Gösser Dark Beer
Company info:
Gösser Brauerei
Göss/Leoben
Bottle size sampled: 330 mL
Alcohol: 4.5%
Standard drinks: 1.3
Cap type: Twist
Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.20
Label info: All I get on this is ‘Austria’s finest beer‘
What the label really means:
N/A
The Hell-Cat review starts here
Label: It’s simple, it’s traditional looking. I would imagine this label hasn’t changed in a hundred years and that seems immediately evident. Look at this label and not only will you believe you are buying something steeped in history but a beer of class and sophistication. I appreciate this for what it is.
I give it a label rating of 7 out of 10.
AROMA: A rich, malty aroma that exudes warmth with a hint of intrigue.
Taste: GLASS – Gösser has a great deal more depth than other dark beers that I have tried. It is really quite tasty, and not heavy in the least. The more I drink this the smoother it tastes, and just like the hideous ingrown toenail on my left big toe, it keeps growing on me. What’s most surprising is the enjoyable aftertaste that sings of rich goodness.
I give it a beer from glass rating of 8 out of 10.
Taste: BOTTLE – This is definitely not a beer for the bottle…the taste becomes really simplified, losing most of its characteristics as it becomes a watery tasting beer. Not as interesting at all.
I give it a taste from bottle rating of 5.5 out of 10.
A word from the wife: “Smooth, rich, rather pleasing…need a fire”
She gave it a taste rating of 7.5 out of 10.
Accompanying food: This is a beer that would sit beautifully with something big and bloody. Give me a medium-rare steak, drizzled in gravy, sitting beside thick cut chips and I am one happy primordial dwarf.
Best season to appreciate: Totally a Winter warmer. As an après ski beer this would go down a treat while easing away the aches of the day. Before you knew it you’d be dancing on the bar to Rod Stewart songs.
All-nighter beer? I’m not sure…but I’d definitely give it a go!
NEXT WEEK: Crackenback Pale Ale
Hell-Cat's beer blog 
The wife likes the beer because it’s just like her man: “Smooth, rich and rather pleasing”
Oh, hang on, waitaminute…
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haha – if she were comparing the beer to me it would be more like ‘rough around the edges, unfiltered, and a little uncomfortable in women’s clothing departments’
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Sometimes I think that a woman’s ideal partner would be a chocolate mousse.
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I’m yet to try this – will do so tonight with any luck – but kudos to you Mase for recognising that this beer is a relatively rare example of a dark lager. I will pick up a Coopers Dark Ale (a genuine bottle-conditioned ale) at the same time as I grab a Gosser (how do you get an umlaut to appear on the screen?) and I expect the contrast to be stark. I’ll have the results of my comparison tomorrow.
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BD – I think you will be pleasantly surprised by this gem.
P.S. I copy and pasted the umlaut from Göögle
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Mase, tried one the other night and followed that up with a Coopers Dark Ale. Must say I definitely preferred the ale, but given my taste in beers that’s to be expected. The Gösser (thanks for the umlaut) was quite sweet, whereas the ale was drier and that’s what I prefer. The Gösser was certainly interesting though, and that’s what I really look for in a beer – even if I’m not much of a fan personally, if the brewer has aimed to do something a bit distinctive then I dips me lid. I quite like the regular Gösser too (as opposed to their dark), especially out of the can.
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