Twas side by side I just drank them, albeit strictly in the name of science. As for color, to my eyes the Pilsner Urquell lager was yellow/orange and ~5.0 to 5.5 SRM (quite noticeably dark in color for a Pilsner), and the Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold lager was an orange/red ~7.5 to 8 SRM (which may be on the dark side for a Dortmunder in the Export class?).
My expectation going in was that the lower 30 IBU's of the Dortmunder, in conjunction with it's exceptionally high level of mineralization (presumed, whereby to be in proper line with the nature of the style) would, when tasted side by side with the nigh on mineral free Urquell, weighing in at 40 IBU's, have a pronouncedly more crisp and hoppy expression. But what I found was that it was the Urquell which easily exhibited noticeably more of both crispness and hoppiness. The Dortmunder Gold, which I had anticipated would dominate, was subdued and rather sweet (and to my consternation, rather dull and lacking) by comparison. If anyone tells you that mineral free water subdues hop expression, they don't know what they are saying. The Urquell was far and away way more hoppy. And if anyone tells you that brewing mineral free expresses maltiness and mouthfeel, whereas brewing mineral rich expresses crispness and dryness and hoppiness, I noticed precisely the opposite.
I vastly preferred the Urquell, and this also ran counter to my expectations going in. Oddly, neither beer poured with much of a head, and neither exhibited the pronounced and lasting lacing I've come to expect from respectable home brew.
Lastly, a few years ago Pilsner Urquell finally got the message and went to amber bottles. But many (including me) have faulted them for using a pale/light colored amber. That must have changed, as my wife and I could not see any shade or darkness difference between the Dortmunder bottles amber and the Urquell bottles amber when held up to a light. So It appears that Urquell has finally completely fixed this problem.
My expectation going in was that the lower 30 IBU's of the Dortmunder, in conjunction with it's exceptionally high level of mineralization (presumed, whereby to be in proper line with the nature of the style) would, when tasted side by side with the nigh on mineral free Urquell, weighing in at 40 IBU's, have a pronouncedly more crisp and hoppy expression. But what I found was that it was the Urquell which easily exhibited noticeably more of both crispness and hoppiness. The Dortmunder Gold, which I had anticipated would dominate, was subdued and rather sweet (and to my consternation, rather dull and lacking) by comparison. If anyone tells you that mineral free water subdues hop expression, they don't know what they are saying. The Urquell was far and away way more hoppy. And if anyone tells you that brewing mineral free expresses maltiness and mouthfeel, whereas brewing mineral rich expresses crispness and dryness and hoppiness, I noticed precisely the opposite.
I vastly preferred the Urquell, and this also ran counter to my expectations going in. Oddly, neither beer poured with much of a head, and neither exhibited the pronounced and lasting lacing I've come to expect from respectable home brew.
Lastly, a few years ago Pilsner Urquell finally got the message and went to amber bottles. But many (including me) have faulted them for using a pale/light colored amber. That must have changed, as my wife and I could not see any shade or darkness difference between the Dortmunder bottles amber and the Urquell bottles amber when held up to a light. So It appears that Urquell has finally completely fixed this problem.
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