Bitburger Premium Pils - Bitburger Brauerei

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.03/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a fluted pilsener glass.

Look: Crystal clear straw color with rising bubbles. Foamy, soapy white head. Nice rings of lacing.

Aroma: Faintly sweet, grainy.

Taste: Sweet grains and malts lead into a subtle hop presence. Bright finish.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied.

Overall: Great session beer, clean and refreshing.

Serving type: can

04-25-2013 19:01:57 | More by JuicesFlowing

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

2.83/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

"Germany's No. 1 draft beer" Poured from 1 pint can into a pilsner glass... One finger of snowtop over a dark yellow translucent beer. Aromas of pale malts and sweet grass barely hit the nose. Truly it smells like a gentlemens Keystone Ice. Somewhat grainy sweet, with bitterness towards the back and an acrid flavor reminiscent of a garden weed. The mouthfeel is extremely bubbly which masks the lighter body.

Overall it has flavor, which is good, and it is better than many mainstream Pilsners. I would choose it over any BMC.

Serving type: can

04-23-2013 10:05:15 | More by JoeAmerican77

delta490

Virginia

3.49/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500ml can into an imperial pint glass. Color is an almost-medium gold and it had a big creamy white head that doesn't last long, but leaves some nice lacing. Aroma is nice, with floral and bread. It has a pleasant sweetness, mimicking the aroma, but balanced against a nice hop bitterness on the finish. It has a thicker mouthfeel and a little carbonation which make it quite pleasant. All in all, a nice German pilsner.

Serving type: can

02-16-2013 09:03:07 | More by delta490

rdeaton

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

The main thing I have to say about this beer is that I love the smell of it. It has the most wonderful floral hops aroma I have ever smelled in a non-IPA. Not everyone agrees with me.

It is a nice mild light malt with a nice amount of bitterness. I see it as a well balanced beer.

This is what American domestic beer should be. Never have an American domestic after drinking this, unless you want to see what adding corn does to beer (I did this, very sad).

For a moderately priced beer, it is a good buy. If you have never had a beer before, I would start with this.

a-looks like beer, stronger head then a domestic, little bit of lacing

s-my favorite beer smell that is not an IPA

t-well balanced by the time you are half way through

m-a bit thicker than you would expect, fills me up

Serving type: can

02-02-2013 01:32:06 | More by rdeaton

mnrider

Connecticut

3.54/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9 oz. White/Gold Can. Freshness date on bottom.

A: Pours a clear golden color with a whipped looking white head.
Light carbonation. The head turns thin with little lacing.

S: Crisp sweet grains, malts and light dry hops. A little watery but
still pretty average.

T/M: Bitter hops, plenty of grain, malts. Good balance. Overall a
little subdued in the taste. Crisp, plenty of carbonation. The finish
is clean with a pleasant linger of hops and grains.

O: Light taste that needs more of a punch. Still has great drinkability
and stands up well to other Pils. Worth a try.

Cheers!!

Serving type: can

02-01-2013 19:19:05 | More by mnrider

mndlssphlsphr

Washington

2.89/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I cannot say that this was good, but good enough. This fits through the realm of anything in the grocery better than a lager. This beer has a good mouthfeel, otherwise you are able to taste a mix of hoppy malty tricks. The smell is a tad sour, but it still lasts me beyond the hour. This has a nice color, a color that tells me that everything is ok and that it is time to grow a little garden and spend my time studying the terms of an examined life.

Serving type: can

01-25-2013 04:01:43 | More by mndlssphlsphr

Premo88

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

serving: 500 ml (pint 0.9 oz) can ... bit of a "tall boy" poured into a glass mug

A: golden ... a perfect pilsner color for me, but with a relatively thin, weak head that disappears relatively quickly. still, that head releases some flavor.

S: standard lager to me, nothing fancy, definitely light, understated. perhaps a hint of lemon but to my untutored nose, not much.

T: in a word, solid. not great, surely not the best German pils out there, but good. very bitter, hoppy bitter almost burnt but smooths out very nicely as you drink her down.

F: lightweight ... nothing fantastic, again very low on carbonation.

O: you could do worse, you could do better. if you put it next to a standard American lager, it kicks butt, but my guess is you can find a much better German pilsener if you do some looking.

I had two over two nights, and the first night it tasted very hoppy bitter, sharp bitter with light carbonation, an almost burnt taste that smoothed out midway through the beer. The *second* night, man ... that first taste hit the spot, and frankly it tasted better straight out of the can than from the mug after pouring. Just for kicks, I went behind it with a Miller High Life (not Miller Lite), and good gawd: The High Life tasted like a corn tortilla chip compared to the Bitburger. Not surprising, obviously, but I'm learning as we go.

