Warteck Lager

http://www.warteck.ch/

Brewed by Feldschlösschen (Carlsberg)
Style: Pale Lager
Rheinfelden, Switzerland

A traditional Basel lager founded in 1856 directly opposite the old Badischer train station. Today their restaurant and bar Altes Warteck (Old Warteck) is a stones throw from the train station.

Acquisition of the brewery by Bernhard Füglistaller-Sprenger. The Warteck beer quickly gained a good name and so shortly afterwards the first depot was opened in Bern and the first “Pilsener” was brewed in Basel.

In 1989 the big boys come a calling with the sale of the brewery to Feldschlösschen, Switzerland’s beer giant. Feldschlösschen itself was bought out by Carlsberg in 2000. This a little controversial as Carlsberg like to use Feldschlösschen as a guinea pig for a lot of new products it has plans for, and also for non alcoholic beers it wants to try out. It is tested out in Switzerland and then applied worldwide. This could be argued as a good thing as innovation and new techniques are good. It might be also good for some of the regional and smaller brands in the group, such as Warteck, as they will have a stronger support both in finance and in marketing, or at least that’s the plan.

Review: 33cl bottle of Warteck Lager: ABV: 4.8% vol

Bought it in a ten pack as I couldn’t get any singles in the shop. Clever marketing?

Green bottle, screw top, simple but effective logo, I like it.

On appearance, it was a very fizzy beer, that produced a nice crystal clear golden yellow colour, but once it all settled down we are left with a very flat beer with no head at all. very flat, very disappointing considering the initial lively carbonation.

The smell is nice enough of what you can get, a lagery kind of aroma but also a bit like a sweet perfume, must be the grains! Not much smell overall though.

Taste is nice enough, the initial mouthful feels good. Nice maltiness there.