Oettinger Pils
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
Here is another classic German pilsner but with a twist, the price!Fully imported from the Oettinger group of breweries in Germany, a carton of this beer will currently set you back $29.90 from Dan Murphy’s.Similar to other German beers it is brewed in accordance with the German purity law of 1516 and as you would know this means no nasty hangovers the next morning.
At first glance all signs point to the fact this is a budget beer, the bottle labels are bland, the bottle cap has no markings, and the ‘carton’ isn’t really a carton but four 6-packs shrink wrapped together, but for $29.90 a carton who really cares. It also comes in a 6-pack of silver 500ml cans. Fist appearances aside this beer has a dry bitter taste.The hops bitterness is not overpowering in any way but makes itself noticed.Much like other pilsners it has a sweet aroma and a pale yellow appearance.
Oettinger Pils is an above average cheap beer.If you’re after an inexpensive night of drinking and one that won’t leave you with a throbbing head the morning after you should give this understated beer a go.
Rating (out of five):
Category : Beer Reviews, Pilsner
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
VERY nice German beer , clean easy drinking at an unreal price
$27 for 24 X 500ml cans, from Woolworths liqueur (3.9.09)…
.(cheapest slab I’ve bought in 15 years)
…Cheap BUT not nasty..
A much better beer than its cheap Dutch counter part Amsterdam Mariner.
Regards Jase
it is interesting that others have questioned the alcohol content. it probably has more to do with how much food you have consumed while/before drinking these beers. i know i have previously said that i’ve drunk 14 of these stubbies without really feeling it….but on more recent occassions i have consumed less and felt it more.
i still stand by this beer. its $30 a slab, brewed according to german purity laws = no headache the next day, and it tastes good, in my opinion, better than many locally and overpriced beers.
i’ve also bought the 500ml cans before. they’re ok if you really chill them and drink them out of a mug
These are going for around $40 a case of tins at the local Woolworths / Dan murphy’s monopoly in the Eastwood (Ryde’ish) area, around 35 for bottles. Tins are 0.5litre and apparently 1.9 standard drinks.
As just about -everybody- here has said this is a good drink for the price. However I’ve had better German beer for around $40 (Furstenberg).
In my opinion this beer is quite nice when its not so cold, chilled but not freezing makes it delicious and personally I always prefer the tins for that cheaper, crisper taste. Hell this sounds nasty, but I left half of one out last night and it was still tasty in the morning – slightly sweeter but not at all sour and still very carbonated.
As for the alcohol content, I had 4 tins (+1 other 1.4std) in the space of about an hour, maybe 1.5hrs the other day and got pretty drunk, but this definitely seems like a slower drinking more chilled out beer just naturally. Filling yet comfortable and satisfying on the stomach and easy on the palette.
Will be good summer drinking, beats the shit out of a coldie when it comes down to forking out the dough I guess. . .
Iv’e been living in Germany for over 5 months now, and this is the cheapest beer you can buy here, most people refuse to drink it as it is so bad.
You can only buy it in the supermarket and it costs around 5.5 to 6 euro for a crate (20*1L bottles) +3.10 euro deposit for the crate and bottles themselves.
It is a real shame that this beer has got overseas, as it is a horrible example of German beers.
Was the above was meant to read “20*0.5L bottles”.
These beers always manage to roll out of the cardboard six-pack holder as I put them in the fridge – maybe they shrink during transit? I keep buying this beer, it’s easy to drink, and though not as flavourful as Urquell, it’s only half the price!! The power went out at the local bottle-o, and hence my carton tonight wasn’t as cold as usual. Nevertheless, this beer is far less offensive than most local ones at a slightly elevated temperature:)
Irrespective of the price, this is a bloody good beer in comparison to most of the bland, ‘soapy’ commercial Australian beers – I was pleasantly surprised.
It’s a clean refreshing beer with nice ‘hoppy’ characters – very easy to drink.
Coopers Sparkling Ale (Red label) – powerful at 5.8% alcohol – is a great example of a top cloudy Aussie style with heaps of flavour and minimal added preservatives etc, but hey,it’s $42+ per carton and I drink it only when I feel like savouring a fine beer.
The Oettinger, in the meantime, does very nicely as a clean flavoursome general thirst quencher. Prost!
I got this beer for $23.50 (slab) and it is the best value for money, the taste is okay. So why not really. When you can pay $20 for a six pack of Boags Premium, this beer has unbeatable value for money.
Fri arvo again. Off to BWS for a carton of quality Coopers Sparkling 5.8, but alas Oettinger Pils 4.7 for 29 bucks gets me every time. $20 cheaper and same purity and bite. Great hops taste, full strength and no hangover. Even cheaper than the local mid strength horsepiss for $35!! Great Beer Great Price and after six of them you’ll be goosestepping your way back for more!
