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Pilsner Urquell (Brown Bottle)

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Moderators: Craig, Cass

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G.M. Gillman
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Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:24 pm

Pilsner Urquell (Brown Bottle)

Post by G.M. Gillman »

The new bottle format is out now at LCBO. (It's been available in the U.S. for a couple of years now).

Judging by the date code, and taste, it's very fresh. Sweet and rich with that inimitable Urquell taste. Much better than the green bottle IMO - I'd guess, all things equal, less light gets in to damage the taste. Not sure how it rates though to an equally fresh can. I will do a blind tasting soon of these two.

Gary
Gary Gillman

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Post by AugustusRex »

The brown bottles at summerhill and crossroads each had a bottling date in mid May, so just over a month old. The freshest cans I have found were canned on April 10.

In my own comparison the bottle was much more complex with rich maltiness and a very dry and fresh tasting saaz finish. I had the bottle in a Karmeliet tulip which allowed a massive head with microfoam to last indefinitely. I had the can in a glass beer mug and there was no foam after about a minute. I found the bottle to have a cleaner profile, and it wasn't as watery as the can.

G.M. Gillman
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Post by G.M. Gillman »

Interesting, I later did a similar comparison. I agree the beer in the bottle seemed to have more body. I always wonder if pasteurization affects the taste differently too, presumably the process doesn't impact both in exactly the same way. (I sometimes feel I can taste a slight cooked note in the can). The vital thing about the bottle is, it needs to have a comparable degree of light exclusion as the can. The can has 100%, but does even the brown bottle..? Here I am never sure.

Gary
Gary Gillman

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Craig
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Post by Craig »

If memory serves, brown bottles block something like 85% (I wouldn't quote that number) of the damaging UV rays, where green is considerably less and cans are 100%. But some large brewers who use green or clear glass for marketing reasons use tetra-hop extract, which should be "immune" to skunking. I wonder if maybe they would use the extract for bottles, but not for the cans?

I wouldn't really expect any of this stuff to impact body, but I've been surprised before so who knows?

G.M. Gillman
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Posts: 1486
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:24 pm

Post by G.M. Gillman »

Well, not the light but the pasteurization, possibly. Cans conduct heat much faster than glass (and chill too, yes). So I wonder if cans are pasteurized more intensively to counteract an earlier staling. If so, the increased caramelization might perhaps reduce the body of the beer.

Gary
Gary Gillman

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