Krombacher Pils - Krombacher Brauerei

MsNitch

France

2.83/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Krombacher Pils 4.8%

adhering to the Reinheitsgebot

A: A very bright, caramel to hay color with spritely bubbles and a robust head

S: Grains and yeasts followed, slowly, by a malt or two.

T: For sure a pilsner with a very pilsnery, pils pop. She starts with that bitter and carbonation then lager yeast, grain and a lingering grassy coating.

M: harsh and dry

O: Like taking a yeasty roll in the hay this Pils embodies that simmering hot summer day when you were too stupid, too poor and too sweaty to linger in the beer isle. The problem with his beer boys and girls is that as soon as the chill haze wears off, so does the delightful bitter carbonated refreshment that first excites you. Not unlike young love, this beer is good for a quick July night under the stars, just make sure that there is plenty of ice in the cooler and a more then one.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 19:16:37 | More by MsNitch

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a mini can into a small beer glass.

Pours golden, brilliant, thick head of creamy foam that drops down to 1/4inch. Beer smell. Pilsy. Smooth clean crisp taste, light bodied. Very single, not to describe, but a solid easy beer.

Great little german pils alternative.

Serving type: can

08-26-2012 13:22:28 | More by KTCamm

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.25/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big white head leaves a thin white layer of head/lacing covering the entire top of a clear golden colored pils.

Sour to lightly skunk aroma with some light bread like malts.

A light sourish taste than the aroma would have suggested, the taste also has some light grain malt with a light bitter hops kick that seems to be its saving grace.

A dry aftertaste with a slight bitter nip on this light bodied beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 23:26:56 | More by LXIXME

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bright golden colour, one finger of sticky white head, dense with lots of lace. Smell is grainy and biscuity, light floral hop and grassy and earthy notes, a touch metallic as well. Taste is of cracker like malt, some grassy-lemony hops, grainy, more of the metallic character detected in the nose, long malty aftertaste. Medium carbonation, crisp medium body. While not wholly satisfying it was still an OK drink but that being said it is most likely one and done for me.

Serving type: can

08-09-2012 13:12:13 | More by peensteen

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500 mL can from the LCBO; best before March 5 2013. I worked my way through the majority of the generic Euro pale lagers available at my local shop last year, but every once in a while they'll add a new one to the lineup - and so here we are. At least this one seems to be an authentic German pilsener, a category I have some genuine appreciation for. Poured into a dimpled mug.

Pours a typical clear, golden-yellow colour, topped with slightly more than one finger of puffy, white, surprisingly long-lasting head. It hangs around for well over five minutes before fizzling away into a more manageable cap, leaving the sides of the glass smeared with lacing. This is actually a really good-looking pilsener. Doesn't smell too bad either - lots of grainy/cracker malts, some bread, with noble hop notes of herbal, grassy hay. Suitable for the style, and fairly enticing.

Reasonably good stuff - certainly a real pilsener, not just an EPL wearing a mask. Strong backbone of grainy pale malts, crackers and bread, supported by a firm noble hop bill that is grassy, herbal, and slightly peppery/spicy - this last bit covers one of my favorite aspects of German pilseners. Light bitterness in the aftertaste that lingers briefly. Light-bodied and kind of watery, with mild carbonation for the style - it starts off crisp but soon loses a lot of its bite. Definitely smooth-drinking, and well suited to tonight's stinking hot weather.

This is pretty tasty stuff - certainly not the best pilsener I've ever had, but a serviceable one that I don't regret trying. If push came to shove I'd probably stick with Bitburger, Radeberger or Stiegl for my German pils fix, but this would make for an acceptable substitute in a pinch. My main complaint relates to the flattish mouthfeel, which (at least in my view) isn't exactly a dealbreaking flaw.

Final Grade: 3.6, a manageable B grade. Unremarkable, yet still highly drinkable, Krombacher Pils is one addition to the LCBO's staggeringly huge lineup of pale lagers that I can appreciate. Now if only they'd get rid of all those lame ones, and use that space for something more interesting. But I digress - this is a respectable, affordable pilsener that is at least worth a try for any fan of German pale lagers.

