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Karpfen

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Karpfen is an unfiltered Pils of Franconian inspiration, brewed with very soft water, Bavarian Pilsner malt only and a single hop, Rottenburger grown in Tettnang. It is pale and drinks bitter. The malt contributes delicate honey and bread crust, and the hop adds peppery, herbal and floral notes on top of that lean base.

ABV
4.8%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter30 IBU
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
pale gold3
PaceSession
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
herbalspicy hophoney
herbal
spicy hop
honey
floral
bready
clean
Aroma
The nose opens with clean, grainy malt—delicate honey and warm bread crust emerge first.
also:hoppy,malty
not found:juicy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Karpfen

◎ Appearance

Karpfen presents a pale straw-gold hue with a fine, persistent white head. The unfiltered character yields a subtle haze, catching light with gentle cloudiness that speaks to its natural, minimal processing. Carbonation is moderate and even, supporting steady lacing as the glass empties.

pale straw-goldunfiltered hazepersistent headdelicate carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with clean, grainy malt—delicate honey and warm bread crust emerge first. Above this lean base, Rottenburger hops introduce peppery spice, herbal earth, and subtle floral character that feels restrained and layered rather than aggressive.

honey, bread crustpeppery spiceherbal, floralclean grain

◐ Taste

Entry is crisp and refreshing, with the malt's honeyed sweetness building a soft mid-palate foundation. Bitterness arrives at thirty IBU—measured and peppery—balancing the delicate malt notes without overwhelming them. The finish is dry and lean, allowing both hop character and grain notes to linger distinctly.

crisp, refreshinghoneyed malt basemeasured bitternesspeppery finish

◑ Finish

The aftertaste is dry and persistent, with herbal and peppery hop notes fading gracefully over bread-crust maltiness. A light mineral quality lingers, reflecting the soft water and reinforcing the beer's clean, lean profile.

dry, persistentherbal aftertaste
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
82
Taste
83
Appearance
80
Finish
81
Serve at 4–7°C

Serve well-chilled at 4–6°C for maximum crispness. A pilsner served too warm loses its defining snap.

Pilsner glass

The tall, narrow pilsner glass preserves carbonation and showcases the golden clarity that defines the style.

Drink fresh and cold. Pilsners do not improve with age — within 3 months of packaging is ideal.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Karpfen

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About German Pilsner

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a German Pilsner?

Pilsners are crisp golden lagers with 4–5.5% ABV and IBU 25–45. Defined by spicy, floral Saaz hops over a light malt backbone — bright carbonation and a dry bitter finish.

Finding a similar German Pilsner

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same herbal, bitter, spicy-hop character as Karpfen will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all German Pilsner beers in hopIQ →New to German Pilsner? Read our guide →Browse Italy beers →