Bürger Classic

Brewed by City Brewery (Melanie Brewing Co)
Style: Pale Lager
La Crosse, Wisconsin USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Lager glass, Shaker

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I’ve been cleaning out the storage room in my basement and built a set of shelves for my beer cellar and have been getting things organized. As a beer can collector, I have cases and cases of cans that I used to trade with. I decided it was time to cull the herd a bit and in going through the cases of cans, came across this full one of Burger. It lists the brewer as Hudepohl-Schoenling in Cincinnati, Ohio. I also see a logo that they are sponsoring some event in ’88. Holy crap, this stuff is 20 years old! Well, into the fridge it goes...

I was expecting the worst when I opened the can. To my surprise, it poured a mostly clear light gold with a sudsy white head that faded to an uneven white film within about a minute. No foul odors, that’s a good sign. Actually some very light hops and sweet malt. The flavor is actually not bad either - sweet malt with some very light hops and even a little sweet lemon. Really not a bad little beer.

Can from harvest pizza. Light pour and little head. Mild hop and malt taste and pretty light summer type beer. Not bad for something called burger. ---Rated via my mouth

Burger Classic Beer has a thick, quickly-dissipating head, and a clear, golden appearance, with no lacing. The aroma is musty, semi-sweet, grainy, and stinging. Taste is of sweet grain, a touch of hop bitterness, and it does have some bite to it. Mouthfeel is light and watery, and Burger Classic Beer finishes crisp, dry, and fairly refreshing. Overall, this is just an average, budget beer. RJT

Slightly hazy gold, thin white head. Scent is grain, corn. Taste is mildly wheaty...not too bitter or sweet.... Actually pretty decent for a bargain can.....It’s better than a Bud.

Can at The Loft in Kent, tastes like ... wait how would 2pac say this? oh yeah, shitty fucken beer.

Not bad for a cheapie beer. Session beer and nothing else. Comparing it to beers like it at this price, not to shabby

12oz can - pours light orange with big head that goes away quickly and light lacing. Nose is yeast and corn. Aroma is fairly hoppy (pilsner type). taste is mainly bitter but in a light way. Some sweetness make a modest appearance. Light to medium bodied with sticky texture. refreshing and satisfying.

Can. Slightly sweet barley malt. Medium yellow color with moderate head. Mildly sweet barley malt and lightly bitter herbal hops flavor. Medium body. One of a number of resurrections of classic Cincinnati beers - I never got a chance to try this before (had plenty of other Hudepohl-Schoenling beers though). This is the best of - kind of reminds me of the old Hudepohl Gold beer. Definitely better than the main stream pale lager - as long as this is available, I will keep this around for pale lager drinkers and when I want something lighter.

12 oz can. Interestring, slightly distictive "comeback beer". Check Wikipedia for the story, To quote":Hudepohl-Schoenling operated in Cincinnati as an independent brewer until late 1997 when the brewery was sold to Boston Beer Company, brewers of Samuel Adams Beer. Hudepohl-Schoenling brands would continue to be brewed and packaged in Cincinnati under contract by Boston Beer Company, which had renamed the Schoenling Brewery "Samuel Adams Brewery." This arrangement continued until 2001 when the contract was not renewed by Boston Beer Company" ( But another guy stepped up and brought it back. I am glad that he did, This is an old school German-American beer that not the same old same old mass produced American suds. 12 oz. can. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is sweet, malty. Taste is also heavy on malts, some grains and a bit of sweetness, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent brew

UPDATED: MAY 16, 2011 Well, since my teenager nickname is burger, I couldnt wait to try this can of beer. Pour is slightly darker than pale yellow and it has a surprisingly rocky head that is slow to fade. Smell is not bad, but it does have some of that typical melanie olfactory in there. First taste is a little coarse yet watery, weird combination. One of the better City brewing beers I’ve had. As the session continues, any ill effects begin to fade until the finish. This can must be pretty fresh. Decent amount of CO2. Overall not bad for a pale lager, has some personality. Some rude processed flavors on the finsh but not overwhelming.

UPDATED: JUN 7, 2011 Yellow with a quickly diminishing head. Corn syrup, faint citrus and grass also in the nose and not much else. Sweet malts, slight grainy aspect in the finish, and really not much else going on. Probably not smart to have this after a bunch of Noble Pils. I’m really not picking up on much of anything else, but it’s not bad.