Quidi Vidi Brewing Company Rhinegold – Altbier at 5% ABV (C$3.75 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Jul-2020, reviewed 13-Jul-2020)
Appearance: clear deep gold with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, bready malt, grass, earth. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-lively carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (4/5)
The label claims that this is their head brewer’s favourite beer he’s ever brewed. Well, that’s as may be, but if it is, I submit it’s for emotional reasons, rather than rigorous stylistic ones. What’s there is pleasant enough, I suppose, but there’s just not a whole lot going on. As is often the case, I cheerfully acknowledge I may be insufficiently sophisticated to appreciate the subtleties associated with some traditional styles (Pils is an obvious example) and perhaps that’s what’s happening here, but ultimately this just isn’t very interesting. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
