JUPILER ~ BRASSERIE PIEDBOEUF

5.2% from Jupille-sur-Meuse, Belgium

Julpiler is the Molson Canadian/Budwiser of Belgium. Sampled from a bottle on Konigsdag in Amsterdam, when everyone was walking around with travellers. The beer is a light Euro lager in style. It poured a clear golden colour with a thin white head, which did not stick around. The nose was very light and contained mostly grains. The taste is light with grassy, grainy notes along with some caramel and a bitter hop finish. The body is light and thin and the carbonation was average. There are so many better brews to drink than this in Belgium, though in a pinch it is way better than a Bud light.

PERONI NASTRO AZZURO ~ BIRRA PERONI (owned by Asahi)

Peroni Nastro Azzuro is supposed to be the breweries premium Euro-lager. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured crystal clear straw yellow with a creamy white head, which lasted a few minutes. The head left no lacing as it dissipated. Lots of visible carbonation was present. Smell is pretty much generic Euro-lager – subtle bready malt and some floral hops and lagery yeast. There was also a slight sulphur odour. No surprise herein the taste – it taste’s like a light watery Euro lager. Malty at the start followed by slight metallic taste and then floral hop, that lingers in the aftertaste. A very simple taste profile with a clean finish. The body was light, the mouthfeel was watery, and the carbonation was quite lively. A little thin for my taste, but thirst quenching.

5.1% from Roma, Italy

GROLSCH ~ GROLSCH 

BIERBROUWERJI N.V.

I drank these lots when I was younger but haven’t had one in years. I always loved the corked bottles – I even remember when they were porcelain- but this one was sampled from a tin. Sampled from a tin, the beer poured a clear golden straw colour with a moderate off white head. There was no lacing but lots of visible carbonation. Its smell was subtle, containing grainy malts, cereal and hay. The taste was light and contained notes of bread and cereal with a touch of caramel malt. A hint of lemon appears before light grassy hops rap things up. It has a crisp dry finish and a slight bitterness that lingers. The carbonation is moderate and the body is light. I would have this over an American or Canadian Macro any day, but overall, nothing to write home about.  Grolsch was founded in 1615 in Greoenlo. It was bought out by the deGroen family in 1895 – they held a large stake in the company until 2007. It now belongs to SABMiller Group.

5% from Enschede, Netherlands