Serving type: can

07-27-2012 04:13:43 | More by thehyperduck

oberon

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pilsner a light golden with a decent sized rocky white head that was gone pretty quickly.The nose is very clean...too clean,a bit of toasted grain and faint hint of iron and that's about it.Mild flavors of toasted bread and that iron note,light sweetness in the finish.Eh I wanted something I could drink while grillin in the heat,I could have done better.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 21:53:17 | More by oberon

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

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

A - bright straw golden, fairly tall white head after an aggressive pour, retained fairly well
S - fairly strong aroma of adjunct, grassy, some metallic
T - similar to the nose although the grassy hops are a little more prominent
M - light, crisp, clean, and medium dry finish
O - its on the mark in terms of ease of drinking and feel, but it is just a little lacing in the flavour department, I get the feeling this is a 'get it down your gullet' type of mass consumed brew in Germany, not bad but an average pils

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 02:22:42 | More by joemcgrath27

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

500ml Can from the Ottawa LCBO for 2.10$

Appearance - Clear golden yellow colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an above average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for 3-4 minutes.

Smell - Malts, breads/grains, herbal notes, corn

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts and corn mixed with some peppery/herbal notes. There is also a bit of an apple juice sweetness. It ends with a grainy slightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall - While it is very drinkable I was hoping for a little more of a refreshing taste/flavour. It had a grainy/herbal bitterness to it that seemed to take away from the crispness. Still a decent beer, just not something I'd buy again.

Serving type: can

07-16-2012 14:45:02 | More by spinrsx

godlessape

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've been lucking into some great German and Austrian beer specials at my local liquor store recently and couldn't resist picking up a 12 pack of this brew.

Appearance: Has an almost brassy wet wheat dark straw body to it with a creamy white head that sinks down to just a light skim yet never gives up.

Smell: Very slight grainy, bready aroma that you have to try hard to detect until you get half way down the glass and then you can pick up on some great malt notes.

Taste/mouthfeel: First comes the faint German malty flavor you expect from such a beer, just briefly at that, then comes the hop sizzle along with the high carbonation that comes across like you just stepped down on the distortion pedal on an electric guitar. Very crisp and satisfying finish.

Overall: A perfect summer beer. I"ll be picking up a lot more of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 04:03:53 | More by godlessape

Luigi

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear straw yellow with a massive rocky white head. The retention is great, as it stays at least one finger high with plenty of lacing.

The dominate aroma is baked bread with a floral hop.

The taste is about the same as it is very clean and finishes dry. Grassy hops, soft bread grains, with a refreshing dry finish.

This German pilsnener can be compared to many premium lagers out of Germany. To me it was nothing new, but what keeps this lager legitimate, is the authenticity of the style. Very refreshing for the summer months.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 23:32:59 | More by Luigi

steveh

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Continuing my re-acquaintance with light Lagers, particularly Pilsners, one that I can't recall ever sampling in the past. From the central to northwest part of Germany, not my usual Bavarian choice.

Label states No. 1 Premium Pils in Germany. Really? Even above Bitburger? Great thing on the label is a bottling *and* best-by date; the best-by being one year from bottling, or 08-23-12.

A -- Clear, golden color with a creamy, dense, slow-settling white head. About as perfect as you can get for a Pils.

S -- Mild DMS, spicy hops, and crackery/grainy malts. Pretty thin, but far from offensive.

T -- Flavor starts with crackery malts and quickly blends to mellow, spicy hops. Finish is dry and hop bitter with a touch of the same bitterness and citrus character in then aftertaste.

M -- Mouthfeel is crisp to dry with a light body.

O -- This is a well-done, clean and crisp German Pils with nothing outstanding, yet absolutely refreshing and satisfying -- and highly sessionable at 4.8. I may have to get more for the coming summer weekends at $13 a 12 pack.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 20:58:45 | More by steveh

metter98

New York

3.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high bright white head that died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface and some lacing down the sides of the glass..
S: There are aromas of bready and grainy malts and floral hops in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell, except the malty flavors are more bready and less grainy. A light to moderate amount of bitterness is present.
M: It feels medium-bodied, clean and a bit smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. The malty base doesn’t make it feel light-bodied or watery.
O: There’s nothing overly special about this pilsener, but it’s quite easy to drink and would pair well with some German food.

