My Bland, Occasional Dutch Pick-Me-Up (Oranjeboom)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	Oranjeboom
Date:	06/09/06 (286 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice and crisp

Disadvantages: Bit bland really

On a hot, summer’s night there’s nowt better than a cold can of lager and here it is in my hand….a cold can of lager. I like to think of myself as something of a connoisseur of lager/bitter beers although I’m sure there may be some who will say I know naaaaaaaathing *fake Spanish accent*. They’d accuse me of being a latter day Manuel from the heady days of Fawlty Towers. Each to their own, I say and here’s my latest tip to keep you cool in these warm, late-summer days of yore.

Would you like some history about the beer? No? Oh well, here goes anyway for the pseudo-CAMRA buffs among you (actually, CAMRA members would probably turn their nose up at this anyway as it doesn’t come with a gravity count, its own special pump and a few be-spectacled gents smoking tobacco and looking wistful. Apart from those who don’t wear specs, smoke tobacco and look wistful, of course).

Oranjeboom was founded in Rotterdam in 1671. Originally called d'Orangienboom, it was in the 19th century that Oranjeboom was one of the first breweries in The Netherlands to brew lager. In the 20th century, several other breweries were bought, including Wertha (Weert), Phoenix (Amersfoort), Barbarossa (Groningen) and Zuid Hollandse Bierbrouwerij (Den Haag). In 1967 Oranjeboom was taken over by Allied Breweries. A year later, the firm merged with De Drie Hoefijzers in Breda, which was then renamed Oranjeboom. Interestingly, as I remember it well, in 1973 the brand Skol was introduced to replace the Oranjeboom brand. Skol had failed to succeed on the domestic market and the name Oranjeboom was restored in 1982. Funnily enough, I seem to remember Skol having a really poor reputation as a really low-grade beer so it was no wonder that the brand ended up consigned to lager brand Heaven after a while. The Oranjeboom brewery in Rotterdam was closed in 1990. In 1995 the Breda brewery was sold to Interbrew and in 2004 it was closed by Interbrew's successor, Inbev with production moved to the Dommelsch brewery. There you go, everything you could ever wish to know about Oranjeboom's history.

A 4.1% abv version for the UK market is brewed under licence at Shepherd Neame, in Faversham, Kent. Pubs local to this area are a good bet for finding Oranjboom on tap or so I’ve read but I’ve not seen it on tap in the Northants area. Apparently, some also serve Oranjeboom Extra Cold although, again, I haven’t seen this first hand. The version found in UK supermarkets is 5.0% and canned and Oranjeboom can also be found in bottled format. A 4.7 version is also available in cans with a gold top. The 5.0% abv version has a silver top.

So what the blinkin’ 'eck does it look and taste like? Well, it has a transparent, crisp, light gold colour with a velvety white head that slowly fades away. Tiny speckles of lacing are left around the glass and the smell is of sweet malt. It’s a kind of doughy, pilsner taste and crisp on the tongue. Quite frankly, I like the taste especially after it's been in the fridge for a while but I like it in a kind of re-assuringly, none stand-out kind of way. Maybe it's the style of can or even the name that attracts me but it's a very average beer that just insists on being bought (although most beers do that to me).

You may wish to know that the name Oranjeboom literally translates as "Orange Tree" in English (you may have known that if you can speak Dutch already or have access to Google searches). I’ve drunk Oranjeboom many a time at home and it’s a beer that fits those occasions where you simply fancy a beer but then what better excuse is there?

To be honest, I bought this one on offer although I’ve drunk it many times in the past. At £5 for two four-packs from Iceland (the store not the country) I couldn’t resist taking advantage of a BOGOF for Oranjeboom – a very pleasant Dutch lager. A four-pack will usually set you back around £2.80.

Summing up for the Oranjeboom jury, it’s the 3rd most popular lager in its region behind Amstel and Heineken although it does get quite a bit of criticism in beer drinking circles for being bland. You have to admit that the name's great and, OK, maybe it is a bit bland but it is a nice drink when chilled and innocuous enough when having had a few. As a Dutch pick-me-up, I'd have preferred a naked lady from Amsterdam with a great SOH and a nice body but in the absence of that, this fits the bill.

Recommended by me with 3 stars.

Thanks for reading

Mara 2006

Summary: Review of Oranjeboom