I know these things are personal to individuals & probably don’t translate too well. To my taste, inexpensive Oettinger from our local Aldi superstore isn’t that bad; but the Grolsch (both UK brewded – white background can – & Netherlands brewed – silver background cam) I can get from the local Costcutter at £3.50 for 4x500ml is greatly superior with a much deeper & fuller taste; it’s even cheaper at B&M if there’s one near you.
Been living in Germany for the last 3 years and I can honestly say these import firms must be making a huge profit. Local Kaufland selling 20 X 0.5Litre bottle for sale price 3.98euros (normally 6 euros ish). Car couldn’t get me there quick enough ! (39 cents a bottle !!!)
Anyone know the carb content??
super beer. price is awesome. taste is hard to get use too, but once you do youll know how much better a german beer (even though its cheap) is so much better than any aussie beer. gotta love the purity laws in germany.
I actually love the taste, it is a good price & thecans are a great idea.
Yes I am an Ausie & I love it. ( the beer that is)
Bought imported Beck’s and OeTTINGER for christmas break. The imported Beck’s is better but has run out the local Dan. but the OeTTINGER is going strong and at $32.00 it begs belief that people will pay more for locally made poison.
I reckon this is alright, as someone said..great for between home brews or caught out needing beer away from home. pisses all over aussie standard fare..VB, carlton draught etc..only domestic beer compares to is cascade.
Hi There,
I like the beer very much.
But my question is , why is it not on the shelfs in Aldi anymore.
Would like to find out .
Kind regards Cees
Cees
Bought some in Aldi South London (Catford) today 7th March. Get over there now.A steal @ £4.29 for 6x500ml cans.
I’m English and have been living in Monchengladbach, Germany for about 4 months now. I went to the local supermarket, Real, and couldn’t believe my eyes and wondered what the catch was – It was 5.69 euros a crate a few months ago. I went in today and they had export strength – 5.4% – for 4.69!! Good drink and good times. I alternate between this and Landfurst pils, both at similar prices. I’m not interested in fancy labels or ad campaigns, just something I like the taste of and I like the taste of this. And now I also know why I don’t get a hangover – German purity laws. People of Australia, you really need to take a break in the fatherland and treat yourself a little. And don’t worry they have beaches too, although I’m too busy drinking Oettinger to vist them!
Sorry, I forgot to say that price is for 20 x 0.5l bottles in a crate. Good times, my liver doesn’t know what’s hit it!! And that the likes of Becks and Bittburger costs around 10 to 12 euros for a crate of 20, which is still a really good price, about half that of the UK.
I discovered this beer while working at BWS for a few months.
It was a great find as it tastes quite acceptable and the price is a bargain.
Now that the 500ml cans are available, and a 6 pack is only $13 (in Qld), it’s quite easy to sink a 6 pack in short time. And YES, there IS lots of alcohol in those cans! After 6 cans I’m feeling pi**ed!
Well again I must say that the internet has served me well. I bought a case of this today for 29.99 from woolies liquor. Really nice, I am sick of paying 50 or 60 bucks for aussie beer that we really should be able to purchase for half that price. Its going down well I am on my second one now, oh and I love those purity laws, at my age I need a beer that wont give me a hangover!!
I have been drinking this beer for quite some time, and anyone that compares this to an Australian Beer has rocks in their head, this beer leaves XXXX Hahn VB all for dead taste wise. Futhermore, the great thing about this beer is no hangover. Not everyone drinks to get drunk, it has a great taste and the price is fantastic especially in this economic environment.
Have drunk Oettinger s few times in bottles. Better than Hollandia or Bavaria from Liquor-ripoff-land. Just found a carton of 500ml cans at evil woolworths for $40. It is not my favourite but easily beeter than carlton, vb, tooheys etc. It is not up there with Coopers but at that price it will be my choice everytime. It also makes me feel like Frank Gallagher nocking back a can that size and Frank is the man.
[...] The … animals apple Axe beer Bud Light Carlton Draught Cars cat Christmas Coca Cola diaper dog …BeerAdvice | Beer Advice with a twist Oettinger PilsPosted on Tuesday 11 March 2008. Here is another classic German pilsner but with a twist, the price! [...]
Commentator # 14
you are off topic and maybe you should stop drinking alltogether.
I lived in Bavaria and tasted many beers over many years.
This belongs to one of the better ones, without a hefty price tag.
This Oettinger beer is truly a surprise to see in the Australian market.
