Jever Pilsener - Friesisches Brauhaus zu Jever GmbH & Co KG

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Color is very light clear yellow, yuk, but thank goodness a nice thick white foam saved this from the depths of pee yellow beer. The head is super thick and about two inches high with some divets and retained its girth for a good while. Smell is faintly bitter sweet of hop with a citrus orange tint and malt. Taste is so clean and smooth, complex enough for layers, with a dry citrus bitterness thats a little harsh but evens out fairly quick with a sweetish malt, and is overall dry in most of its body and feel.
Its a drinkable pilsner, but the dryness is a little rough in most aspects throughout the taste and feel, and some may be put off by it.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2003 16:22:34 | More by tavernjef

Riggo

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +25%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on tap on a recent pilgrimage to my old haunt, d.b.a., in Manhattan. In the glass, a clear golden yellow color with a beautiful creamy stark white head. Nose is minerally with leafy, citrus hop notes. Initially a hop bitterness dances on the tongue followed by mineral and grain (wheat? corn?) elements and wonderfully full and solid mouthfeel/body. The finish is very bitter.

A very hoppy beer but a beer with balance nonetheless and an unusually deep, solid mouthfeel for a pilsener. The brewing here is a real lesson in how to incorporate a high-hop/bitter element into a brew without that element sort of floating free from the rest of the beer in an "untamed" way and coming off as astringent. Really an exceptional beer that you don't see too often in America (at least not often enough) and one that sets a standard for pilseners the world over.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2003 13:16:25 | More by Riggo

Reverand

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pale yellow in color that is crystal clear. Big chunky head that leaves a nice lace to the bottom of the glass. Not much for aroma though. Nice taste that was crisp and clean with a dry hoppy aftertaste. Certainly not the best pilsner but definitely not the worst.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2003 02:12:22 | More by Reverand

yen157

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

For some time now I've felt that Jever is one of those beers that everyone should try at least once in their life. Also, for people that don't stray to far from light (color, body, and malt flavor, not diet) lagers, this is one of the few refuges of hop bliss.

Jever poured very pale yellow but with a thick, chuncky, white head. Nice hop aroma with notes of pale malt and the insides of bread (you know, not the crust!). Tastes quite bitter, unexpectedly so if you have never tried it before. Nice light malt sweetness for balance along with moderate graininess. As the beer warms, the malt flavor becomes more apparent and the hop flavor becomes more one-dimensional and rind-like.

I prefer this to most others pilseners. When I can find it fresh and not light-struck it's a real treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2002 11:13:36 | More by yen157

Todd

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Presentation: Served in a 0.5l branded mug at Restaurant Leibniz-Klause in Berlin.

Appearance: Pale golden/yellow beer with an ample creamy foam lace.

Taste: Quite herbally with a faint dose of anise in the back. Thin, low sweetness. Hops takeover with a coarse, earthy, rindy, citrus peel flavour that builds to a semi-astringent level. Dry finish.

Notes: An okay pils. Some of the flavours seemed a bit odd though, out of place and balance ... or rather forced. Especially the hops -- hop extract?

Used this beer to wash down my plate Königsberger Klopse ...

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2002 15:00:28 | More by Todd

putnam

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My friend brought me two bottles from Germany. This was one of my favorite beers when I was there 10 years ago. Expires Feb. 5, 2003, printed on the front label...easy to read. Upon breaking the seal, the room fills with an intense smell of sticky hops. There is a beautiful honey, burned suger and nougat maltiness coursing underneath, but from nose to tail this beer is all about the noble bud. "That's dry." Bitter, dry, but not out of balance. On the back are the words "Zutaten: Wasser, Gerstenmalz, Hopfenextrakt, Hopfen." I'm struggling with my own dogma. Is it OK to add hop extract? It seems like a manipulation. And in fact, the hoppiness, while very entertaining, seems a bit exaggerated, almost cartoonish. I would complain more if I thought they were hiding something, but it seems clear that the other components are very well done. My conclusion is that they are shooting for an extremely hoppy style, which, if they used fresh, or at least whole hops, would be prohibitively expensive. I give this beer high marks for uniqueness and personal sentiment.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2002 05:11:50 | More by putnam

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Although this review is for draft, I wanted to point out that the word "herb" on the bottled product means "dry" or "bitter" and is indicative of this North German pilsner's very dry style. Crystal clear and bright golden in color with a bright white head that holds fairly well. Very nice appearance. The aroma is quite hoppy as pilsners go - very noble, lightly grassy and highly floral. Some light, grainy malt aroma is present as well. The body is light-medium with a crisp carbonation. The flavor starts dry with a burst of hop bitterness, warming as it crosses the palate to reveal a firm grainy maltiness, and finishes long and bitter. The emphasis is definitely on hop bitterness with around 45 IBU's! Very one sided in many ways, but also with quite alot of finesse! A somewhat unique, refreshing and enjoyable pils. Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2002 20:05:18 | More by NeroFiddled

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +38.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is a very good German bier. A very light and crisp looking brew out of the bottle. Nice and effervescent. The smell is not as wheaty as say some, but still very good aroma. The first sip is indicative of things to come. This is what a German Pilsener should be. It brings plenty of flavor and aromatics to the party. One of my favorites. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2002 19:40:08 | More by goindownsouth

John

New York

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A mainstay on tap at MacGregor's (my local) for some time. I thought, since I recently visited Germany and had a sort of personal renaissance of German pils/lagers that I would give it a try. As it turned out, it was a perfect way to start out the night before moving on to something a bit more substantial (there's too many choices here to lock into one beer). Light, biscuity grain beneath a lively but reserved hop. Well done and a prime example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2002 07:08:51 | More by John

Jason

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 11.2 oz green long neck bottle with a freshness date on the front label. This is one of those durable glass bottles that are reused.

Appearance: Pale yellow and crystal clear with a light webbing of white lace all the way down the glass.

Smell: Grassy hop, honey and herb in the aroma … quite clean.

Taste: Light to medium in body with a bold crispness. Big accent of hops, noble hops without a doubt … very soft but not with out giving a spicy herbal bitterness first. A little thin on the malt but it makes up ground with a pale bready flavour and snappy graininess. Finishes on the dry side with a clean grainy and hoppy palate.

Notes: Definitely a thirst quencher pils, light enough to suck down on a very hot day while sweating at the bbq grilling some turkey sausages to pair with the next Jever.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2002 20:25:48 | More by Jason

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very good German pils, its bitterness makes up for anything it lacks in its taste, an underated German pils.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2002 05:51:31 | More by rastaman