Oettinger Extra Strong Review

“I’m a Fan of German Beer But…….!”

Country: Germany 

Brand: Oettinger Extra Strong

Brewery: Oettinger Brauerei, Gotha
Package: Tin Can (500 ml)

Type: Strong Pale Lager

Age: NAS

ABV: 8.9 %

Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Golden Yellow

Foam: Slightly Off-White Foam that dissolves very quickly. Almost no head of Foam while you drink your glass. Almost no laces remain once you finished the glass.

Nose: Very Sweet with Grains (Corn), White Bread, Sugar, Yeast, light Honey, Caramel, Hay, Grass and Lemon. There are some Fruity notes as well but I can't quite pin them down. Peach maybe. Very light Hops. It doesn't smell like real Beer to me. Although the ABV is strong, the Alcohol doesn't bother me on the Nose.

Palate: Terribly Sweet with a light Bitterness. The Alcohol is more present now but it doesn't add anything to this Beer. You just get drunk more quickly. The carbonation is Light/Medium. I find Caramel, Sugar, Yeast, Corn Syrup, White Bread, Floral Soap, Cheap Alcohol, Candies and traces of Acetone. I'm sorry but this is nearly undrinkable. I'm not going to finish this whole tin.  

Finish: Sweet and very Short, almost to the point of non-existing. I find Sweet Bread (Brioche type), Musty Grains, Yeast and Sugar. Slightly Bitter and Dry towards the end.  

Rating: ***  (Three out of Ten)

Oettinger Brewery in Gotha (Picture Credit: Oettinger)

General Remarks: Since 1956, the Oettinger Brewery is owned by the Kollmar family. The Head-Quarters and main facility are located in Oettingen in Bavaria but there also Breweries in Mönchengladbach, Braunschweig and Gotha. Since 2004 it's the best selling Beer Brand in Germany leaving Krombacher behind. The company strategy is to sell huge quantities of Beer at the lowest possible price. Most of the production is sold in Supermarkets and Gas Stations. One of the reasons their products are so cheap is the fact that they don't make any sort of propaganda.

Drinking Experience: Unpleasant and way too Sweet.  

Conclusion: This Beer is very cheap, at least in Europe. Because here in Brazil I paid Euro 3,50 for this! So you can't and shouldn't expect paradise. But I must admit I'm going to drain the rest of my can. This is not Beer in my world. It's a mixture of Corn Syrup and Sugar. At least it tastes like that to me. According to the label, Oettinger Extra Strong is made with Water, Sugar, Malted Barley and Hops Extract. So be it. Well, the Brewery does not make propaganda for this Beer and neither will I. Won't buy this again. What a disappointment!   

Jan van den Ende                                                                     May 13, 2015