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 08:44:26 | More by Premo88

ghisty

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

firstly, iam biased as a lover of all things pils. secondly our selection in eastern canada barely ranges to steigl. so i'll take what i can get. anyway. bitburger.

appearance: vigorous pour into regular barstock pintglass. very clear, cascades of bubbles, perfect 1.5" head, head stays nicely even after a few drinks down, laces show each drink.

smell: not alot of nose to this pils, got a slight hoppy funk near the start, not skunky almost a distant woodsmoke smell, mixed with a few grassy grainey notes, pretty awesome when you can actually catch a sniff, but youve gotta try.

taste: starts off sharp and crisp with a very strong pilsner style, *another drink*,smooth fluffy and easily drinkable after the first snap , i find it's almost to the halfway mark down the pint until i can really get a feel for this beer, at that point it levels out to a nice grainey pils .which might be why its a fave of mine, its understated, but it has depth. kind of a tough one define, think pilsner...but very clean, and foamy,almost dry at times, but thats in an endearing way.

mouthfeel-sharp to start, strong hop presence. levels out like nothing ive ever had, finish is clean with a bit of foamy dryness that just makes me want to drink more of it.

overall: if pils is what you are after this is a good choice, i personally love this beer, and could talk about it for as long as required,pairs up amazingly with just about anything spicey. cooked meats. whatever. its a great beer. and i find it cuts that hankering for a crispy pilsner like no other.

Serving type: can

01-09-2013 00:27:31 | More by ghisty

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Translucent light golden/straw hue with visible carbonation rising quickly towards a pillowy off-white head.

Aroma: Not much there but clear hint of corn. A very small tinge of grassy hops.

Taste: Like a liquid corn chip but not in an entirely bad way as there is more flavor to it than the average American mass produced lager. Grassy hops leave a bit of flavor and a hint of bitterness in the finish, which is decently crisp. It's oddly likable but I have a feeling it would have tasted better when it was originally brewed in 1817.

Mouthfeel: Effervescent yet with a certain smoothness. Between thin and medium in body. Very good drinkability and refreshing.

Final Thoughts: "Germany's No. 1 Draft Beer" is pretty much what I expected. An average adjunct lager. Would I drink it again? Probably not, but it is cheap and would go nicely with pizza and a football game...

Serving type: can

12-28-2012 05:33:50 | More by JamesMN

kflorence

California

2.85/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a light, translucent gold with plenty of head. Carbonation levels are quite active as evidenced by the large, foamy head and the plethora of bubbles climbing up to the top of the beer.

S: Sweet, light fruits, adjunct grains (corn), sugar and grass. An almost cider-like aroma.

T: Sweet malts, adjunct grains, pear, grape and a floral hop bouquet up front, followed by some butter and melon and finishing with bittering, lemon citrus hops and a twang of metal and mineral water that lingers on the tongue.

M: Light bodied with active, crisp carbonation. It feels nice on the tongue and goes down smooth with a bit of chewiness in the middle. Finishes dry with a bit of astringency.

O: Overall, not one of my favorite Pilseners because of the bitterness and astringency; not sure what all the hype is about. It's definitely drinkable and would pair nicely with anything off the grill, especially white meats, but I'd pass for something a bit more balanced.

Serving type: can

10-29-2012 01:42:57 | More by kflorence

BigCheese

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tall boy can

A; clear pale yellow, not a ton of lacing.

S: malty, lemon grass.

T: quite sharp, white bread crust grassy spicey herbal saaz hop bitterness. Very crisp/dry.

M: Highly caronated, pretty thin, extremly sessionable.

O: One of the better pils Ive had, insanely sharp.

Serving type: can

10-07-2012 19:29:41 | More by BigCheese

cosmicevan

New York

3.43/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

thanks scott! enjoyed from a bitburger taster glass.

a - brew poured a transparent urine yellow with about 40% of the glass representing the head. as the head fizzled away there was some substantially chunky lacing on the glass. fizzy bubbles could be seen.

s - sweet pilsner malts. some honey. kind of floral. actually not bad. smells way better than i had expected. corn and grainy.

t - pretty decent pilsner. nice sweetness, some honey. grains. some fruitiness.

m - thin, light, easy drinker. a bit watery.

o - overall i didn't have high expectations, but this is a pretty nice sessionable beer (although i believe the true definition of sessionable is less ABV). definitely a step up from many of the macros out there. i could easily throw several of these back in an evening, but in the world of crazy crafted brews this is not a standout...but solid german pils.

Serving type: can

09-15-2012 03:28:12 | More by cosmicevan

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.55/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another beer that my brother brought back from Germany – what he calls a “soccer beer.” I’m usually not up for anything that’s described as a “Premium Pils,” but I’m glad to have it.

And hey, it’s fresh! Canned just a month ago (“01.06.2012” stamped on the bottom of the can).

