Clausthaler Premium - Binding-Brauerei AG

SuperSpy

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Very clear golden color, a 1-inch white head and some beautiful lace.

S - Smells like fresh malted barley, or maybe like I stuck my head inside a bag of dry malt extract. There is also some tomato soup in there.

T - This tastes like a grabbed a handful of pale malt and started snacking. I do that sometimes so this is a pretty nice taste. No crunch of barley kernels though so it's not as satisfying. This isn't nearly as sweet as I expected from an NA, so I am very impressed. There is some decent balance here.

D - Honestly this is an easy drinking NA. I would highly recommend this to any DD at a bar where it was available. Not something I would drink normally but if the doc said I couldn't drink alcohol anymore then this would find its way into my fridge occasionally.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2006 03:09:43 | More by SuperSpy

phishbone23

New York

1.25/5  rDev -57.2%

01-23-2013 19:01:44 | More by phishbone23

Spikester

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Clear gold with a small white head. Spotty Lacing.
Smell is light herbal and floral hops.
Taste is sweet bready malt and bitter euro hops. Quite full flavored in the world of N/A beer.
Mouthfeel is well carbonated and full bodied.
Overall one of the best of this type.
From a green bottle with a best by date of 102013. Long shelf life!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 08:07:31 | More by Spikester

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Heavy white foam and lacing on the glass. Straw yellow with a bit of carbonation.

Smell: Sweet, wet hay. A bit like a skunky Euro lager of pilsener.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Sweet caramel with a generic hop bitterness. I did not expect this much flavor. Mouthfeel is also crisp in the head and smooth in the finish.

Overall Drinkability: This is easily the best NA beer I've ever had. Granted, that is not saying much at all, but this is genuinely a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 00:31:38 | More by tjsdomer2

jesus808

California

2/5  rDev -31.5%

11-09-2012 17:41:53 | More by jesus808

drakkath

Alabama

3.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle purchased at Malloy's Finest Wines and Spirits in Chicago. Poured into my 32oz mug

a: pale yellowish collor, direct pour revealed a 1/2" head that didn't last long with some small lacing.

s: skunky, adjuncts, malt and some faint hops

t: bready malt, corn, some hop bitterness on the finish

m: crisp, light-medium body, bubbly carbonation and bite

o: wow. This beer isn't available where I live in Alabama -- found this gem on a business trip in Chicago. There is alot more complex flavor here than I've had in a NA beer, and could kick some macro lagers in their ass.

I am reviewing this on the NA curve, as I would with any other beer that's not my "style". This is king of the NA beers!

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:18:47 | More by drakkath

dbossman

Nebraska

3.5/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am rating this to style, which I'm not exactly sure everyone who rates this has done, but here we go:

A: Bubbly, pale straw-yellow with a large foamy head; decent retention and lacing

S: There's a certain level of skunk but also grass, grains, lemon, tea--sweet lemon tea; most importantly this actually smells like a beer which is saying a lot for most of the N/A beers I have tried

T: Crisp European lager up front with faint citrus and some bready and grassy grains; it all fades rather quickly but I'm not picking up on the skunkiness from the aromas

F: A bit thin, which is to be expected but there is enough residual beer left in the mouth to make this work

O: This is what a N/A beer should be; it tastes like beer; it's well made, and it's refreshing; this is the beer I will "pound" when I want to "pound" beer

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 03:16:49 | More by dbossman

Dave1999

Virginia

2.9/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Just got my wisdom teeth out so im off the beer for a few days but wanted something for watching the champions league final.

This poured a transparent straw colour with a head which quickly died down to nothing.

The smell is sweet and malty with just the suggestion of hops.

The taste is sweeter than regular beer,with a kind of bready taste.

The mouth feel is very light with medium carbonation.

