Tannenzäpfle - Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus AG

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.38/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a pale yellow colour with some lacing and a small head.

Smells quite average, slight hops and a generic lagery smell.

Tastes also average, like a bland lager with slightly more hops added giving it some tang.

Overall not much different from the Tsingtao I had earlier. Refreshing and nice but I dont see what the fuss is all about.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 21:22:16 | More by CwrwAmByth

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.6/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Gorgeous deep soft sweet doughy nose in the bottle to start. Poured, it has a very pale ginger ale like sparkle to the eye. A number of swirly wirly beading tornadoes throughout supporting a big rocky pure white glossy head. Frothy lacing webbed around the glass as well.

Soft then firm dry clean taste with a slightly herbally long bitter finish. Structurally this lifts up everything effortlessly yet is so supple and lean at the same time.

The brewer's skill is just stunning. No special barrels, no bucket loads of exotic ingredients or hops and no double digit ABV. Just simple and easy to appreciate but with more susbtance than you'd find in all the craft beer pilsner wannabes stacked together. Love it. Everything a world class pilsner should be and more.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 19:09:46 | More by Zimbo

bfields4

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Large white head. Crisp clear light golden body.

Very aromatic for a pilsener. Tons of the earthy pilsener malt aroma. Grassy lemon zest noble hop profile.

Slightly sweet malty cereal flavor. Nice light spice and herbal slightly piny hop bitterness give a nice crisp finish.

Light very effervecent. Easy drinking and tasty brew. Surprisingly complex for a pilsener.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 03:34:45 | More by bfields4

Brabander

Netherlands

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

THis is for sure one of the best German pilseners i have ever had! I saw this one in a shop in north Germany and i had heard this was a good brew.

Drank it tonight with an Indonesian meal i cooked. Great combination...

Poured in my Struise glass this beer is almost perfect, golden fluid and a nice white big head. Beautiful carbonation, i like that.

Fresh smell with citruslike notes. Crispy and very well balanced pilsener.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 17:57:14 | More by Brabander

RollTide05

Hong Kong

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

To me, this is the quintessential German Pilsner. It's very crisp and refreshing. For a lighter beer it's very complex. I actually noted a bit of a pine taste on this grassy and slightly bitter beer. Mouthfeel is zesty and fresh.

A very refreshing beer, I could drink 15 of them easily if I could find that many. They aren't easy to find where I live in Asia.

Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 16:45:23 | More by RollTide05

bmerz

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Is the same beer as the Rothaus Pils.

Very light hay color. White fleeting head.

Smells of hay and light citrus.

Taste is fairly bitter but the grain is still forward. Body is medium and lingering bitterness. Kinda prickly.

Very refreshing. I could and will drink these all day. Would love to have this in the US.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 18:50:00 | More by bmerz

kojevergas

California

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

33 cl bottle acquired at REWE store in northern Berlin, Germany, and poured into a stemware goblet in me Berliner friend's gaff. Reviewed live. The cost was a low .79 Euro. I was excited to try this as it's ratebeer's current number one German Pilsener (worldwide).

A: One finger head of impressive cream for a pilsener, nice thickness, and pretty good (1.5 minutes in a widemouth goblet) retention. A clear yellow colour. Appealing.

Sm: Cream, crystal hops, and vague nebulous barley. A mild strength scent - unusual for me as pilseners tend to be lightly scented.

T: Crystal hop laden, with a cream undertone and lurking barley. It's sort of complex, but not really. I'd like to taste more hops or feel some layering, but these features are sadly absent. The climax features some tricky balancing of crystal hops with cream notes and hop-laden barley, but it's nothing particularly special. All that said, the beer is damn refreshing. Built par for a German pilsener.

Mf: Light on the palate, and smooth & wet. Almost buttery, actually. More care was put into this than most German Pilseners I've had. Slight coarseness enters in on the climax, milking out the best of its flavours, but frankly that just isn't enough.

