Drinking all craft beer can be an expensive hobby. Finding a fairly good and drinkable beer from the supermarket shelves is a challenge i like to take. You may be surprised by the relative quality you may actually get for your money. When I am going for a cheap gullable beer to quench your thirst in the summer time, I usually prefer weissbier. It is not too complex and tends to taste fairly well even straight from the fridge.
Today I grabbed me a can of Perlenbacher Weissbier from LiDL. And as if the price was not low enough allready, it was on sale for around 85 cents (or 70 p for you brits). At this price it is hard to complain if the beer is even halfway drinkable.
The Eye:
It pours with a decent two finger white head. The beer is hazy orange yellow, with a greenish tint
The Nose:
I poured it straight from the fridge. At first the nose is weak, but still clearly some yeast and hops. After some tempering, a ripe banana sweetness appeared combined with a dusty sense of wheat... add to that some clove and a touch of nutmeg.
The Tongue:
At first some acidity and light bitterness, with faint sweetness. As it tempered the sweetness grows considerably, and actually overwhelms the acidity and bitterness of the hops. Since the body is rather thin, the sweetness does not carry additional character and becomes ... just sweetness. Still the beer is fairly well rounded without any gutwrenching tastes. The aftertaste is not very impressive, just a sense of sweetness and fading bitterness.
The Verdict:
Comparing the price with the actual quality of the beer, I would be a jerk to ditch this one. Certainly a crafted beer has more to offer... but they will cost you three times as much at least. The sweetness is a bit candy'ish and the body is not impressive. But as a cheap thirstquencher that actually has a bit of nose and taste to offer, this goes a long way in my book.
The Rating: 2.75 / 5.00
(As far as I get it, Perlenbacher is a part of the LiDL chain and not an independant brewery)