Overall not too bad considering its non alcoholic. If it wasn't so sweet it would be fairly decent.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 15:49:24 | More by Dave1999

metter98

New York

3.35/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is crystal clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin bright white head that consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface along with some lacing running down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of bready malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has some flavors of bready malts. There are some hints of malty sweetness and a very slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is quite good and drinkable for being non-alcoholic and shares a lot of similarities with a German Pilsener, except that it has less bitterness and no dryness.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 01:02:36 | More by metter98

Mooseafer

5/5  rDev +71.2%

05-07-2012 07:46:42 | More by Mooseafer

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a crystal clear light yellow with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a half finger tall white head which dissipates quickly leaving a very thin layer of bubbles across the surface. This beer exhibits significant amounts of lacing.

S: The aroma is slightly skunky with some grains and honey sweetness present as well.

T: Flavors are cereal grains and honey sweetness, could probably use just a touch of bitterness for balance but really a big and enjoyable flavor.

M: Light bodied with low to moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: This is definitely the best tasting low alcohol beer that I have ever experienced, if this was a blind taste test I'm sure I would not be able to tell this was essentially alcohol free. I really enjoyed the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 23:37:35 | More by dbrauneis

LiquidSanity

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +19.9%

02-02-2012 17:58:16 | More by LiquidSanity

acurtis

New Jersey

2/5  rDev -31.5%

01-22-2012 00:47:36 | More by acurtis

ahugenerd

Newfoundland (Canada)

2/5  rDev -31.5%

12-16-2011 19:57:14 | More by ahugenerd

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

3/5  rDev +2.7%

11-15-2011 09:28:54 | More by Thehuntmaster

CaptJackHarkness

New York

3.5/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The bottle is green, so I was expecting the accursed skunk. Big surprise, it didn't seem lightstruck!

Pours a tad deeper yellow than most Non-Alchohol brews. Decent, but short lived head, a little lacing. It does have a hint of hops in the nose, and the taste is more "beery". That is; a touch of pale malt is noticible. This is overall not that bad, a good choice for those times you can not drink the real deal!

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 00:57:07 | More by CaptJackHarkness

yemenmocha

Arizona

2.53/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Green bottle, so expecting skunk. Pale golden color. Nose is ferocious skunk. Maybe a mushroom juice component in there. Skunk. Cereal grain on palate, malt, sweet. Light hops. Light body. Goes down easy, so long as you can tolerate the skunk. Better than a normal ABV American adjunct lager though.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 03:06:49 | More by yemenmocha

mdfb79

New York

2/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Blind Beer #7 from Kyle. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my Dogfish Head tulip. Can see the bottle is green and can already smell it as I popped the cap....ut oh.

a - Pours a somewhat clear golden color with less than an inch of very white head and moderate carbonation evident. Kind of looks like a BMC light beer...please don't be a kill shot.

s - Bleh. Pretty sure this is a kill shot. Smells like a BMC light beer that sat in a trunk at 90 degrees for a few weeks; skunk city. Some wheat and grain, but that skunky, sourness that is very unappealing.

t - Tastes of grain, wheat, vegetables, sour bready, and that skunkiness from the nose. Slightly better than the nose, but still pretty bad.

m - Thin watery body and moderate carbonation. Very light.

o Overall this is not a good beer at all, and must have been a kill shot. Smell is sour/skunked beer and the taste isn't much better. My guess is some sort of light BMC like beer.

And the beer is...Clausthaler Premium. Appears to be some sort of German non-alcoholic beer. Good news is that if this is the other kill shot than there are none left!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 01:33:54 | More by mdfb79

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I am going to be drinking a number of N-A and low-alcohol beers today since I really tore myself up last weekend and I want to balance things out. I will try to be as objective as possible.

From the bottle: "A non-alcoholic malt beverage made the way malt beverages have been made in Germany for centuries. Genuine, pure and natural. Clausthaler is brewed according to the law that's as unique as this beverage. The purest ingredients must be used - water, barley malt, hops, yeast - nothing else. Clausthaler, pure and clean with German taste."