Dr: This would be an excellent beer for a hot summer day, considering how delicately light and refreshing it is. Best served cold. Excellent value in Germany; this may be one of the best cheap beers I've ever had. As ratebeer's number one German Pilsener, I'm a bit disappointed, actually. I think the Czechs do pilsners better. I'll stick with them from here on out.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 16:50:08 | More by kojevergas

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Many thanks to boddhitree for his selfless act in shipping me this beer during his visit to the States and not expecting anything in return. Poured from bottle (with July 2011 expiration date) into tulip glass. Pours a clear gold/yellow with a white, sticky/foamy large head. Good retention. Clean aromatics for such a light pilsener malt. Decent amount of hop giving it a floral and green smell. A little zesty and a little sweet. Most prominent taste is the bready malt base. A lot of doughy/fresh baked bread taste that provides just a very subtle sweetness. Then mixed in with that base is a loud whisper of floral and herbal hoppiness. Also just a hint of lemon and pepper. These never really jump out a kick you in the mouth; rather, they fade in and out of the bread flavors. The finish leaves a slight bitterness along with the bread taste. The flavor isn’t a bold outstanding one, but rather a very enjoyable one that lingers on the tongue. Light and crisp mouthability with a slightly dry finish. Good amount of carbonation, and goes down really easy. This pils is amazingly drinkable. Light, crisp, and refreshing just like a Pilsener should be. The flavors linger on your tongue for quite a while and just tempt you to drink more. This is one of the BEST pils I ever had! Too bad you need to visit the Black Forests to get your hands on one.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 16:35:42 | More by CuriousMonk

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

0,33l bottle. Mindestines haltbar bis 03.08.11.

It pours a nice color, very light, clear, and pale pils with a sudsy bright white head that leaves all the lacing int he world.

The smell is pretty interesting. It has some herbal, grassy notes but also some zesty fruit aromas like lemons, oranges, peaches, melon.

The flavor is nice too. It has a grassy/herbal bite to it that leads into some tasty malts that perhaps have a bit of butteriness but not an overwhelming amount, the fruitiness can be tastes as well and a little bit of sweetness, the finish is a bit bitter with some herbal notes but also a faint bit of fruitiness.

This is a hyped-up beer and is the first pils i have taken the time to sit down with here in Germany to examine closely but it is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 10:40:44 | More by crossovert

StJamesGate

New York

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours white gold with piles of lumpy, creamy snow white foam that leaves crusty rings. Perfumed nectar and grassy spice nose. Big honey on fresh white bread malts with coriander leaf and white pepper hops. Tingly finish and tight linger. Light, super dry, some stick, round.

Superbly balanced, bright and fresh. Hallertau and Tettanger give a twist somehow to the usual Noble profile. A quality pils.

Thanks to Mark for bringing this back from Berlin.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 17:54:37 | More by StJamesGate

rtepiak

Poland

4.47/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

this is a state run brewery in german and a must try for any beer fan.

this one has a back story as my grandmother was sent out to turkey in the 70's to orchestra the building of a few powerplants. all his friends were muslim while out there. and they all loved to hunt pig but didn't eat it. my grandfather would tell me stories about how his friends would give him the hunted wild pig and he would take it to the butcher. and for 5 dollars have 50kg of wild boar. his friends and him, pork eating or not, would go out into the woods with a crate of this beer and eat wild boar and the sorts over a fire. found out all this because i bought him a bottle of the stuff for his birthday.

pour is golden crystal clear with a white head of 3 fingers. nose of munich and very very mild smoke. a nice field of straw and hints of smoke and apples. the palate is brisk but complex of nice mild sweetness and earth and a tight quick pine and drop out of a great pils.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 00:52:40 | More by rtepiak

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

4.47/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a brilliant, clear golden color. The frothy white head is fairly tall initially, and sticks around for a while, depositing some soapy lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: Some doughy, grainy maltiness in the nose. A bit of lagery sourness as well. Noble hops are bright and assertive, with primarily spicy/herbal character complemented nicely by a light lemony citric tone.

T: Moderately grainy and rather doughy malts. Light sweetness up front before a lightly sour finish. Hop bitterness is strong. Flavor is equal parts German herbal/spicy noble hops and bitter lemon rind, which works very well in conjunction. As strange as it sounds, I get a light mineral character from this beer as well.

