Clausthaler Golden Amber - Binding-Brauerei AG

csmiley

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Color is somewhere between gold and amber, leaning closer to amber. The white head comes to about a half finger and dissipates very quickly. Some active carbonation sticks around keeps a light coating of foam on top. No retention to speak of.

S - Grain and grass are the strongest aromas. Notes of tea show around the middle. There is a light caramel sweetness on the very end. Uneventful. Not bad, but definitely uneventful.

T - There is a decent amount of malt in the flavor. It's very sweet overall. Caramel is out front with a supporting roll taken care of by grain. I know there is some fruit in there but it's too hard to pick out. The flavor drops out at this point. Not much else going on at all.

M - Lighter bodied with some active carbonation that tickles the throat. Finish is sweet (almost cloying) and sticks around for a minute or so.

D - Drinkability is not bad. It's much better than expected actually. The flavor is reminiscent of other European lagers I've had in the distant past. Would I have this again? Not if I can help it. Is it a good non-alcoholic alternative to beer? I would have to say yes. Yes it is.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2010 03:25:54 | More by csmiley

beerme411

California

4/5  rDev +21.2%

05-27-2013 05:49:21 | More by beerme411

phishbone23

New York

4.75/5  rDev +43.9%

01-23-2013 19:01:20 | More by phishbone23

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.63/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this Clausthaler from about an inch above the glass giving it a big white head above a clear light copper colored beer that has quite good head retention.

A lightly roasted sour grains with light yeast aroma on this light bodied beer.

A light unsweetened caramel malt taste with just a touch of hops bitterness hiding in the background.

A light caramel taste hangs around in a dryish aftertaste.

I was surprised that I actually kind of liked the taste of this non-alcoholic green bottled beer. Crazy, Imagine that.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 22:09:02 | More by LXIXME

Irish7r

1.75/5  rDev -47%

05-13-2012 20:22:11 | More by Irish7r

Vicsvapo

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -9.1%

04-16-2012 05:21:21 | More by Vicsvapo

RepMichigan

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

04-09-2012 17:59:35 | More by RepMichigan

ToasterChef

Maine

3.13/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My first ever NA Beer! A cellar temperature bottle poured into a pint glass.

Clear light copper color, with a small off white head. Lots of rising carbonation. Some light lacing.

Musty and slightly skunky aroma. Lots of malt.

Light, malty flavor. Lots of caramel, but not too sweet. Tastes better and is more enjoyable than a lot of regular strength American lagers.

Incredibly light body and a lot of carbonation. Virtually no coat. It just glides down my throat.

For my first NA beer, this isn't that bad. If I had to drink more of this for whatever reason, I wouldn't be disappointed; it's actually pretty enjoyable to sip this and not worry about having to drive after I finish my glass.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 19:41:25 | More by ToasterChef

weatherdog

Illinois

1.33/5  rDev -59.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

12oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

I'm only drinking this for the tick and for 'research purposes'

It pours a nearly crystal clear amber with a tiny white head that dies pretty quickly, medium lacing on the sides.

Aroma is of sweet grain, like when your homebrewing and are taking your third runnings. It's not rich and velvety in sugar like the first runnings but a bit harsh and grainy with just some of the sugar left.

Now this is where it gets bad. I'm going to stick with the homebrewing theme because it's exactly what I taste. It tastes like a low gravity unhopped unfermented wort. No bitterness, just grain and a light sweetness. It's not even a good graininess like some light lagers can have. It's just terrible. I can actually taste some stale hops too, not the good kind, the kind you scoop out of the boil kettle after sitting a few hours/day because you were too lazy to clean up.

Carbonation is on par with other lagers but it lacks any crispness and just tastes wierd in the mouth.

Overall this is terrible and it's going down the drain as soon as I submit this review. I'm trying to judge this on it's merits of a NA beer but I can't imagine this is a good example. This isn't even close to a decent beer substitute.

