Grolsch Premium Pilsner (Dutch brewed)

Difford's Guide

alc./vol: 5%

Proof: 10°

Vintage: Non-vintage

Aged: No age statement

Product of: Product of Netherlands Netherlands

Known internationally as Grolsch Premium Lager, this is the flagship beer of Koninklijke Grolsch N.V.. Famous for its swing-top bottle, this pilsner-style beer is unpasteurized and lagered for a minimum of six weeks, so while mass-market, retains traditional production methods.

The recognisable 'swing-top' Grolsch bottle is known as 'de beugel' (literally 'the brace'). Originally the swing-top cap was made of porcelain but is now made of plastic. The original bottle was also brown in colour and had a capacity of 450ml, while the green 'export' bottle is a slightly larger 467ml. In 2008, a slimmer 450ml bottle design was introduced for both the domestic and export markets. The new bottle was marketed to the Dutch with the slogan 'bier mag weer gezien worden', which roughly translatesas, 'beer is fit to be seen again'.

The Dutch Brewery of Grolsch was founded in 1615 by Willem Neerfeldt in the town of Groenlo in the in east of The Netherlands. At that time the town was called Grolle, hence the name Grolsch, meaning 'of Grolle'.

In 1895 the brewery was taken over by the De Groen family, a family who themselves had started their own brewery in the Dutch town of Cuijk in early 1800. The De Groen family retained a significant stake in Grolsch until November 2007 when the board of Royal Grolsch NV accepted a €814m takeover offer by SABMiller.

Originally built as a secondary facility, the Enschede brewery was heavily damaged after a fireworks explosion on 13 May 2000. A new brewery in Boekelo, near Enschede opened in 2004 and this has now replaced both the original Groenlo and the old Enschede breweries. (Grolsch Premium Pilsner is also brewed under licence in the United Kingdom by Grolsch (UK) Ltd., a joint venture between Grolsch and Coors Brewers Ltd.)

Grolsch is the second largest brewer in the Netherlands after Heineken and was awarded the Koninklijk (Royal) title in 1995.

Review and Tasting


Sampled on 10/09/2011

Appearance:

Clear, pale golden amber with white head.

Aroma:

Grassy, hops with metalic dry hay aromas.

Taste:

Euro lager-like, but a good one, saved from blandness by bready malty notes and piney grassy hops.

Aftertaste:

Clean, refreshing lightly piny, slightly bitter finish.

Join the Discussion


... comment(s) for Grolsch Premium Pilsner (Dutch brewed)

You must log in to your account to make a comment.

Report comment

You must be logged in to upvote or downvote a comment

Click here to login

Update information/image

Product Information

Closure: Swing/clip-top ceramic & wire

More about Grolsch Premium Pilsner (Dutch brewed)

Welcome to Difford's Guide

All editorial and photography on this website is copyright protected

© Odd Firm of Sin 2024