Macro Lager

STATS

  • Country: New Zealand
  • Style: Euro Pale Lager
  • ABV: 5.0%
  • Serving Type: 330ml Bottle
  • Price: Inexpensive

Steinlager Pure is the premium macro lager produced by Steinlager in New Zealand. I have chosen to review this beer instead of the normal Steinlager for two reasons. 1. Normal Steinlager is crap, and 2. Much less of the normal Steinlager is imported to Australia now, you can still get it but the Pure is much more readily available.

Having said that normal Steinlager is terrible, hopefully this one isn’t, I’ve never actually had the Steinlager Pure. Apparently though this is a nice easy drinking lager, hopefully all the things I’ve heard about it are right as basically all I want is a simple lager now. Let’s do this.

The pour is average to say the least. The colour is a yellow/golden colour which is much less appealing than what it appears in the photo. There doesn’t seem to be much carbonation at all and this should explain why the head is so small and airy. It’s a very underwhelming looking beer, but as we learnt from the Castle Lager earlier looks aren’t everything!

I’m pleasantly surprised by the nose of this beer. It’s has almost no adjunct aroma, maybe just a little upon first opening but definitely none after it’s been poured. I can smell some sweetish malts which are balanced by some mildly bitter grassy hops. Steinlager Pure is the definition of nice clean smelling lager, nothing special but very nice.

New Zealand’s highest selling premium lager (I assume) is a well balanced beer. There is a body of sweet malts, which are balanced out by some mildly bitter spicy grass hops, I assume these are an unusual New Zealand variety. There are some citrus notes and also something which might be a sour grapefruit taste, but I only get that taste very fleetingly. There is moderately high carbonation combined with a thin body, which would make this a very high quality session beer.

Steinlager Pure is a well put together premium lager. The brewers clearly understand the limitations of the style and haven’t tried to do anything outrageous or special. It’s a nice clean lager, which could maybe do with a tiny bit more bitterness but I really am nitpicking in saying that. If you are after a nice easy drinking premium lager this is a pretty good option, it’s easy to drink and has a nice flavour.

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