cat pee, some mango, New-Zealand unripe sauvignon grapes wine. I like this nose !!! The taste equal the nose with this ton of mango fruit, pineapple and this very distinctive Nelson Sauvin hops. Nice texture, good mouthfell. This beer is a regal. I would easy make this beer my back from work drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 17:55:17 | More by rodenbach99

heygeebee

Australia

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a one/two finger head, straw coloured, nice bubbles. Little lacing

Aromas of passionfruit, hint of lemon, quite sav blanc-ish actually.

Taste is full bodied, hops come through, more restrained grapefruit, quite a dry finish. Wine infulences in brewing can be noted, as label states.

Mouthfeel is just right for this lighter style.

Overall this is a real find. It really is a touch above average lagers. Hype justified

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 07:44:53 | More by heygeebee

jimiboi

Australia

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: clear, straw coloured liquid which pours a lot of head with light lacing on the glass.

S: light citrusy aroma; the sauvin hops are a nice touch.

T: passionfruit, finishing with light grapefruit taste

M: bitterness in back of throat, well balanced carbonation, finishing with spicy warmth on the tip of the tongue.

O: nice drop, has good and bad characteristics, but nothing really stands out - a bit light-on in the smell and taste department for my palate.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 11:55:17 | More by jimiboi

dansmcd

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A - Handsome bottle. Drunk from a champagne flute. No real head, just a few bubbles on top. Looks like a clear yellowy wine with a single stream of single file bubbles escalating up the middle of the glass. Very different look.

S - Canned peach, green apple and rockmelon, nice balance of sweet and sour.

T - Again, well balanced with the acidity of white grape and green apple with the sweetness of peach and melon. The sauvin hops are clearly recognisable.

M - Very light body with a low carbonation.

O - Refreshing and lively, but as close to sauvignon blanc as pilsner. Im not a big fan of white wine but appreciate the achievement of this finey balanced lager.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 00:53:04 | More by dansmcd

KevSal

California

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks dgilks, came thru with an awesome variety from the southern hemisphere. hope you enjoy the states

label says winemaker and brewer skills combine to make this, interesting.

sharp looking 330ml bottle poured into a pilsner glass

a- less than a finger of head, clear yellow hue with good looking bubbles ( not the soda pop kind like in bmc)

s- this one smells much better than I expected, hops fill the nose, I think Im a fan of Sauvin hops now haha. reminds me of duval triple hop a little bit

t- very flavorfull, best lager I've had to date. hops used add a nice bite over a smooth beer. Belgian qualities are present, maybe because of the yeast used?

m- this is what I feel makes this beer really shine. very thick for the style helps the flavors spread across the tongue. very good carbonation.

o- very well done. if I had access to this guy id by more. perfect fo a hot summer day like today. packs a punch of flavor while siting at 5.6%.
If you have a chance to try it hope on it. if the other beer I got from australia or as good as this guy, I'm in for a treat.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 19:26:33 | More by KevSal

Stew41

Australia

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally have got around to trying this beer and I have to say it’s deserved of the hype. Visually lacks excitement; just your standard light amber premium lager-like hue. Bouquet is choco-block full of passion fruit abd grassy herbal notes. As others have rightly observed very wine / sav blanc like (minus the sweaty notes sometimes found in Kiwi savvys). Overt fruit notes drop off in the mouth but are more than adequartely replaced with floral fruits / hops and a firming, bitter finish. Very different and really does push the fruit / floral aromas very well.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 12:56:04 | More by Stew41

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330mL bottle acquired in Canberra in a trade with dgilks - cheers David! - and sampled back on Canadian soil. Despite being in one of the world's largest wine producing nations, I didn't really try a whole lot of Australian wines, as I was all about the beer. But a beer designed by a winery? Sounds amazing.

Pours a light hazy golden, clear and effervescent, sturdy inch of frothy head. Not much lacing, but excellent retention.

The nose is simply fantastic - sweet white wine, fruit (apple, passionfruit, melon, orange, grape), honey, mild grain, a bit of light hops. The sweet alcohol smell reminded me a great deal of mead.

An excellent lager, fresh and fruity, but with a clean hop finish to maintain its "beeriness." The wine flavors are terrific, nice and sweet, complimenting the malt quite nicely. Finishes with a dry white wine kick, slightly astringent.

Mildly under-carbonated, but that was probably my fault. Nice and light, refreshing, dryness lingers on the tongue.

