Kress Bayrisch Zwickel
Privatbrauerei H. Egerer

3.59/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by zeff80 from Missouri

16oz can. Poured out a murky, amber color with a very small, khaki-colored head of foam. It left minimal lacing on the glass. It smelled malty with caramel and toffee. Very malty with toffee, biscuity malt, caramel and grassy bitterness. Crisp, sharp and smooth.

Jan 07, 2021

2.98/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
by drmeto from Germany

L:
-pours a cloudy amber with a small to medium,foamy,sand-coloured head
-medium carbonation visible
S:
-sweet,malty,plums,caramel,pears
T:
-Follows the nose
-low bitterniss for the style
F:
-medium carbonation
-light to medium body
O:
Too sweet and unbalanced for my taste.

Oct 07, 2020

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by MNAle from Minnesota

A hazy dark amber, in which the haziness turns into a brownish look from the front with glints of amber catching the light, under a half inch off-white head that recedes fairly quickly to a thin cap, which is gone completely before the beer is half consumed. No lacing. A decent look for the style.

Aroma has sweet fruits (apple, pear), bread, and caramel.

Refreshing taste, bright and lively, apple, bread, hints of caramel. It starts out with a tinge of sweetness, but becomes drier (but not actually dry) through the middle and into the finish. A bit of bitterness suddenly appears in the aftertaste, and lingers on the tongue. The aftertaste retains the overall sweet-ish finish.

Mouth feel is medium bodied with a bit of carbonation.

Overall, I really enjoyed this.

Mar 24, 2020

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by Bottek007

Copper look, transient froth, caramel, toasted; never had this type beer, fine- i enjoyed. Maybe have again.

Dec 28, 2019

3.74/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by dbrauneis from North Carolina

A: Pours a slightly hazy dark golden amber in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising quickly along the edges of the glass and moderate medium golden yellow + medium orange + copper colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy beige head that reduces to a handful of small patches of thin film surrounded by a medium to large sized patch of slightly mottled very thin film covering a little more than 50% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of toasted + caramel + bready malts with a light amount of caramel + light fruit (apple + pear) sweetness as well as light aromas of earthy + floral hops. Light to moderate aromas of lager yeast.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of toasted + caramel + bready malts with a light amount of caramel + light fruit (apple + pear) sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of lager yeast. Finally there are light flavors of earthy + floral hops which impart a very light amount of bitterness which fades away quickly leaving lingering caramel + light fruit (apple + pear) sweetness.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol. Enjoyable but not noteworthy - I could easily have another of these but would be unlikely to search it out.

Dec 17, 2019

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by pkalix from California

i actually like this...

Dec 12, 2019

3.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
by FBarber from Illinois

Pours a completely opaque murky dark orange color. Thick three finger white head dissipates quickly leaving no residual head whatsoever.

Aroma has some notes of fresh baked bread, musty earthy notes, and some nuttiness to the malts. there is also a aroma here that is reminiscent of wet cardboard or paper - probably some oxidation. I feel like I got a bad can or something as this does not seem to jive with what there people are noting from the nose. As the beer warms the wet cardboard aroma does die down, but it still is a bit off.

Taste has notes of bread, earthy notes, nutty malts, dried grassy hops, and some caramel notes. Mild bitter nutty earthy hops on the back end.

Feel is medium to full bodied. Smooth and filling. Moderately carbonated.

Overall this beer was somewhat better as it warmed up, but it still had that wet cardboard character that I just couldn't shake. To me this was the first true dud from the Costco Advent calendar

Dec 09, 2019

3.77/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by mwilbur from Minnesota

Poured from a 50 cL can into shaker pint glass. Exp 05/2021 stamped on the bottom of the can.
A: Pours a golden amber hue with moderate carbonation producing a 1 inch light tan head with decent retention.
S: Caramel malt, banana and clove.
T: Caramel malt, banana, clove, and a hint of grains.
M: Light body. Caramel sweetness. Hints of spice. Mildly dry.
D: Decent brew and nice example of style.

Dec 09, 2019

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

Light carbonation with about a medium body, with the grainy feel coating the tongue and lingers
Aroma is orange, orange peel, yeast malt,sweet fruit cake
Taste is mildly sweet fruit cake,grainy, with a wierd almost dry finish.
Overall a more than respectable beer that I wouldn't mind having again

Dec 07, 2019

3.82/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by barnzy78 from Illinois

500mL can, EXP 05/2021. #5 from the 2019 Costco Advent calendar. A frothy ivory head fizzles away fairly quickly atop a hazed amber body. Malty aroma with caramel, grain, and spicy hops. Well balanced flavors of caramel, toasty grain, spicy and floral hops, and yeast. Medium body, moderate carbonation, balanced finish. This was good and very sessionable.

Dec 07, 2019

3.71/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by Beginner2 from Illinois

From Kalea's Advent Calendar (I seem to be a day behind the faithfully observant as this was #5.)
Having had only 6 from the Keller/Zwickel style and only remembering having New Glarus' rendition of the Zwickel (who is to be trusted for staying close to the traditional lagers), it is hard for me to rate Kress to style.

But it is a very enjoyable beer. (And if you want to prepare for the season, go get Kalea's offering of 24.)

Kress Looks fine; a pretty amber (I expected golden) with sufficient foam to say "drink me." I did and the Smells seem more fruity than the classic lager. Tastes are fully integrated, balanced by only a bit of hops. Sits in my mouth like I want more.