My pour resulted in a finger of rocky bone-white head with limited retention. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a strong presence of Saaz and some underlying malt. Mouthfeel was medium with a good balancing of hops and malt on the tongue. Finish was really hoppy, surprisingly so. It started out a little watery, but I think that if I either closed my eyes or had it presented to me blindly, I would not think that I were drinking an N.A. beer. This is mighty impressive and I would recommend it to anyone that is after a tasty N.A. beer. Yes, such people do exist.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 17:08:43 | More by woodychandler

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.28/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.17 at Trader Joe's in Roswell, Georgia. Best Before: 01.20.12.

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear, dark golden body with a small-sized, fizzly, white head.

Smell: Mainly husky, gnarled barley with a handful of loose change and hint of dehydrated herbs.

Taste: Light malt inclusion with a noted amount of sourish, husky graininess throughout, even growing a bit as it warms. Slight sweetness. Faintly herbal hops and imparted bitterness. A tad metallic. A sip of coins and water-soaked chaff on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Drinkability: Minus the whole no-alcohol thing, it's not worse than a lot of icky, ill-conceived lagers running loose out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 21:17:17 | More by ChainGangGuy

drabmuh

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Doing a low class bad beer Thursday side-by-side with the two Clausthaler beers, the Premium and the Golden amber. Beer is yellow and clear with a thin white head of small and medium bubbles and moderate carbonation. Looks like a pilsner.

Aroma is slightly sulfury and mildly sweet. I hope its not skunky.

Hmmm....kind of tastes like beer. This is probably the best NA beer I've ever had. Its medium to light in body, got some nice graininess in there and finishes cleanly. There is a mild sulfurish taste to it, but its no worse than a mediocre pilsner that was stored incorrectly. I don't think I'll have it again unless I need a liver transplant but its good to know this beer exists. It's the first example I've drank more than 2 ounces of before pouring it out.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 23:05:58 | More by drabmuh

Halcyondays

California

1.83/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours goldenrod with a mild soapy head, spots of lace, pallid.

S: Light grainy smell, light hops, bit of Euro skunk, smells like a Heineken.

T: The malt flavour is really nowhere to be found, and the somewhat skunky, astringent and vegetal finish make it a hard beer to drink, not very tasty.

M: Medium-bodied in style, frothy, fairly smooth. The best part of the beer by far.

D: I don't expect much from a low alcohol beer, but this was pretty pitiful. If you're buying near beer there plenty of better options.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 01:36:08 | More by Halcyondays

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.2/5  rDev +43.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle served in a pilsner glass.

L - clear bright yellow with a very tall white head that had good retention and left a few spots of lacing.
S - classic German lager aroma, sweet malts and Euro-hops.
T - taste is light, crisp and refreshing and that of a good German brew.
F - lighter bodied with a zesty feel.
D - extremely drinkable for a refreshing beer drinking experience without a big buzz...
and it's low in calories to boot!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 21:11:04 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

cjgator3

Florida

1.68/5  rDev -42.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

12oz bottle

A- Pours a pale golden yellow color with a fizzy white head.

S- The aroma is sweet grain, corn and a touch of hops.

T- The taste like the aroma is grainy malt and corn with a sweetness in the middle and a crisp finish with a touch of hops. My problem with non-alcoholic beers is that most of them taste sweet like they are almost artificially sugared. This one is no exception. Not great in the taste department.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a high amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, not a huge fan of this one. Buckler is still probably the "best" non-alcoholic beer I've tried so far.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2010 02:17:55 | More by cjgator3

vishneda

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Best by date of October 2009.

I actually do like a good near-beer when the occasion is right. I grabbed a six of this after reading some positive reviews. Overall I was disappointed in this offering, however.

The beer has a very weak look to it. Not to say that this is a class of knockout gorgeous beers -- its just that this thing does very little to hide its emptiness. After pouring this one in the glass I drank the rest from the bottle. The aroma was relatively uninspired. There wasn't much to describe other than a light malty scent.

The flavor comes off as somewhat sour to me, but overall relatively pale. It came across to me like the best parts of the flavor were left out. I've had other NAs that were not this way. The feel of this beer is predictably light but expected. It's drinkable like seltzer water.

(Review from tasting notes dated 03 Jun 2009)

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2009 03:40:09 | More by vishneda