Bischofshof Original 1649

Brewed by Brauerei Bischofshof
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Regensburg, Germany

Serve in Lager glass

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The Original 1649, which the front label says as the motto above: "The beer that makes us into friends." On the back, they say its RHG, blah blah, from a recipe handed down from 1649, brewed for their 350 year anniversary, a fein-würzige Festbier. Würzig means literally "spicy. Fein here means "delicately"... so delicately spiced/tangy/full-flavored or delicately aromatic. On their site, they call it an Export-Bier. The beer pours with a snow white head with tightly packed bubbles under a deep golden beer. By snow, I mean bright, fresh-snow-reflecting-the-sun-into-your-eyes white. The aroma is pure Pilsner malt with a German Noble hop mixed in, giving it both a sweet Pils and spicy hop smell simultaneously. The flavor is typical Pils, quite bitter at first with sweeter Pilsner malt flavors mixed in. It does taste more like a Dortmunder Export, though, with the heavy dose of sweeter toasted bread/Pilsner malt flavors being the giveaway. What makes it Bayrisch, however, is the thicker, rounder mouthfeel and lack of dryness that I remember from the 80s when I had a DAB or DUB. This feels smoother but has a Noble hop punch in the front and sides of the tongue with the sweeter malts near the back. It’s also what the aftertaste is like: a Pils malt sweetness of bread. Overall, quite süffig and easy drinking, despite the bitterness. I alternate on sips thinking it’s first bitter, no, next sip, sweet Pils malt, and back and forth. It’s a beer that would stand up to a whole Maß and not lose my interest. It’s good, not world beating, but really good, savory and fulfilling. I imagine it would be a great beer to drink outside in the sun after a hike in the forest. The only quibble is that I find it hard to believe a bottom-fermenting, clear golden beer like this was produced in 1649. I thought that didn’t occur until the 1800s, so is it pure marketing hype that this was brewed from a recipe from 1649?

Medium-light golden brass solid head. Aromas of wet concrete, lemon, earth and green hay. Well-balanced taste, yields notes of herbs, ginger, raisens, hops, citrus, chocolate and malt. Lots of carbonation gives a good mouth feel. Drank it with a plate of brats, potatoes and sauerkraut. Perfect match.

A: The pour is a mildly hazed golden straw color with a large white head. S: This is pretty light on the nose. Mostly yeast with a touch of bread and floral hop notes. Not overly impressive, but good and "clean". T: The flavor starts off with some pale, cracker malts and a touch of bread. There’s a lot of floral notes that give the beer a bit of a honey character. Nice and crisp with a mild to moderate hop bitterness. M: The beer is light on the tongue with a really nice and crisp carbonation. D: Certainly worth the tick. Quite easy to drink and very enjoyable.

I found this to a very nice beer,a little pale in color, clean and a just a bit of hopps.

not sure if this is a lager or an ale - tastes like a lager. pale in color, medium malty body. very clean, lightly hopped. simple but well balanced. sort of like a lighter bock beer. finishes a little bit herbal - but I can’t pick up much of the aftertaste mentioned in the other review. i like it.

Muted yellow with fortress of a foamy white head. Odd candy aroma, but a nice sweet malty flavor, with a silky feel.

Bottle from Beers of Europe. Poured a pale golden colour, with a quickly diminishing white head. Moderate carbonation. Aroma is hoppy with some citrus notes. Taste is nice; honey to begin with a light malt background. A nice bitter flavour develops iin the roof of the mouth and sweet again at the end. Medium body and mouthfeel. One of the best pale lagers I’ve tried.

On tap at Gourmet Haus Staudt. Looks exactly like I’d want it to - clear bright golden yellow with a nice white head fading to a ring. Big hoppy aroma, grassy and grainy. The flavor is solid for the style if not too exciting. Sweet pale malt and grassy hops, fairly bitter and slightly sweet. Medium in body for the style with a crisp and dry mouthfeel. A respectable helles lager in all.

Nice golden color,nice tall white head that had a good hang time then faded slowly to leave a slight lace behind.The aroma was nicely malty with maybe some slight graininess and a bit of hops in there as well.The flavor was not bad fairly malty taste with a nice sweet side and a bit of hops coming through in the end but not overly done.Pretty easy to drink brew and fairly refreshing on a hot day.I think it’s worth trying again.

i didn't know they had lagers in "1649", but it may be the brewers cholesterol level for all i know. pours golden apple, loaded with particles, hence not a brassy golden delicious yellow, but a papery pale apple-saucy yellow. thin pelt of receeding white head. quite tasty considering i was expecting a dime-a-dozen pils. has dry yeasty kolsch qualities. smell of old wooden wine crates used for white grape harvest. excellent refreshing mouthfull, lightly sweet pie crust malts, white grapey-apple fruitiness; smooth, finishing dry and clean with just adequate hoppiness. no need for even a summer thirst slaker to be thinner than this.