If this is the best NA beer out there then I will have to pick up some bad examples.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 00:26:18 | More by weatherdog

FosterJM

California

3.35/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

1039th Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
11.2 oz

Purchased at Trader Joes Chino Hills for $1.09

App- Much more copper in color vs. an amber color really. Takes a nice pour to get a nice one finger head that faded quite quickly and left on a couple very thin lines of cling.

Smell- When I first opened this I got some pretty interesting flavors. English muffin and some damp grainular malts with what I would say is that euro lager skunk. Pretty abrasive on the nose.

Taste- The taste was better than the nose. Slightly more sweet and bready. It has a pretty tasty flavor actually. A lot more than I thought but differs in that it lacks a certain umph that really would make this shine. Yes, I get its a NA but couldve packed a bit less metallic flavors.

Mouth- A fairly medium body which really suprised me. A good amount of bubbles to make this fairly medium. Retains a bit too much metallic notes

Drink- For a NA this was actually pretty good. Unique to me how they can do this. Recommended to those who want "some" beer taste w/o a big ABV hit.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:12:35 | More by FosterJM

smakawhat

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

So the top NON/LOW alcohol beer at the ready, strangely ran into this lets see how this goes. And only 75 full of calorie goodness.

A very styrofoamy white top head, not unlike Budweiser, falls slowly but eventually down. Body color is very crystal clear and a one single teak wood color. Interesting brown appearance.

Nose is a nice mix of clove hot spice, dry malted grain, but also a distinct nose of carbon dioxide like gas. It almost smells like coca cola. Otherwise actually pretty good smelling.

Taste is actually pretty decent. Comes across as a light bodied bock of sorts almost. Finishes with honey, sticky coating on the lips, palate is a little watery, but considering how little alcohol is in this, I am surprised there is even this much body in it.

Overall this is quite enjoyable for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 19:53:51 | More by smakawhat

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

2.95/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a solid golden color with a decent sized white head that displays moderate retention and minimal lace. Smells of skunk, corn, light bits of caramel, slightly bready malty aroma. If it weren't for the skunk this wouldn't smell half bad. Taste is bready and caramel malty with a hint of earth. Again not half bad. Thin body, spirited level of carbonation, bubbly foamy mouthfeel. Lacks any kind of body, tastes okay, if it weren't for the style tick I would have never bought this. Not too bad for an alcohol free I guess.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 22:17:01 | More by johnnnniee

damndirtyape

Ohio

2.78/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle (best by 10/20/12) poured into a shaker pint glass. Bottle clearly says Golden amber, but it's green glass, and, the cap says "Premium Extra Herb" And it's 0.5%....hmmmm....mixup of the cap and a change in the beer?

Appearance: Indeed - a orange golden amber clear beer. Initial 1/4" white head died back to a thin skin across the top and a thin ring at the edges. No initial lacing until I started to give it a swirl and then the lacing showed up.

Smell: When cold - skunky hops with some grass and something grainy in the background. With a swirl, more of the same but a strong hit of sulfur as well. It's a strong smelling beer- quite full of aroma but I'm not enjoying it.

Taste: Mostly bitter profile beer. Nothing but bitterness and something astringent when cold - gets much better as it warms up. Metallic + bitter + whole grain flavor up front, a hint of something bready in the middle then some German style earthy hops at the end and a dry crisp finish.

Mouthfeel: Well carbonated - borderline fizzy at times on the palate. Just a hair thicker than water, but it does slate the thirst nicely.

Overall / Drinkability : This is the first time I've ever had a low alcohol beer and I can say that it has a lot more flavor than I expected. Went well with food (pasta with basil + tomato sauce) but I can't see drinking it by itself. With food, pretty good. Without food, interesting, but the smell puts me off a bit. Glad that I could pick up a single and not a whole pack of thet stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 22:50:07 | More by damndirtyape

UCLABrewN84

California

3.8/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light honey orange color with a 1 inch off-white head that fades to a thin film on the top of the beer. Random tiny spots and splotches of lacing dot the glass on the drink down. Smell is of sweet grain and slight honey and citrus notes. Taste is of sweet grain, corn flakes, honey, and a citrus zest bitterness. The bitterness is pretty mild on the palate after each sip. This beer has a very high level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good low alcohol beer and the first I have actually ever had. To me this tastes pretty real and I would definitely get this again if I ever needed such a beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 01:28:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to drabmuh for locking down this "#1 of style" tick for me. Served in a tulip.

