Classic Hungarian: Dreher Classic

Produced in the country’s capital of Budapest, here is one of the most famous Hungarian beer brands, and for that matter, also one of the best tasting, at least in my opinion.

• Name: Dreher Classic
• Brewery: Dreher Sörgyár (SABMiller)
• City: Budapest
• Country: Hungary

The appearance of this pilsener is standard: clear golden color, highly carbonated body, and a finger of white foamy head with little retention. The nose picks up some malt, light hopes, and mostly grains, but in general the aroma is fairly weak. The taste is therefore completely expected. Slightly sweet at first, followed by a bready and grainy taste, finishig with a very decent hoppiness. It’s very refreshing and easy to drink, with a lack of watery feel, but with a decent bitterness instead.

• Style: Pilsener
• ABV: 5,2%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 3,5 / 5
• Taste: 4,5 / 5
• Overall: 4 / 5

• Bottle: 2 / 5

Hungarian Hybrid: Borsodi Borostyan

Although a hybrid, it has nothing to do with a Prius. Buty why such a name? Well, simply because the style of this beer, Polotmavy, is a hybrid between the dark lager and the pale pilsener, similar to Vienna style of beer. Sounds interesting and enjoyable, so let’s see what’s it really like.

• Name: Borsodi Borostyán
• Brewery: Borsodi Sörgyár (MolsonCoors)
• City: Bőcs
• Country: Hungary

The content of this bottle pours out in a dark amber color, covered with a decent foamy and beige head. The nose picks up a sweet and roasted aroma, together with some caramel. The taste is quite pleasant. It starts sweet, together with some moderate roasted note (in acceptable measures). The finish is hoppy and bitter, again with some roasty feel. All in all, it’s a nice beer, smooth and fairly easy to drink. I don’t really prefer too much roasted taste in my beer. Borsodi keeps that in mind and delivers just enough of it.

• Style: Polotmavy
• ABV: 5,2%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 4 / 5
• Taste: 3,5 / 5
• Overall: 3,5 / 5

• Bottle: 2 / 5

Truly Hungarian: Soproni

The beer I’m presenting today, is one of the many brands I have brought back from my visit to the Hungary’s capital of Budapest quite some time ago. It is one of the typical Euro lagers which are produced in almost every European country. Some are better, and some are not really that good.

• Name: Soproni
• Brewery: Soproni Sörgyár (Heineken Hungária)
• City: Sopron
• Country: Hungary

Soproni pours out with a characteristic pure, golden color, and is topped with a very decent white head which settles down relatively quickly. The smell is quite neutral and not strong at all – all I could smell was the faint aroma of hops. The taste is nice, with the sweetness of the malts in the first line, followed by a slightly bitter aftertaste. The truth is, Soproni doesn’t really offer too much taste, but due to its smoothness and lightness you still get what you’re searching for – and that is refreshment. But if you’re looking for something more complex, something more rememberable, you better move on.

• Style: Pale Lager
• ABV: 4,5%
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, yeast, hops

• Slogan: “Soproni, hozzánk tartozik” (Soproni, Belongs to Us!)

RATINGS

• Appearance: 4 / 5
• Smell: 3,5 / 5
• Taste: 3 / 5
• Overall: 3 / 5