Serving type: can

04-15-2012 01:24:34 | More by metter98

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Krombacher Pils has a very thick, white head and a clear, sparkling, yellow-golden appearance, with lots of splotchy lacing left on the glass. The aroma is slight, with some light bread and grassy sweetness. Taste is of pale barley malt, sweetness, and a mild hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light, and Krombacher finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, and mostly dry. Overall, this is a wonderful beer.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:15:16 | More by RonaldTheriot

Viciousknishs

Virginia

2.95/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- pours a bright straw color with two fingers of bone white head. Pretty good retention with a smudge of lacing showing as well.

S- dry cracker like malt aromas with just a kiss of sweetness. Spicy herbal hops and an earthy characteristic on the finish.

T- grainy cracker like malt hit the palate at first. Zesty floral hops with some herbal and earthy notes are there mid palate. Finishes clean with a bit of a off putting steeliness and some lingering malt sugars.

MF- slick oily mouthfeel with a light body. Very high carb that gives a soda like consistency. Not a fan of the mouthfeel.

D- decent drinkability.

Overall not the best pils but decent.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 01:31:54 | More by Viciousknishs

Douberd

Netherlands

3.25/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Can, half a litre at home. Poured a golden yellow colour with a two finger head that soon went away, but stayed enough to protect the surface. Average bubbles rising to the top. Aroma is of malts and something I can't put my finger on, but quite pleasant. Taste is bitter and metallic. Medium bodied, leaves a dryness on your tongue. Average carbonation. Overall one step ahead of your average german pilseners.

Serving type: can

02-16-2012 19:25:42 | More by Douberd

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a single at Euro Market. Tastes like your standard German pils. There's clean bready malts, and as the lager warms, a pleasant herbal lemon hops edge emerges. It's not the most complex pils, but the right flavors are there, it's satisfying, and very drinkable. By memory, it's fairly similar to Bitburger, which is not a bad place to be. I wouldn't go out of my way to pick this up, but it's not a bad option.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 00:36:27 | More by tempest

taylocd

Alabama

2.73/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured from 11.2 ounce bottle to pilsener glass

A - clear bright gold with fluffy white head that dissipated quickly, but left respectable lacing

S - slightly fruity aroma which seemed a bit surprising, but not bad

T - no bitterness; malt sweetness was the most prevalent/powerful characteristic

M - little zip from carbonation; sticky finish

O - beer was good and an enjoyable, easy drinker

I picked this one up as a mixed-sixer to sample a brew that I first had on a trip Germany. It was a pleasant trip down memory lane, and a decent brew, but nothing outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 02:31:35 | More by taylocd

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.05/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours out a well carbonated light yellow. Aroma was actually kinda lemony wheat.

Very light taste, more of the lemony character, mouthfeel extremely faint, almost no malt character, the yeast was nice and neutral. A pretty neutral beer overall, the price is a little much from when I first got turned on to these back in Milwaukee at Koppa's and The Annex. I think the draft version had less bitterness to it. Halfway down it would recede into a smoother, creamier experience.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 04:50:28 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours 330ml slim can into a pint glass by freshness date.

This is a good looking beer with light pale yellow in color and thick foamy head that well retain itself also left some decent laces, visible carbonation is high. Smell is like typical German’s Pils with bready malt and spicy floral hop in nose yet a bit herbal. Bread/grain malt also dwells in its taste with moderate bitterness from hop to balance. Overall, it is decent and goes down well easy.

Serving type: can

01-23-2012 04:35:23 | More by Everydayoff

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.53/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 500ml bottle with a BB of June 2012.

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. A clear light-gold colour with good carbonation and the odd speck of sediment floating around. Produces a large head of brilliant white foam with a fine texture; this lasts for a few minutes before reducing to a surface layer. Aroma of light grainy malt with overtones of noble hops - leafy and bitter. A faint whiff of alcohol in the background.