A: A fizzy-little-yellow-pils appearance, as expected. The head is pure white foam, and surprisingly sticky. Lots of bubbles throughout the pale yellow body.

S: Very faint lager yeast aromas are prevalent, showing a backbone of bread and pilsner crispness. There aren’t a ton of hops, only showing off a bit near the edges of the nose, but what’s there is lightly fruity. Finishes with a surprisingly American aroma of corn and blasé malt – a bit dull. On the whole, though, it’s a definite German experience (though a fairly average one, to be honest).

T: The corn malts take this palate by force, and, unfortunately, don’t let up. Upon first sip, it’s Budweiser with a little more complexity and a lot more hops; once I’m about halfway done, though, it lessens up thanks to the distracting power of the hops. After that, the crisp pilsner character that I was hoping for shows up: lightly bready (essentially cracker-like) malts, a palpable yeast chewiness, and a crisp, German-pilsner saltiness. It’s not top-shelf, but it hits the spot – especially from the can, as the hops are accented and other undesirables are diminished. Finishes with a clean, Noble-hop dryness, and a strong, lingering vegetal tone.

M: Very light, and definitely not as fizzy as it could have been. Thankfully, the texture reminds me more of traditional German styles rather than American macro-brews; it’s definitely not hiding behind excessive carbonation.

O: This is the beer I wish we had in the good ol’ USA whenever we went to a sporting event, a dive bar, or even just your standard family cookout – maybe then I wouldn’t hear so many people say “I don’t like beer” because the majority of what the country drinks is swill. Bitburger Premium Pils, while nowhere near a perfect pilsner, has a pleasant hop character and a general palate that’s not a challenge to put down; unfortunately, that’s more than you can say about anything Bud, Miller, or Coors puts out.

Serving type: can

07-01-2012 19:32:04 | More by BarryMFBurton

Jesse13713

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16.9 oz can

Appearance - Definitely that of a classic pilsner. Light, bubbly yellow with a thin film of froth at the surface. Opaque with a champagne-like appeal. nice lacing; a mouth watering beer.

Smell - That light, not quite skunky smell I've come to love in German pilsners. Faint hops and spice. A plant-like smell, perhaps sage of some sort.

Taste - A well built pilsner with a bit of a marijuana taste to it. Light spice and a well established body. A very satisfying taste. The aftertaste is lightly sweetened, leaving the delicious taste of plants, hops, and light malt in your mouth for quite some time.

Mouthfeel and Overall - Medium bodied. Powerful without being overly-aggressive. Natural tasting and refreshing for a summer night. A very nice consistency that does not taste watered down at all.

Serving type: can

06-19-2012 00:42:57 | More by Jesse13713

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Bitburger pils from a 16.9oz can into an imperial pint glass. Best before 2/22/13.

Pours a brilliant straw gold color with an optimal two and a half fingers of white soapy foam. Nice solidarity to the head with a chunky volcanic effect on top that looks like meringue. Holds pretty well as the miniscus slowly makes its way closer to the sudsy surface.

Biscuity and dry with familiar aromas of spicy and grassy hops. A slight toasted grain effect can be sniffed. Bursts of breadiness are shed as the beer warms.

Crisp and spicy with a twangy hop note singing success. Some apple skin tartness is evident, but this is one bready pils. Sourdough, dead grass, faint pear, and light buttery character. Solidly bitter in the finish with a dry grain-y sustain. Not the driest of the dry, but still pretty damn dry.

Quaffable as the best of anything. Can't wait to enjoy the next one straight from the can. Unmovingly medium in body and carrying just enough carbonation to gulp without burping. Amazing feel.

Hot damn! So happy to score this 16.9oz can four-pack for $5.99. A ridiculous value beer with 'summertime' written all over it!

Serving type: can

06-18-2012 23:40:33 | More by thecheapies

McStagger

California

3.93/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a transparent straw color with moderately high carbonation. Two fingers rapidly disappearing head that is bleach white. Some lacing.

S: Husked grain, crackers, lemon, sulfur, grass. Fairly fragrant.

T: Light, toasty malt, again with the lemon and sulfur. Pretty damn bitter pilsner. Hops are medicinal and borderline astringent. Still, packs on more bitterness than a standard German Pils, which I like. Finishes very dry.

M: Pretty bubbly. Not quite setlzer like, but close.

O: Man, I used to hate this stuff. Thought it was way too bitter. Now I've learned to love it. My favorite German pilsner that I can easily find (thanks TJ's!)

Serving type: can

06-12-2012 03:34:26 | More by McStagger

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16oz can with a date: 5.16.2012. Not sure if it's a best by or canned on date.

Pours a pale yellow with a 2-finger head and plenty of uneven suspended sediment. Smell is skunky grain, lemon, banana. Taste follows: hay, banana, clove, spice, bitter medicinal hops. The bitter isn't too enjoyable in my opinion, otherwise the taste is good.