Oettinger Pils like all good German beers is brewed in accordance with the German purity law ‘the Reinheitsgebot’ of 1516 using only the freshest of grain, hops and water. No additives or chemicals that give you the typical hangover known to Commentator # 14, I suppose.
The Oettinger Pils is readily now in Australia and is a very tasty drop indeed.
The Oettinger group consists of 5 huge breweries throughout Germany, two of them in Oettingen where this beer originated in 1731 and others in Dessow, Gotha and Schwerin, the “Old East ” The breweries all produce the Original Oettinger brand as well as their own local specialty beers.Oettinger Pils like all good German beers is brewed in accordance with the German purity law ‘the Reinheitsgebot’ of 1516 using only the fresest of grain, hops and water. The Oettinger Pils is finally available outside of Germany and is a very tasty drop indeed
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Martin Pribble. Martin Pribble said: @Tim_in_CT this is she http://www.beeradvice.com.au/87/oettinger-pils/ [...]
OK, maybe not the BEST beer I’ve ever tasted but beats the pants off many brews going for $40+ per carton, and hard to beat unless you spend $50/slab or more. The Oettinger was $32 at Dan’s, and I’ll be grabbing some more without a second thought.
[...] this beer is pretty average and for $29.99 a carton I’d rather get myself a carton of Oettinger Pils any day. I’m glad I only bought the one tester this time [...]
Yeah have to agree that this brew is not bad at all. I feel quite smug walking away from the bottlo knowing I’ve saved 20 dollars on a slab when the next fool is shelling out 50 bucks for a slab of Tooheys New or Hahn.
Australian beer is horribly overpriced and this Oettinger is a refreshing drop, both on the palate and the wallet.
No! no no no!
I´m German, and this Stuff shouldn’t be called beer at all!
Its horrible!
Homeless guys here drink it!
Its a shame that this stuff is sold at all!
The cheapest shit you can get!
Hi Guys…..
I havent bought a local carton beer in years…I have become a beer snob….enjoying drinking beers from around the globe…..someone handed me one of these at a family reunion 2 years ago, and knowing it was a cheaper import i thought bavaria etc etc…i was pleasently suprised…..i have bought a bottled 6 pack since, & at a cheaper price good value….just bought the 500ml can 24 pack for $41.99 from Safeway Liquor…..for value sake…I usually drink Coopers Pale Ale for a more refined sip, and whatever quality beer is on sale in ALbury, Dans & Liquor One…..This is good value….its all subjective I guess, same as what you like in women…..but I certainly ppreciate quality…and this for a cheaper beer is good avlue…”let your taste buds do the talking” despite bagging from german patriots saying its houso- shite!!!!
forgive my spelling its the old keyboard…!!! Ive had 3 cans though & feeling it…7 aussie beers usually dont give the same kick!!!!! Enjoy !!!
Ive been sampling german beer for the past 12months and this beer oettinger opils is exceptional quality for money and try and get a hangover I get sick after 5 vbs or tooheys new this beer is exceellent
We get a strange selection of cheap German beers here at my local E-Mart near Seoul. This stuff came in recently. It sells close $1US for a 500ml. Anybody complaining about it’s quality should try to live a year off Korean brews. It’s light and drinkable, but actually qualifies as a real beer around here, and I hope to be seeing some more of it in the future.
Umm..seems to be quite a lot of myth about the German Purity Law (of 1516), which is these days mostly cosmetic and its labelling on beer retained only for marketing purposes. The Law was lifted in 1988 following an EU directive (as it stifled competition) and now any ingredient used in food can be used to brew beer also. The Purity Law was not introduced to stop people from getting hangovers, you will definitely still get a feisty hangover drinking too much “Purity Law” beer (I can certainly attest to that). The Law forbade the use of rye and wheat (prescribing the use of barley instead) in the brewing of beer to ensure the availability of affordable bread at the time. It also does not mention yeast, which is a 4th ingredient added by all modern breweries even if they claim to follow the Purity Law, because at the time the Law was formulated, the action of micro-organisms in the fermentation process was not known of.
Daniel’s response might be theoretically partly correct, but it is mostly assured that German brewers still stick to the original purity laws when brewing Pilsner, despite idiotic EU bureaucrats.
German consumers do not accept junk in their beer and if there is, it will be identified and the company put to shame.
We Australians will put up with anything as long as we are told it is Australian, be it beer or politics.
Hangovers depend not only on the rubbish that is added to beer to achieve higher profits but also the yeast and the procedure where inferior alcohols can be created other than ethanol that are also much more toxic.
