Überquell Bambule Pilsener Beer Review

Bambule Pilsener

Review Date 5/23/2023 By John Staradumsky

For Christmas of 2015, my wife bought me a really cool present: BeerAdvent Calendar 2015 from Kalea. In truth, my wife got me a lot of nice presents (she’s the best wife ever), but the nice thing about the Beer Advent Calendar is you get it early. You have to, since it’s comprised of 24 different imported German beers in a box with little doors that you open, one per day from December 1^st through December 24^th. All of the beers are listed on the side of the carton, however, so be careful not to look and spoil the daily surprises!

I love German beer more than beer from any other country on Earth, so this was definitely right up my alley. My one criticism of the calendar is there are not enough bocks and doppelbocks (not fair!), but otherwise it’s just an amazing way to sample 24 German beers I’ve never seen before. I get mine at Costco here in Georgia and pay on average $59.95 for the box. That might sound steep, but when you distribute that price over 24 different half liter cans, it only works out to $2.50 per can. Not a bad deal at all looked at that way.

Except that this year, the calendars were a bit more expensive. I found them at Costco earlier than I ever had before, in the first week of September. The prices had gone up by $10, and I shelled out $69.95 for the 2022 edition. That did not phase me in the least, first of all because just about everything has gotten more expensive this year. Then too, the calendars really have not had a price increase in the 7 years I have been buying them (this is my 8th calendar). This year's price of $2.92 per can is still a bargain for beers from small German brewers I might never otherwise get to enjoy.

On December 13th, I opened the Day Thirteen door and found a can of Bambule Pilsener by Überquell GMBH of Hamburg, in the St. Pauli district. This would be the last new beer in this year's calendar, with the remaining eleven being old favorites returning to be enjoyed again. I like that. Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold. Bambule Pilsener also has the distinction of having one of the most unique labels of any beer I have received in any of the 8 Kalea calendars purchased since 2015. At least on my can, as the beer has a different label on the brewery website.

What is a Bambule? Inquiring minds wanted to know, so I hopped on over to Wikipedia, where there are various references to the word, all German related, including a German word for non-violent prison protests, a trailer park in Hamburg's St. Pauli quarter, and an album by the German band Absolute Beginner. The label does feature some musical instruments embedded in the image, but it is not clear which flavor of Bambule the beer is named for.

This is the first beer I have tried from Überquell. They say of themselves on their website:

At ÜberQuell we brew seven beers a year. Each one different, each one special. And as if that wasn’t enough, we do it like our neighbour, famous Aale Dieter from the Hamburg fish market and don’t put just one, but several Seasonals and Limiteds on top – monthly! That´s cool, ain´t it?

And of the Bambule Pilsener they say:

Here comes your new favorite pilsener: Fine tart, straw yellow and brewed only with the best German hops. Unfiltered and natural for all beer purists and pleasure lovers. Your taste buds will rejoice and the corners of your mouth will give a standing ovation! #noFilter

Pilsner is the 3rd most frequent style to appear in the 192 beers I have had from the Kalea calendars over the years:

Dortmunder 8 4%
Munich Helles 45 23%
Oktoberfest 33 17%
Munich Dunkles 11 6%
Hefeweizen 11 6%
Dunkelweizen 12 6%
Zwickl/Kellerbier 10 5%
Kristalweizen 3 2%
Pilsner 20 10%
Bock 2 1%
IPA 5 3%
Doppelbock 5 3%
Maibock 3 2%
Pale Ale 7 4%
Weizenbock 4 2%
Vienna Lager 3 2%
Imperial Pilsner 3 2%
Steinbier 1 0%
Stout 3 2%
Rauchbier 3 2%

Bambule Pilsener has an alcohol content of 4.8% by volume with 38 IBUs according to the brewery website, although my can says 5% ABV. It is stamped EXP 2024/03.

Bambule Pilsner pours to a bright golden color with a thick fluffy white head and a bready, slightly grassy hop nose. Taking a sip, the beer is again bready up front like a Helles in malt character less than crisp biscuity, but I do get a bit of that, too. It’s permeated with grassy hops and finishes gently bitter, though I would like a little more bitterness here. It’s a tasty pilsner however you slice it and the earthy herbal grassy hops are really the highlight for me.

I’m greatly enjoying my 8th annual Beer Advent Calendar with the day 13 beer. Here’s looking forward to the remaining 11, and another assortment of 24 in 2023. We’ll be on the lookout next year at Costco, and following the beers on their Facebook page.

The beers of the 2022 Beer Advent Calendar:

Day 1 Schnitzlbaumer Lagerbier Hell

Day 2 Kuchlbauer Turmweisse

Day 3 Fürst Carl Pils Unfiltered

Day 4 Kurpfalz Bräu Kellerbier

Day 5 Schwarze Tinte Collab Stout

Day 6 Graminger Deife

Day 7 Landgang Helle Aufregung

Day 8 Landgang Pils

Day 9 Herrngiersdorf Hallertauer Hopfen Cuvee

Day 10 Alpen Stoff

Day 11 Hohenthanner Tannen Hell