Brilliant stuff, among my favorites of the entire trip. I've usually had good luck with brews from places that are primarily wineries, and this was no exception. Takes the best parts of a German Pils and an Aussie Cab-Sauv and the end product is greater than its sum. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 21:54:48 | More by JohnnyBarman

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A massive thanks to MrKennedy for sending me a bottle of this! I had been trying to find this online for well over a year and thanks to Owen I am able to finally try this brew!

The look of the beer is very much like a pilsner with a clear yellow color body. The head is very fluffy and actually has a good retention too! The lacing is also impressive for a pilsner. The smell is refreshing and light, with a really subtle sweet fruit aroma. The taste is very refreshing, light fruity flavors with a slight hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is super smooth and very drinkable. I find this beer to be very good all around. It's not like your typical pilsner. I may be looking to get more of this sometime soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 22:24:19 | More by Knapp85

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Very excited to get to try this on tap the the Local Taphouse in Sydney recently, as part of their feature on the top 10 beers from the Critics' Choice book. Usually, it's only ever available on tap at the brewery, so I thought it was worth a look.

Pours a very pale and very clear yellow colour, with a white, filmy and collapsing head. Carbonation doesn't seem quite as rampant as in bottles, but it's still bright and fresh looking. Lovely.

Nose is clean and fresh, perhaps slightly less pungent than in bottles, but that could be due to a whole range of things. Still that classic Sauvignon Blanc-grape gooseberry, green capsicum and passionfruit aroma making a swirling, delicious mélange. Gorgeous.

Taste is clean and fresh, with a very slight hint of pilsnery grain on the back, but mostly laced with those fresh Sauvin hop characters which give this its unique, clean and refreshing profile. Feel is light but clean, yeah, I think the carbonation level is about the only major difference I can tell in this from the bottled version.

The good news? This is almost identical to the beer we can regularly get in bottles. I held out hope that an outstanding beer like Knappstein could be even better on-tap, but I'm glad I won't be regularly crying into my bottled Knappstein: "But the draught version was so much better!"

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 23:06:34 | More by lacqueredmouse

emmaxwell

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured straight from the fridge into my Hobgoblin Pint Glass (thin/tall glass).

Appearance:
Poured a nice thick 2 finger head, with thick white lacing coating the glass on each sip. The white lacing from the first sip stayed in place until the end. Great head retention.
Pours a very inviting rich yellowy/gold colour.

Smell:
Had a great fresh fruity smell, with a hint of floral coming through as well. I was amazed by the smell of this beer, absolutely amazing. Thumbs up to the Sauvin hops.

Taste:
Crisp, fruity, fresh yet with a slight spicy edge, however not too strong. The beer tastes lighter than the 5.6%ABV would make you think. Very refreshing on a hot day, wish I had a few more in the fridge.

Mouthfeel:
Nice carbonation throughout the drinking experience, very light on the tongue, a nice smooth lager variety.

Overall:
A great beer, nice taste, amazing smell. A wonderful choice of beer on a hot summers day.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 06:07:14 | More by emmaxwell

Bobby12many

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Simple and Classy looking bottle. Pours a pale yellow hue with a thin retaining head that sticks around. Spotty lacing is apparent.

S - Slight smell of yeast mixed with a tart citrus note. A good dollop of hops come through as well.

T - Smooth hoppy character with a zesty hint of lemon and grapes possibly. Quite complex for the style. Very unique blend of hops and refined yeast in the finish.

M - Lively, well carbonated with a perfect dryness in the finish.

D - An incredibly sessionable lager. Very tasty, refreshing, and complex enough for the ABV. I hope I have a chance to try some again in the future. ....if I could be so lucky.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 02:09:32 | More by Bobby12many

rowey77

Australia

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with a decent size head that quickly disappears. Leaves very little lacing. Interesting labeling with a bit about the beer and the history of the brewery.

S - This is the standout feature of this beer. The Sauvin hops gives this a very fresh fruity smell, as would be expected. I get passionfruit, a bit of lemon maybe some melon.

T - For the style, the taste is pretty good. Quite crisp and refreshing with a bit of a fruity tartness towards the end.

M - A very light feeling beer given its 5.6%ABV. I guess the hops hides the alcohol.

D - Good session beer for the sort of weather we've been having here lately (38c).