M: I feel like the body is actually on the full side of medium, but carbonation is crisp and perky to keep things from getting thick. Dry and slightly biting in the finish.

D: A very good German pils. Drinkable, assertive, and refreshing. A nice showcase of doughy malts, bold pale lager character, and German hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 02:03:42 | More by Clydesdale

largadeer

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pixieskid generously sent a couple of these my way. 33cl bottle into a stemmed pilsner glass.

Incredibly clear and pale, the beer is a pale straw hue capped by a rich two finger head that retains remarkably well. This is a great loking pils.

There's a raw noble hop character to the nose, grassy and somewhat herbal. Grainy pilsner malt becomes more present as the beer warms, along with a very mineral/hard water scent.

The palate has a huge hop bite, grassy and earthy, herbal and resiny. The bitterness is just barely balanced by a dry crackery pils malt backbone. There's a strong mineral quality, too.

Drinkability is great, though I can see the bitterness wearing down the palate after a while. Fortunately it doesn't linger too long, making it an easy beer to quaff. Delicious stuff, absolutely loaded with flavor for the modest 5% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 03:36:21 | More by largadeer

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to drabmuh for helping me acquire this one. Poured into a pilsner glass on 11.07.2010 after returning for our Northeastern beer trip.

Pours a clear golden straw color with quite a bit of visible carbonation with a few nucleation sites on the edges of my glass. Steady stream of bubbles throughout. Initial two-finger white head falls down somewhat quickly, but leaves behind some soapy lacing.

Nose is light grain and somewhat reminiscent of a keller beer. A bit of Noble hops, but this seems to be more about the grain. A bit plain in the nose, but then the taste really pops with some light bitterness, mild sweetness, and some smooth grain. The lower carbonation also reminds me a bit of a keller, though it really lets the taste come through and is almost a bit creamy. Drinks quite well and I'm glad I've got a few more bottles.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 01:26:00 | More by Thorpe429

WeisGuy

New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

330ml bottle from evantwomey, straight from Germany - thanks, Evan! Best by date of 17.02.11.

Pours a bright, clear golden amber with a two-finger white head. Great head retention and lacing. Clean, crisp grain and floral, grassy hops on the aroma. Like the aroma, very crisp grainy malt and a nice lightly bitter, floral and grassy hop component. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. This stuff is incredibly drinkable - it's killing me to only have 1 bottle. Really amazing stuff overall, one of the best German pils I've had.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 23:33:23 | More by WeisGuy

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt!

A: This pilsner appears pale yellow in color. The beer is transparent. Atop the beer sites an inch of white, foamy head that recedes over the course of a few minutes, leaving random traces of lacing.

S: The aroma is distinctly German, with hints of biscuits or bread, as well as a subtle sweetness.

T: A fantastic taste. If you love authentic German lagers, this is something worthy of your attention. Very appealing notes of biscuits, barley, and/or grain. This beer goes down effortlessly.

M: Fairly thin bodied, though that's to be expected from a beer of this ilk. Solid carbonation and an overall nice feel.

O: Extremely drinkable. I would love to sit down with some brats, sauerkraut, and a liter stein of this delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 00:28:40 | More by Huhzubendah

drabmuh

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I love German lagers. Beer is yellow and clear with moderate carbonation and a big head that falls away leaving some lacing on the glass.

Aroma is sweet and kind of grainy, smells pretty good.

Beer is light in body and leads off with some minimal sweetness but falls away to a very carbonated palate and some really nice finishing mild bitterness. No aftertaste and just a simple palate of clean flavors. A really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 23:13:10 | More by drabmuh

sfprint

Germany

3.53/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: About as good as a pilsner can look. Perfect fluffy head, great carbonation. Thin gold in color.

S: Rich malt, clean.

T: A bit sour metal, clean malt.

M: A tad astringent making it sand papery and the carbonation is quite mild. Mouthpuckering.