Pours a clear copper color with a single-finger off-white head that recedes somewhat quickly into a thin cap. Some slight spotty lacing. The nose brings forward a good amount of caramel; it smells like like caramel malt after being milled. Not so bad at all. A bit of graininess there as well. The flavor is much the same -- tastes just like caramel malt, though there isn't much sweetness there. Just a touch actually. Medium body and good carbonation. Actually not a half-bad brew. Good job.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 22:01:25 | More by Thorpe429

Justin23060

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Golden Amber as the name indicates. Small head that quickly diminished and clung only slightly. Smells somewhat light struck because of the green bottle (I've had fresher in the past). Thankfully no skunk taste. Taste is malty without being sweet. Finishes very crisp with no linger. There is a non-sweet honey taste in there that reminds me of wet sweet grass. IMO, NA beers, in a way, are like a batch of chocolate cookies in which one forgot to add one of the ingredients. Every bite, or in this case, sip, reminds me that Clausthaler is solid but lacks whatever flavor the alcohol would have imparted. I'd recommend this medium bodied brew to anybody who needs/wants to avoid the effects of alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:54:37 | More by Justin23060

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | 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."

The pour netted me about a finger-and-a-half of rocky, tawny head with limited retention. Color was a deep golden-amber (talk about truth in advertising!) with NE-plus quality clarity (I could see into the future) and loads of CO2 bubbles in evidence. Nose smelled strongly of Saaz hops underlain by a faint maltiness. Mouthfeel was medium with a slight astringency in the mouth, much drier than its Classic counterpart. Finish was mildly hoppy, slightly malty, nicely balanced. Once more, I felt that this was an N.A. beer that could easily have fooled me in a blind tasting. It has a well-deserved reputation as one of the better beers in its style. I would recommend this beer to anyone interested in this style.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 22:01:43 | More by woodychandler

TJBAIHWL

Virginia

2.58/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours golden amber, imagine that. The color is reminiscent of molasses. Very clear, not many bubbles. There's a surprising amount of lacing given the nonexistent head. A sweet, stale vegetable smell with notes of black tea and honey. This 'beer' gives an overall impression of lemony iced tea. There's some tart citrus and a raw malt flavor with notes of cornbread, sugar, and tea leaves. The lively, tingly mouthfeel doesn't really work with the flavor profile here. It feels more like they were aiming for an adjunct lager or pilsner. Overall it's drinkable and somewhat refreshing, though a little messy, I think.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 00:49:52 | More by TJBAIHWL

metter98

New York

3.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is crystal clear golden yellowish amber in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high creamy off white head that quickly died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: The nose has aromas of bready malts and grassy hops along with some hints of tea leaves.
T: The taste is similar to the smell except that the flavors of tea are much stronger and particularly stand out in the finish, which also has a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied and clean on the palate with a light to moderate amount of carbonation.
D: Drinking this beer is a breeze, although I'm not sure if I would have it again because of the unusual tea flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 00:47:38 | More by metter98

ZAP

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +34.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

*Ratings for NA style

A-Light burn orange color...good carbonation and an impressive creamy egg white head on top.

S-European spicy hops...smells a bit like a pilsner. Not a real strong aroma but pleasant enough.

T-Nice hop forward lager flavor....again the impression is a pilsner. A mild bready maltiness...

M-Always the weakest part of an NA but this isn't too bad. It has a light texture but not the watery feel a lot of these do. Crisp finish. Only on the long finish is there a hint that this is an NA and not a full strength beer.

