What is your favorite lager style?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by offthelevel_bytheplumb, Sep 13, 2013.

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What is your favorite lager style?

  1. Dortmunder/Helles

    14.7%
  2. Pilsner

    25.3%
  3. Oktoberfest

    15.3%
  4. Vienna

    6.3%
  5. Dunkel

    6.6%
  6. American Red/Amber

    3.9%
  7. Bock

    2.9%
  8. Doppelbock

    22.1%
  9. Eisbock

    1.3%
  10. AAL/Malt Liquor

    1.6%
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  1. bulletrain76

    bulletrain76 Maven (1,287) Nov 6, 2007 California

    The lager thing with kolsch is I think, often overstated as a backlash to the "it's an ale" crowd. My experience is that German brewers consider it a top-fermenting beer and that's pretty much that. They don't use "ale" because that's an english term and style to them, which is essentially synonymous with pale ale or bitter. The Germans would put alt and kolsch on a separate list, otherwise it would essentially just be any German beer that isn't a wheat beer, and that's not how they see it.
     
  2. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,053) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I generally agree with this. However, with Altbier the mentions of it being an "obergaeriges Lagerbier" are much more prevalent -- and that beer follows more or less the same fermentation processes as Koelsch. Maybe the Koelsch brewers don't use the term as frequently in order to avoid being associated in any way with Duesseldorf and Alt!
     
  3. Hefewiseman

    Hefewiseman Pundit (944) Sep 6, 2011 Florida
    Trader

    India Pale Lager, Baltic Porter, Schwartzbier
     
  4. Providence

    Providence Pooh-Bah (2,628) Feb 24, 2010 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Had the opportunity to have my first Zwickel not that long ago. It was excellent.
     
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  5. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,301) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah Society

    It's what comes from making a definition out of something which is only mostly true.Ales are top fermented therefore the reasoning goes that all top fermented beers are ales , mirror that with lagers even though that conflicts with what's understood in their countries of origin.Ale and lager have deeper and wider connotations than simply the yeast action.
     
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  6. sergeantstogie

    sergeantstogie Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2010 Washington

    Do you use a wood stick or a metal pipe or what?
     
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  7. bulletrain76

    bulletrain76 Maven (1,287) Nov 6, 2007 California


    Maybe I was a bit too quick to separate the two but in this context, I think we have to realize that "lager" is referring to the process, basically saying "this is a top-fermeting beer that is lagered." My German brewing reference groups styles into top and bottom-fermenting groups, and then top-fermenting German beers into wheat beers, berlinerweisse, alt, and koelsch. Ale, porter, stout, and Belgian top-fermenting beers all get separate sections in the top-fermenting section as well.
     
    herrburgess likes this.
  8. bulletrain76

    bulletrain76 Maven (1,287) Nov 6, 2007 California


    I think you are essentially onto the problem. Once you define "lager" as only a bottom-fermenting beer, you are partly missing the native understanding of the term. It's just that this is such a foreign concept at least to most in the US at this point. The lager/ale dichotomy has become so prevalent for the most part because it's the simplest way to teach inexperienced drinkers and homebrewers about different styles of beer. That it isn't really accurate in some cases is problematic, but the language has shifted and it's going to be hard to turn that around except with those willing to really become educated on brewing and beer styles, which is likely a very small amount of overall drinkers.
     
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  9. tommysagblad

    tommysagblad Initiate (0) Oct 6, 2011 Connecticut


    Hacker Pschorr is Brilliance!!! Spaten...not so much.
     
  10. creepinjeeper

    creepinjeeper Initiate (0) Nov 8, 2012 Missouri

    Great Lakes is quite solid, indeed! I am a fan of their Eliot Ness Vienna style lager. I'll have to try their DG.
     
    ChipMurray likes this.
  11. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,053) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society

    "Rediscovered" the Spaten Ur-Maerzen a couple of years ago after overlooking it for a while. For me that beer remains (as originally judged by Michael Jackson back in the day) the exemplar of the style and as close to world-class as any Maerzen on the market.
     
  12. BulletsOverHamburgers

    BulletsOverHamburgers Initiate (0) Jul 9, 2013 Virginia

    Bocks, followed by Kellerbier
     
  13. Woodman70

    Woodman70 Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2013 Wisconsin

    I have Victory- Prima Pils, New Glarus -Hometown Blonde and Edel pils in my fridge...all very good german style Pils
     
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  14. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I believe just the opposite... to a point. To me the Spaten Okto nails the flavor characters to a T. You have to find it fresh... something that hasn't been easy around me this year, but the fresh stuff I've found is terrific.

    The Hacker-Pschorr (and its twin, Paulaner) are very good, but just come across a little to dry to my palate -- doesn't mean I don't drink 'em.

    If you have them side-by-side you can definitely tell that they use different maltsters. The Spaten has a richer melanoidin character to me.
     
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  15. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Love the Hometown to style, the Edel Pils seems lacking in hop character and falls into the Helles category for me -- albeit, a very good Helles.
     
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  16. TheFightingMongooses

    TheFightingMongooses Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2012 New Jersey

    I voted Pils because I love the delicate balance between the biscuit malt and herbal/floral hops. Recently however, I have been getting into Oktoberfests, specifically Paulaner Wiesn. In past years I have always found this style to be underwhelming, but Wiesn definitely changed my mind about that...what an awesome beer!
     
  17. Beric

    Beric Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2013 Massachusetts


    I'll have to try the New Glarus stuff. Too bad they distribute only in Wisconsin! Thankfully I have family there.

    In other news- I tried the Left Hand Oktoberfest today, since a lot of people have been commenting about those, and I found it almost to be too hoppy based on what I recall of Oktoberfests I've had in the past. Granted, my Märzen experience is lacking a bit (only had 4), but I don't recall any having any noticeable hop character like the Left Hand one I had today.
     
  18. LambicKing

    LambicKing Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2011 Germany

    I like them all, really. Huge fan of Jack's Abby beers, Prima Pils and a few other pilsners...and the occasional rauchbier, doppelbock or helles. I just recently fell in love with Tipo Pils...what a freaking amazing beer.
     
  19. Dupage25

    Dupage25 Savant (1,020) Jul 4, 2013 Antarctica

    Smoked bock or smoked helles, then doppelbock, then probably pilsner.

    Though if someone made a classic Czech pilsner and then lightly dry-hopped it with Citra, that would probably immediately be my favorite.
     
  20. Sneers

    Sneers Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2009 Pennsylvania

    Märzen for me, hands down, with Czech pils not terribly far behind.
     
    Pegli likes this.
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