Before I give my Egerer review, I'm totally impressed by this way of packaging German beers for the U.S. And Kalea should think of doing the same for American holiday beers for the EU.

For Egerer, I don't see Kress in their lineup. https://www.brauerei-egerer.de/en/ In English, go figure if you have the urge.
Egerer seems to be a full beverage company (probably a distribution hybrid allowed by Bavarian law); but they own a brewery and also make refreshing drinks that involve fruit. All good. But.... reviewing beer is work enough and cultural commentary on all beverages can get to be more work than I am capable of at this particular moment.

Dec 06, 2019

4.32/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
by selecter70 from Massachusetts

Interesting a murkier and more sour kellerbier than I'm used to. But complex flavors although a bit flat

Dec 06, 2019

3.87/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
by hman43 from North Carolina

Look: It pours amber with a tan head. Head retention is good.

Aroma: Bready malt aroma with some caramel notes. There are light spicy notes with light cherry as well.

Taste: It has bready and caramel flavors with spice that is a little more prominent in the flavor than in the aroma. The cherry is more pronounce as well creating a fairly even balance between the four element.

Feel: It has a medium body that is slightly slick.

Overall, a fairly flavorful beer that is easy drinking.

Dec 06, 2019

4.85/5  rDev +34.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by Impetuous from Montana

A really lovely light brown color, off white head. Extremely lovely flavor; bready malt flowing into stereotypical medicinal/herbal hops, followed by this... All most musty flavor, that's very slightly sour/acidic.

An amazing beer.

Dec 06, 2019

3.42/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
by Griffin2 from Virginia

Poured from a 500 ml can into a willi Becher pint glass.
L - Pours a dark amber color with a slight white head.
S - Smells of caramel.
T - Tastes of caramel with some apple on the finish.
F - Medium body and carbonation
O -

Dec 06, 2019

4.15/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by VoxRationis from New York

Fifth can in the Costco/Kalea 2019 Brewer's Advent calendar.
Decanted from a 16.9 oz (500ml) can into a custom taster pint; exp 05/2021.
A: Pours an ever so slightly hazy, amber color with a nearly one finger, short lived, wheat colored head, minimal rim retention, and little lacing.
S: Aromas of caramel, apple, and honey.
T: More semisweet than semidry. Flavors solidly follow the nose. Relatively light, peppery bitterness.
M: Light bodied with light carbonation. Smooth.
O: A delicious and flavorful Bavarian Zwickelbier. Put a smile on my face.

Nov 16, 2019

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by BenHoppy from Michigan

Poured at 46 degrees into a weihenstephan tall glass:

L: Amber caramel with 2 inch fluffy cream head

A: toasted malts and bread with hints of caramel and toffee

T: creamy caramel toffee bread

F: creamy, thin, fizzy, dry finish

O: quite delishous and light with a Christmasey feel.

Nov 09, 2019

3.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

$ 2.50 (Including tax)/500 mL can ($0.148/oz) from Costco, Schertz, TX. Part of the Costco 2019 Advent Calendar. Reviewed 10/28/19.
Can dated “EXP 05/2021”. Stored on the shelf at the store, stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 45 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Light orange, hazy.
Body – Orangish-brown, opaque. Neither precipitate nor floaters. Otherwise looks like cider, down to the effervescence.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.2 cm, aggressive center pour), tan, bordering on fizzy, rapidly diminishing to neither crown nor cap, leaving a small island of tiny bubbles in the center and several short effervescence-driven fragments of crown.
Lacing – None
Aroma – 3 – Very weak fruity malt.
Flavor – 3 – Begins with very weak fruity malt. No alcohol (5.4 % ABV) flavor or aroma, no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide. Ends with a slight metallic twang.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3. Passable unremarkable zwickelbier.

Oct 28, 2019

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
by jkblr from Indiana

500mL can stamped EXP 05/2021 (19 months from now!) poured into a pokal glass at fridge temp 5.4% ABV per can label. The beer pours hazy light orange amber with minimal khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles. No lacing. The aroma is mild with some Munich malt sweetness and a touch of yeasty character. The taste is semisweet caramel and apple up front with a drying, nutty, toasty malt finish. The finish is mildly bitter and mostly dry. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly unfinished and not as clean in the lagering as I would prefer. Overall, ok. This would be a fine beer to enjoy with food or friends. I'm not sure it belongs in a case of mixed singles for evaluation and it's not very true to style. It's basically an unfinished Marzen or Vienna.

Oct 24, 2019

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by Pegasus from Texas

Appearance: Deep copper-colored, with a moderate, off-white, head, somewhat coarse, but with excellent retention. Thick, Belgian-style lacing adorns the glass walls.

Aroma: Rather sweet, with prominent caramel, and a distinct, slightly earthy molasses note, and a rustic brown bread note. Apple rind is present, as well.

Taste: Opens with a saccharin-like sweetness, strong notes of caramel and dark bread soon follow. If it needs to be said, this beer is intensely malty. Later in the taste, flavors of slightly bitter apples and pears present. Towards the finish, there are moderate leafy noble hops, which serve to blunt the sweetness a bit. Finishes with a lingering note of apple rind and a faint nutty character.

Mouth feel: Smooth, full, and very soft, quite pleasing.

Drinkability/notes: Well made, though a bit sweet for my taste, and perhaps for the style.

Presentation: Packaged in a 500 ml, 16.9 ounce steel can, served in a South American-style Pilsener glass. Beer number twenty-three (December 23rd) from the 2017 Costco Advent Beer Calendar.

Oct 19, 2019