Decent for the price, maybe I need to try a fresher can..

Serving type: can

05-22-2012 16:39:17 | More by jimmah120

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9oz can served into Das boot glass.

A - 3 fingers of snow white head, active bubbles stream through a clear golden body. Splotchy lacing patterns.

S - Sulfuric lager yeast, heavy dose of spicy noble hops, earthy.

T - Sweet grain, chalky yeast, noble hops bring spicy and grassiness, slight lemon peel, sweet floral flavors come through. Clean and crisp finish.

M - Light to medium body, good carbonation, clean finish.

Pretty fun drinking this out of Das Boot glass. Good amount of hops against clean pilsner malts and plenty of yeast characters. Very good all around.

Serving type: can

05-04-2012 18:51:18 | More by StaveHooks

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.95/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml can (best before 2/22/13) served in a tall glass beer mug.

L - clear bright yellow color with a fluffy white head that thinned to a light layer leaving a few spots of lacing.

S - grassy hops with a touch of grain in the background.

T - good balance of malt and hops most of the way through with a dry and bitter finish.

F - light/medium bodied with easy drinkability and a crisp feel.

O - The German's sure know how to make a German Pilsner.

Serving type: can

04-29-2012 18:51:19 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Brad007

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up on the same day as the Konig. Go figure.

Pours a straw gold color with a bit more gold than usual with a frothier head that leaves lacing.

Sweet and grainy malt with a good hop bite in the nose. Sweeter than the previous example.

Taste is more like that of an adjunct for some reason. Hops are there. Malt seems ok. Just the overall profile.

Ditto on the mouthfeel. The hops save this from being an unholy mess.

Another authentic example. I still like this a bit more than the other.

Serving type: can

04-08-2012 01:36:06 | More by Brad007

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 500 mL can into a tall antique Czech pilsner glass.

Pours with a huge bone-white three finger head over a filtered clear very light yellow body.

Smells of sweet light grains, a touch of grass, and a side of sweet corn. A little swirl brings up a bit of noble hop aroma, but only a bit.

Sweet light grains (not nessasarily only malted barley) and a light, tame overlay of noble-type hops makes up the primary flavor. The malts have a bit of depth and some nice crackery dryness at the end. The malts are the best part of the flavor, and they do have a bit of luster that is lacking in American mass-produced light colored lagers.

The mouthfeel is smooth, with slightly lower carbonation than usual, which is nice.

Conclusion: Hmm... well this is an alright beer. Is it a great German Pilsener? No not really. There are many much finer examples. Is it better than anything that huge American breweries churn out in mass production? Yes. A fine beer, but not up to the level of almost all the other excellent German beer I have consumed.

Serving type: can

03-27-2012 23:14:28 | More by allforbetterbeer

brandon911

Texas

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a nonic.

It was a very pretty beer poured into the nonic, a pale straw with an inch head. Fairly picturesque. The smell wasn't anythin' to write home about. It smelled like a pilsner: some light hops, a little metallic, and some citrus. The taste was similar, though better, the metallic taste wasn't as present as I would've thought, though the citrus smells weren't as present in the taste. It starts off fairly bitter and ends with a nice dry, bitter finish. The mouthfeel was perfect, moderate carbonation and very, very refreshing. Not a complex beer, but good enough to sip and enjoy on a regular day, catch a game with or to drink far too many of.

Serving type: can

03-22-2012 04:21:38 | More by brandon911

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a straw yellow on tap somehwere in Frankfurt Germany.

S: It had a grassy scent with some light floral notes

T:.A little bit of sweet grain with grassy and light floral notes. Very tasty, clean and simple

M: Light body, crisp, airy and alight hop bitterness

O: Good

Serving type: can

03-16-2012 02:37:46 | More by barleywinefiend

Douberd

Netherlands

3.83/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Can, 500 ml. Pale golden yellow colour against the light, one finger head, some bubbles on the side. The strong malts aroma hit me even as I opened the can. A bit grassy smell now that it's on the glass too. Great taste, perfect amount of bitterness, would have gotten a higher point if it wasn't that metallic, maybe it tastes even better from a bottle. Mouthfeel is medium thick, average carbonation.

Serving type: can

02-20-2012 21:31:49 | More by Douberd

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a mug at Bauer's Brauhaus.

Tall can into tall mug. Lovely. This stuff pours a clear straw topped by a healthy bit of white froth. The nose comprises light grass, sweet flowers, mild wheat, and a touch of cornmeal way in the background. The taste brings in more of the same, with a bit more corn tossed in for good measure. The body is a hefty-leaning light, with a light moderate carbonation and a wet feel. Overall, a very solid pils, easy-going all the way.

Serving type: can

02-03-2012 07:19:54 | More by TMoney2591