D: Ok. Above average but not stunning.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 02:19:32 | More by sfprint

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, straw color with tall, fluffy, white foam that persisted. Strong carbonation from the bottom of the glass. The aroma was a modest pils biscuity malt with aromatic hops. The taste was lightly malty with moderate hops to balance. Low hop bitterness except in the finish. The mouthfeel was smooth and crisp with medium-light body and good carbonation; relatively clean with with lingering hoppiness in the aftertaste. A relatively light and drinkable pils.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 23:23:21 | More by UncleJimbo

drpimento

Wisconsin

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

Served not that cold, and honestly, I can't hardly tell the apple part of it. Poured with nice, foamy, frothy, slowly fading, off white head that lasts and no lace. Color is a clear yellow. Aroma is a little pungent, malt, acrid, and hints of fruitiness. Body is good and so is carbonation. Finish is like flavor. Don't see why it's a cult hit. Maybe if I lived here.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 23:52:33 | More by drpimento

bark

Sweden

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The colour is straw yellow; the three finger head is compact, off-white and firm. It sinks very slowly leaving some lacing on the glass.

The smell is fresh, dry, hoppy (German noble hops) and clean. Hints of honey and fresh fine white bread.

The taste is also fresh, dry, hoppy (German noble hops) and clean. Oh what a fine German Pils this is! There is a very clean and refreshing malt sweetness, but the hops... The bitterness is stronger than your average standard Eurolager, but not as strong as the most bitter Germans Pils e.g. Jever. Herbal bitter flavours that develops into a lightly spicy aftertaste with a fine honey-sweetness and a very refreshing mild bitterness. Spicy light hops in the finish.

The carbonation is medium strong, the bubbles are mild. The liquid is semi-smooth.

Oh what a great German pils! I want more of this one!!!

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 19:56:50 | More by bark

BayerischBier

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Nicknamed "zäpfle" it is one of the kult beers for pils-snobs.

A: beautiful golden color,nice carbonation, and well appearing head.

S: very fresh with some grass/earthy note which makes you think about some hops like tettnanger being used.

T: very smooth with well balanced amount of bitterness and body.

M: well composed pilsner which welcomes you with a refreshing taste and leads to some bitterness combined with some hops and carbonation - great mouthfeel.

D: They come in grades/boxes of 24... you better get one for each of your friends; if you don't like to share a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 15:44:21 | More by BayerischBier

richmof

Belgium

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Looks as a pilsner should look: clear golden yellow with a nice foamy head that dissipates on the way down.

Not much to the nose slight biscuity malt and grassy hop, this follows through to the palate but is greatly amplified. A really grassy hoppy pilsner - bitter but not overdone (like a Jever). A classic example of a pilsner.

Prickly and dry, I could drink these all day long. So schmeckt der Sommer.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 22:22:26 | More by richmof

endovelico

Portugal

3.78/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into pokal. Best before date of 24/08/10. Medium artificial light.

Appearance: Light straw color. Thick foamy white head that holds throughout the session. Low perceived carbonation with thick lacing. Pristine clear.

Aroma: Medium intensity with slightly muted aroma. Slight skunkiness, herbal character, lemon zest, biscuit and flowers on the nose.

Taste: Very flavorful with the grassyness from the hops and the tobacco like earthiness standing out. Kinda muddy.

Palate: Medium light bodied. Medium to medium high carbonation. Medium to medium high bitterness. Finishes dry. Lingering grassy/earthy taste on the palate.

Drinkability: I really wanted to like this but i was disappointed. It's not bad, but it's really average. There doesn't seem to be any flaws however. I'll try to re-review it some other time if i get my hands on another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 06:01:40 | More by endovelico

digita7693

Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A clear gold, with a nice white head, typical pils, with good lacing

S slight floral hops smell, malts

T excellent, malts, very fresh, nice bitterness, but not a lot

D very very drinkable, very smooth. This is my go to pils, if available the only pils I generally drink

Im not saying, due to my score, that this is the best beer in the world or anything but I think it is one of the best Pilsners and grading to style it is what most pilsners should strive to be.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 23:52:22 | More by digita7693