We asked beer sommeliers about the most underrated beer
Pilsner, Tripel, IPA or Stout: every beer has its own flavor and brewing process. And that brewing process is not nearly as easy as you might think… According to top beer sommeliers, these are the most underrated beers.
Arvid Bergström, beer sommelier, author and owner of Proef Bier
“Pilsner. Because what beer lovers are unaware of is that a brewer who brews pilsner cannot afford to make a single mistake during the brewing process. A small mistake inevitably comes back in the final result. The beer can no longer be corrected and the batch is discarded.”
Bas Schampers, beer sommelier and creator of the Bourgondische Bierkelder
“Lovely, relatively low-alcohol beers. A ‘special’ beer doesn’t always have to be heavy. Just a lovely, easy-drinking session IPA, for example. Thirst-quenching, flavorful, delicious!”
Richard Moerkerk, beer sommelier at Proeflokaal de Boom and owner of De BierBasiliek
“Pilsner. It’s annoying when people call it ‘just beer.’ It is one of the most difficult brewing styles to brew. Because the flavor profile is so clean, every minimal deviation in flavor is immediately noticeable. The fact that it is still the most drunk beer in the world says something too. Nevertheless, it is sometimes dismissed as a simple product.”
Monique Biben, beer sommelier
“Pilsner is the most consumed beer among beer geeks. A really beautifully brewed and freshly poured pilsner is a fantastic experience. Unfortunately, many people have never had the chance to experience this. It often happens that people buy a few crates of pilsner on sale and then happily put them in the warm shed. When it’s time for the barbecue, all the bottles are crammed together in the refrigerator, only to be drunk lukewarm. Undrinkable, of course, because temperature is one of the biggest threats to the flavor of beer.”
Kim Sonneveld, beer sommelier and owner of Plan B
“Pilsner! In fact, some people don’t even call it beer, even though this bottom-fermented beer obviously is. We serve Swinckels pilsner ourselves, beautifully balanced and delicious with all kinds of dishes. Pilsner is a difficult style of beer to brew because every mistake can be fatal to the beer, whereas with a top-fermented beer you can often still conceal it. I’m personally crazy about German pilsners, preferably Keller Pils.”
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