Bitburger's Barley Boost

(STAFF PHOTO: J.T. WAMPLER) Bitburger Premium Beer is an import from Bitburg, Germany.

Import benefits from Germany’s purity law

Wamp’s Wisdom

Bitburger Premium Beer is a German import from Bitburg, a town with more than 190 years of brewing history.

This pilsner pours a hazy golden with a thin head. Aroma is reminiscent of white bread and overripe pear. The taste is mild with neither hops nor barley nor yeast making a defining stand. It’s like standing in a field of ripe barley with a faint hop breeze blowing just overhead.

This is a mediocre, innocuous beer perfect for a day in the canoe since it comes in cans. If fizzy yellow beer is your thing, this is better than most American versions. Perhaps it’s the German adherence to the Reinheitsgebot or beer purity law, meaning only barley, water, hops and yeast can be used — no corn or rice like some of their American cousins.

Pair with catfish and fries.

Rating: 3 caps

Rico’s Reaction

The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but Bitburger slides down the throat easy enough.

Strictly middle of the road, Bitburger neither excels nor offends but manages to satisfy for what it is. This mild brew has a slightly metallic quality, reminiscent of Beck’s brews, with just a hint of sour to it. Yeah, I know neither of those descriptions sound particularly complimentary, but in this case, those flavors actually work. These qualities separate Bitburger from a Budweiser or a Coors or a Miller, giving it an advantage, as Wamp said, over its American cousins.

For “Germany’s No. 1 Draft Beer. Imported,” as it says in the claim stamped on each can, Bitburger’s not always the easiest beer to find, as I discovered when my review copy was lost after a freak accident with a mini-Pinscher traveling at full speed. Luckily, the replacement price wasn’t too bad at about $6 for four cans of one pint each.

Rating: 3 caps

Rating System

One Cap: Put it back in the horse!
Two Caps: Consume only if the other choice is Tijuana tap water or Coors Light.
Three Caps: Acceptable without standing out. The Tito Jackson of beer, if you will.
Four Caps: Nice beer that rises above most but may not deliver enough to be considered great.
Five Caps: Truly great beer that delivers on all counts. A credit to its style. Could only be better if served by scantily clad concubines.
Six Caps: Any five cap beer served by scantily clad concubines.