I originally wrote this back in May, 2025.
I was given this beer by one of my best buddies all the way in the Netherlands. This week marks eighty years since Liberation Day occurred in the Netherlands. My grandfather did his part in World War II as an engineer building/fixing roads and bridges - as well as saving a bulldozer from a fire! He was stationed in the Netherlands but so far we don't know exactly where, except "around where the movie A Bridge Too Far takes place," which probably isn't realistic either. I fell in love with Netherlands and Belgium from a visit I did exactly three years ago and I had plans to return this very week for my 40th birthday but my health (mentally and physically) aren't where I want it to be so I'm postponing the trip until I feel like my old self again.. hopefully sooner than later.
Back to the beer.. Swinckels' Superior Pilsner by Royal Swinkels. From the label: A superior pilsner, brewed with pure mineral water from our own well. To this we add barley malt from our own malthouse, yeast that’s cultivated especially for the Swinkels family and specially selected hops. Natural mineral water, barley malt, Cascade hop and Polaris hops 5.3% ABV.
Appearance: Very bright, clear with a rich golden straw body to it. Lots of carbonation in the body and a very frothy and thick white head on top. As expected, the head diminishes gradually which leaves behind a nice lacing on the glass as it's slowly getting sampled. I should hurry up!
Aroma: Sweet-forward Pilsner with notes - mild grainy sweetness, a bit of honey, hint of pear for fruitiness, hint of straw and lastly a subtle hop presence that gives off a grassy (and slightly floral) presence at the end. Seeing as Cascade is one of the hops used in this beer I was expecting a bit more of a bitter finish.
Taste: Crisp and grainy right from the first sip, mildly sweet and has a bit of a honey-like presence to it. The beer tingles the tongue a good deal, while it's a bit dry for mouthfeel. There's a hint of pear but this time around I do get the bitterness of the Cascade hops popping out which give off a floral yet slightly bitterness at the end. Very clean, very smooth, very crisp.
Overall Thoughts: No wonder why my buddy was wanting me to try this sooner than later - very approachable Pilsner that's so incredibly smooth and crisp. One of the better Dutch lagers on the market, definitely better than Swinckels' regular Bavaria available in my part of Canada. Is this really a Superior Pilsner? Yes.
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