It's a pricey beer but I guess that's to be expected given that it's made by a winery as opposed to a proper brewery. Some people may criticise them for making a beer to cash in on a growing premium beer market but I think it's a good thing. Could be a good "educating" beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 23:43:33 | More by rowey77

juju7

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Definitely one of my favourite pale lagers. If more pale lagers were like this the world would be a better place. Quite pale in colour, tight, persistent head. The nose is a lot of fun - grape, lychee and melon with some definite hints of sauvignon blanc. Forunately, flavour-wise not as one-dimensional as sauv blanc. Fresh, dry and again a little grapey on the palate with some sturdy bitterness along for the ride. I just wish these guys would make another beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 09:08:39 | More by juju7

Daniell

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: pours with an impressive head, good lacing, unattractive yellow peey pilsener colour (to me at least), but I guess it's to style and the head and lacing more than make up for it. 4.

S: Passionfruit. Tempered with an "Australian beer" smell. There's definitely a yeast smell that sort of reminds me of Cooper's prominent in the nose. 3.5

T: Passionfruit, sour citrus, tempered with a little bit of bitterness at the back of the palate. 3.5

M: I guess it's about right for the style. 4

D: 3.5 This is nice but I almost find myself craving a bit more substance- perhaps some more malt as well as some more bitterness. It's not that far from style though. And there is a wholesome lingering bitterness there, even if it is subtle. 3.5

A nice beer, not sure if I'd bother getting it again with more interesting offerings available though.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2010 10:39:29 | More by Daniell

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine March 2007.

What happens when an Australian winemaker becomes a brewer? Let's find out.

Pours a clear, pale yellow; somewhat still and dense in appearance, with a thick white lacing. Unexpectedly fruity in the nose, with some melon, grape, and light herbal notes; clean overall though. Very smooth on the palate. Malty, fruity, medium bodied, rounded and even. Sweetness is light but present and provides some depth; something to lean on. The fruitiness emerges with suggestions of nectarine and lychee. Spicy, tingly noble hop character. Quite hoppy and playful, with complex herbal and floral notes. Perfectly balanced. Some white grapes in the creeping dryness. Lingering herbal spice, melon, and faint vegetal in the finish.

Very German Export Lager-esque, but with a unique nod to a Sauvignon Blanc, no doubt thanks to Knappstein's use of Sauvin hops. Bold, lively, and re- freshing, this is an excellent offering and a must-try beer for the Lager connois- seur. We look forward to future beers from these guys.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 19:57:20 | More by BeerAdvocate

philphilphil

Australia

2.08/5  rDev -47.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Got it from my friends fridge, within freshness date. This beer has definately been overrated by the earlier reviewers.
Smell is a floral and strong, bit over the top.
Not exceedingly carbonated.
Taste is too, too strong, offensively so, masks the high ABV, but at the cost of making each sip an effort. Maybe just not to my taste.
I wouldn't drink another if it were free. Tasted like a classy version of crown lager which I hate. maybe it is just not to my taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 08:04:12 | More by philphilphil

mulder1010

Australia

2.88/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

330 ML into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass

A-- Poured a light straw color. Half inch head with good retention and very carbonated.

S-- Took a good minute or 2 for the beer to open up. Once it did I got a decent floral smell. Nothing real strong but is there. Also a bit sweet, like pineapple and mango sweetness. Once the beer opens up a bit it does go from floral to fruity.

T-- Not a lot really. Fairly neutral I thought. Got a floral taste in the end but not a whole lot else. A little bit of bitterness, or grassy taste from the hops but very neutral.

M-- Well carbonated and fairly lively. Much more hoppy than malty to me, even though it does have a little bit of biscut sweetness in it. Does get grassy in the end and it is a bit of a turn off to me. Would have rather have the sweetness than a bitter end to the beer. Or the other way around.

D-- Not my style, to be up front. Only one is sufficient. I really liked the sweetness in the smell and wish this was more fruit forward. Would be pretty good then. Summer beer only and decent drinkability for the summer. 5.6% is not that bad at all and do not really get much of the ABV in it

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 11:09:38 | More by mulder1010

dgilks

Australia

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a crystal clear pale straw colour. A fluffy two finger head has good retention.

Light passionfruit and mango aromas. A nice floral, slightly tart nose.

Lightly flavoured but well executed. I get passionfruit, lemon, and some nondescript fruit. A slight astringency comes through the back palate along with a hint of grain. A balancing dose of bitterness lingers but doesn't put itself in the forefront.

A little bit heavy for a pils with the lower (for style) carbonation allowing the beer to coat the mouth. On the other hand, the smooth, creamy mouthfeel works well with the flavours here.

A tasty, well crafted pilsner which is definitely in the New World mould. Very tasty and a great spring drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2009 07:29:25 | More by dgilks