Special Beer Review - Berliner Kindl

As part of our trip to Berlin a couple of weekends ago I was on the lookout for "Berliner Beers"  I settled on Berliner Kindl, since it was the brewery that I found the most varieties of beer from.  I think I picked up one of everything except their export beer.  While not knocked off my feet I was suitably impressed.  A pretty decent collection.

Berliner Weisse Rote - I never did find the just the regular Berliner Kindl Weisse to try, just the "flavored" versions that our German Day Trips Guide Book recommended.  I ordered the red one at the Hard Rock Cafe and it was interesting.  It is flavored with raspberry syrup and the flavor was almost overwhelming, very sweet, and almost no beer flavor whatsoever.  A white frothy head that lasted a while and then left lacing on the sides.  The two best words to describe it was overwhelming and interesting.  Read about Berliner Weisse here.

Berliner Weisse Gruen - The red one was so fun, we just had to try the green one too.  This one is flavored with woodruff.  I would have to say that both Shantel and I liked this one better and waiter also mentioned it was his favorite.  A much more subtle flavoring, although you still really couldn't catch the real character of the Berliner Kindl Weiss bier.  Once again a frothy white head that lasted a while.  Really disappointed that all I found where the syrup enhanced biers (although I'm not sure you can get just a "regular" one), but if you are ever in Berlin on a hot summer day, sit outside in a cafe and order one of these, I'd recommend the green one, and do a little people watching.

Berliner Kindl Bock Hell.  I think this is supposed to be a ligher bock.  It pours a light coppery gold with a thin head that quickly disappeared, but left plenty of lacing on the side. The aroma is faint and barely penetrates my stopped up sniffer. My first impression of the taste was one that was thin and slightly watery.  Second impression unfortunately reinforced the first.  The finish is dry with some metallic after taste.  I wanted to like this bock since I am a Bock drinker from way back, beginning with my beloved Shiner Bock and lately the Bavarian Bocks, sorry but in the end this is a decent beer to try but not one I'm going to be scouring the shelves for next summer in the States.  Maybe I just missed the point of the Bock Hell.

PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO BlOGGER FAILING TO SAVE HIS DRAFT

Berliner Kindl Pils - It pours a light yellowish gold with a generous frothy head that quickly devolved into persisitent lacing on the sides.  I always pour into 12 oz mug so that leaves a little bit in the .5l bottle, which I normally just drink.  Well that first swig was an almost overwhelming nutty hoppy taste.  It mellows well in the mug though where the taste was a more subtle nutty hops, not really bitter like a lot of the Bavarian Pils or Czech Pilsners I normally drink, just different.  The finish was pretty dry.  I'm not a big fan of the Bavarian Pils so this was an interesting departure and something I would definitely entertain having again.

Berliner Kindl Bock Dunkel - It pours a dark chocolaty black with a generous beige head that leaves thick lacing on the sides.  The aroma is one of well roasted malts with hints of chocolate and caramel .  The aroma's carry over into the flavor where the roasted malts dominate, more chocolate than caramel and the finish is crisp and clean with no after taste.  I like this one, enough said.

Berliner Kindl Jubilaums Pilsner - According to Yahoo Babelfish Jubilaums means anniversary.  That coupled with the foil top leads me to believe that this is Berliner Kindl's "special" Pilsner.  In other words it's supposed to be good.  Let's see.  It pours a straw yellow with a generous fluffy head that dissolves into liberal lacing on the sides.  The aroma faint but I can catch hints of bread dough and hops, not overwhelming though.  The taste is light and crisp and goes down smooth.  A faint aftertaste is where the hops hits you not too bad.  Just like their regular Pils much more subtle then the Bavarian German Pils or the Czech Pilsners I normally have.