D-I finally found this one near me and I have to agree with its place atop the leaderboard here. I guarantee you could pour this for a lot of people and tell them it was a real beer and only true afficianodos would be able to tell the difference. A nice substitute when you don't want the alcohol. Not as good as most regular beers but better than some of the shit ones.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 18:56:33 | More by ZAP

Rayek

Colorado

2.95/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Perfect Pint glass.

A: Pale amber, with good clarity and mild carbonation. A fizzy white head falls fairly quickly to a thin film that sticks the whole way down the glass. Leaves bits of lace.

S: A distinct straw aroma is backed by a light toffee and sugar sweetness. A bit of lemon rounds things out.

T: Start out quite sweet. Toffee dominates early before being aided by some dry raw malt. Bitterness is well balanced and has a bit of pepper to it. Things get a bit odd in the finish when a strangely chemical flavor sets in.

M: The light body has about the right amount of fizz.

D: This one of the better low alcohol beers out there. It's the finish that cuts this beer's score. The odd flavor in the end really detracted from the overall experience.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 06:27:24 | More by Rayek

drabmuh

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The #1 low alcohol beer on beeradvocate, finally something cool. Poured into a Troublette glass. Beer is slightly darker / more amber than its brother over there. Carbonation seems lower and the head leaves lacing on the glass. Oh snap, head is white and falls quickly to a monolayer.

Aroma is weak and sweet with a little bit of malt in there.

Beer is heavier than the other one but lighter in flavor with a big aftertaste. The sweetness creeps up on you. There is a grainy aftertaste and almost no midpalate character. I think the Premium is better. This one is harder to drink (for me) and its got more sweetness, which is what I don't like about these beers, they are all too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 23:13:44 | More by drabmuh

sman217

Kentucky

3.15/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

popped one of these bad boys open one day, just a little curious what it tastes like to be on the na side, and here is what i found.

Placed this beer in the freezer for 15 minutes. pulled it out. so cold if it has "the blue mountains" they would be navy blue! got my handy bottle opener,l and popped the cap. quite a releasal of air! first took a deep whiff, no really strong scent, but if some, a heiniken-like malty, fresh grass like sensation. i also noticed the major head this puppy produced. more than a lot of light beers you would by at the beer cave.
anyway, now for the most important part. took a large heaping drink, and tasted something odd... is that tea, is it fruit, is that hops? kind of odd, different, but i liked it! fulfilling mouth feel, with a silky smooth swallow. there where hints of hops, little over powered by the fruity tea like sensations, that where actually good. i was looking for a beery na beer, this turned out to be a new category of beers for me... tea/malt beer!

usual small citric after taste did come to play, but not bad. dont let me fool you. the tea flavor wasnt that bad, but you will taste something a little fishy, not literally. not fishy, but tea. anyway. i dont know though if this should be the best na beer on the charts... Bucklers is a bit better. tastes like a more skunky heini, with roasted hops. but thats another review..

This has been my review!!!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2010 07:27:14 | More by sman217

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: minimal head, clear, gold in color, low carbonation.

Smell: honey, grass, and sugar

Taste: honey, tea, and grass

Mouthfeel: minimal carbonation, light bodied, crisp, sweet but not as sweet as others in the style.

Drinkability: This one almost tastes like a non sweetened iced tea. I get some beer, but not enough to make me want this again. Nice and dry for a beer in this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 15:18:57 | More by tigg924

cjgator3

Florida

2.6/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle

A- Pours a dark amber color with a fizzy white head.

S- The aroma is sweet bready malts and grain. As somebody mentioned in an earlier review, it does have a tea like quality in the aroma as well.

T- The taste like the aroma is sweet bready malt to start out with and a hint of hops in the finish. More flavorful than most other low alcohol beers I've tried. A little on the sweet side but a little touch of hops in the finish to help balance the sweetness out a little bit. The sweetness makes it almost resemble a sweet tea. Could be better, could be worse.

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

D- Overall, not bad for a non-alcoholic beer. I would rather just drink a beer 99/100 times but I suppose this beer has it's time and place.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 23:52:46 | More by cjgator3