That said even pure ethanol creates hangovers after a certain amount and of course somewhat more can kill you. This is hardly possible with beer due to it’s low alcohol content… you are more likely to drown in it
Oettinger is consumed by the homeless because of it’s price. This does not make it inferior just because the narrow minded, black and white stereotypes assume you get what you pay for.
This is not a specialty or boutique beer, which you can very quickly get bored of, but a very well balanced, refreshing and faultless brew that I can always drink and be satisfied with.
I have no heartburn or boated feeling after I drink it, unlike the fizzy soft-drink-like chemical cocktails that we Australians call local beer.
For some reason i found this from a bottle almost undrinkable after a few… However it tastes different in the 500ml can and if chilled down is a really good session beer. I can sink a 6 pack in little over an hour. I love all types of expensive beers and ales and i also don’t mind this Oettinger but it MUST be from the can and cold… Good value beer for slamming down fast…
Sampling my Oettinger, I reflect on the comments above. Good hoppy flavour, clean crisp taste, and an inexpensive beer to enjoy as the weather heats up. Why, my friends, do some people automatically associate a low price with inferior quality?(The modern Holden car is cheap by international standards, but it now has ‘an excellent quality finish and heaps of punch’, if you can appreciate the analogy!) If only WE could make beers like this, and charge a reasonable price…..
No, Oettinger is NOT the finest example of German beer any more than our Holdens or Fords are the best engineered cars in the world, but hey, it’s all about comparative value in the end. Oettinger gets a firm nod!
If you like this beer you’d better move to the Netherlands. Over here we pay Euro 4.99 (appr. US$ 8.00) for one box of 24 bottles of 0.33liter each
This beer is rated as one of the best budget beers and can fully compete with
beers like Heineken or Grolsch.
I’ve been this the last few months and it’s definitely great value, but has anyone else copped the odd “off” beer?
There were 2 in last night’s box and one last weekend. They have a weird, almost metallic type taste to them
I bought a carton (for Christmas.) I’m not a regualar drinker and had intended to buy Becks($48.00 a carton) which I ocassionally drink and goes down well but thought I’d try the Oettinger at $30.00(surely Germans don’t make bad beer I thought.)After only one 330ml bottle in the evening, I did not feel great after it and have a headache the next day. It seems to have a very yeasty taste or is that hoppy – I didn’t really like it but could get used to the taste if it did not leave me with a headache – maybe I’m allergic to it. I’m now a bit dubious about offering it to friends. The best before date is 27/04/12 – anyone know if this is good or bad?
Becky that Best Before date is perfectly fine, I would be worried if it was in the past or a day or two off it. I truly don’t think you can go past Oettinger for the price.
Thanks Daniel, that is reassuring. There are plenty of advocates for the beer on this forum so perhaps I am allergic to it or maybe it has not been properly stored on its long journey to the land of Oz. I won’t be drinking any more of it myself. I’ve had the occasional bad reaction to beer before and thought it must be the preservatives. That’s why I buy beer with no preservatives but can’t be that in this case as it contains none.
Very nice beer,at a great price,I have been drinking it for the last 2 months and wont buy anything else now,kills any aussie beer and I dont get a hangover WOOOHOOO.
I cant stop at just 1 as it tastes so good and is very refreshing on a hot day,I highly reccommend OeTTINGER.
This is a top notch beer at a very affordable price – $42 for the 500ml cans from Dans. Am knocking the foam off my second at the moment. Enjoying them very much. I reckon they have a sweet pils taste, nice hops. Actually has more depth of flavour than I thought it would.
So this is the VB of Germany hey? Easily the most popular and most affordable? Pffft to the stuck up beer snobs who posted here and diss this drop, much like they do VB. Oettinger is beaut.
Being a recently immigrated German and knowing Oettinger as well as the German beer market, I think that Aussies should stand up to their breweries and demand drinkable beer for reasonable prices. It is interesting that a very cheap (not bad, depending on taste) German beer can be shipped here from the other side of the world and still be competitive, as all these comments show.
I was looking for a change from the everyday Australian beer and was at my local Dan Murphy’s and noticed Oettingers for around the $28 price tag.I was a little hesitant at first to buy them thinking they were too cheap to be any good ,but i have found them to be great value ,with a taste that just makes you feel like more.I Know that there are other great beers out there ,but do they compare in price to this fine drop.
Yes been on this for a few months. Have tried the silver bullets straight from the can and the 330ml stubbies. Glass tastes better so decided to pour the can tonight in a word Great! Ill only drink Coopers from the local market but at 50 plus a carton its getting rarer. This gets my vote hands down
Cheers to Oettinger and cheers to you all.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE I CAN BUT YOUR BEER(OETTINGER PILS) IN GREECE