Tastes of light malt with a crisp bitterness. Notes of grain and leafy noble hops. A background hint of spice, stewed hops and solvent. Mouthfeel is tingly and dry. Aftertaste of faint malt and bitter hops.

A decent pilsner; crisp and refreshing with a hoppy bite. Slides down nicely - I could imagine sinking a few steins of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 22:08:57 | More by jazzyjeff13

SkeeterHawk

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I just picked this beer up at the downtown Spec's today and am hopeful that we will see some of the other offerings from this brewery. Let's give the Pils a shot here in "the States".

Appearance: Pours a very clear light golden color with a small 1/8" head of small white bubbles that didn't really stick around for all that long. Within about 40 seconds, the foam was a ring where the glass meets the beer, and is being maintained by quite a few bubbles rising. There is a little bit is wavy lacing left on the glass after drinking most of the beer.

Aroma: The initial aroma was nice for a Pilsner with malt being the predominant aspect with some sweet toasty notes, but the hos are definitely present here adding a clean floral complexity. In the very cold beer, there are no off aromas at all and it is getting more toasty as it sits.

Taste: The flavor is also very clean and malty with some hop presence in the initial part of the flavor profile adding some flowers and maybe a hint of grass, but the malt is in control of the rest of the beer. There are some bittering hops to balance the finish, but they don't control the finish. The overall mouthfeel is medium to light with plenty of carbonation for what this beer is. It is a tad watery on the palate, but it is just really clean.

Opinion: Well, I must say that I am enjoying this beer quite a bit. I personally like a Pilsner that is more like a Helles, so this one fits the bill nicely. That said, it is a bit light in the hop department for this style...but you expect that a bit since it is brewed more in the middle of the country than in the North where the beers are notably more hoppy. Either way, if you like Pilsners OR Helles, I would give this one a shot on a clean palate and I don't think that you will be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 00:45:23 | More by SkeeterHawk

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Straw amber with faint red tinges throughout & topped by a foamy white, two-fingers width head that has nice retention along with leaving some light lacing on the glass.

Not the strongest on the nose but a pleasant pilsener aroma to it none the less. There is a sweet grassy hops and corn aroma along with a little grain and lager like malts.

Sweet tasting beer that the nose hints at, there is some corn and grassy hops in there too. It tastes pretty straight forward but it is nice, crisp and has some good floral notes too.

Pretty smooth with a light to medium body and a nice crisp, refreshing finish which is also mildly bitter feel to it.

It isn't the most complex beer I have ever had but still one that I enjoyed and it is one that I would have again.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 00:04:34 | More by flyingpig

Mdog

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pale yellow, big head, good lacing.

Smell: Floral, grassy.

Taste: Tasty balanced pilsner, though I get a fair amount of corny sweetness from it. Mild grassy hops.

Overall: I received this as a re-gift, my aunt received it from a German exchange student. The bottle had a best-before date of mid-August, so I was pleasantly surprised how good it tasted despite being out of date. Brown bottle and constant refrigeration probably helped. Anyway, this is a solid pilsner with a little more corn flavor than it probably should have, but that's ok with me.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 23:33:17 | More by Mdog

coldriver

Texas

3.28/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle born on 8/24/2011 poured into Sam Adams glass. Nice two finger tightly bubbled head, pours light straw colored with good lacing. Aroma is bready malt. Taste some subtle spicy hops but overall a bit underwhelming, a little metallic and sour. Nice crisp mouthfeel, but smooth - would make a decent session beer. Always been a big fan of German Pilseners and this one's a decent selection but nothing that really stands out.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 23:04:35 | More by coldriver

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My Cuz married a German bird and he and his hottie are Krombacher fans so I bought some for them on their recent visit. This is a typical German Style Pils. The color is golden clear with good carbonation that provides a thin white head that appears to be lacing. Grain and barley power the aroma on this beer...not much else. The taste is a standard German pils with a kick of wheat/barley/grain. Mouthfeel is good, on the lighter side which makes for a good session. Overall...its a good German pils.

Serving type: can

10-11-2011 00:39:09 | More by WoodBrew