Bayernbiere Bought and Drunk

I'll see your Jagerschnitzel and raise you a Schlenkerla Bamberg Onion!

Making a solid decision may take some long and difficult research...

 

Very true, very true. I'm actually embarrassed to say I haven't had a Bamberg Zweibel. The two times we were at Schlenkerla, they were overburdened by UK tour groups, so we just grabbed some beers at the window.
I'm hoping to be back this August, so that's an absolute must this time.

 

My friend and I sat a table in the Altes Lokal with 2 "tourists" from Berlin (there goes Scott's N. German theory). As we perused the menu they emphatically told us we had to have the Onion, "It's a traditional farmer's lunch!"

When it was plunked in front of me I didn't think I was going to finish it, but it was sooo good!

That said, I definitely loves a good Jägerschnitzel!

 

Had my first Zwiebel ever last Fall.... Damn good!! As for Schnitzel, I'm not a Jäger guy (mushrooms? ). I like 'em straight up, Cordon Bleu style, or Zigeunerschnitzel....

Prosit!

 

Zeegendorf, and Gasthaus Stark, is the main destination for Schnitzel around Bamberg: http://www.gasthausstark.de/speisekarte/schnitzel-vom-schwein. They also serve St Georgenbrau Kellerbier...and, apparently, something new called "Zeegendorfer." http://www.gasthausstark.de/speisekarte/alkoholische-getraenke

 

Oh man -- the memories.

 

Awesome thread.
Keep up the good work !

 

Well, next up are 22 beers from the general Regensburg area I'm rather curious how he likes those. And yeah, I'm back home in case anyone wonders

 

OK, so here's my quick overview of Spezial's Rauchbier. Purchased via www.hier-gibts-bier.de, arrived at my door about 8 days after my direct transfer. Bottle date of 23.05.2013. I don't know if Spezial dates their bottles 6 months, 1 year, or some other, but either way it is well within freshness date, so on we go.

As you can maybe tell from the below terrible picture, this is a beautiful beer. It smells wonderful as well, although it's a challenge to find a smoked beer that doesn't. I can't help comparing it to Schlenkerla's Märzen. I think Herr Burgess hit it on the head - the base beer is either a better beer or just a style that lends itself better to being smoked. I think it's exactly why my wife prefers Spezial, by the way. She is no-way-no-how going to drink 1.5L of any beer in one sitting, and with Spezial's (in her opinion) the smoke is more subtle and the underlying beer is more accessible. Anyway, I find it a little lighter and somehow thinner than the Schlenkerla. Still a great beer, and I'm hoping to steal many of the 10 bottles I promised my wife, but just not Schlenkerla.

Overall Rating: 4/5

 

Have you tried Spezial's Maerzen? I think it is the best of their offerings...but for a nice evening settling in at the tavern or the Keller, the Spezial lager is an excellent companion (just not the "old friend" to me that Schlenkerla is!).

 

I would love to try more of Spezial's offerings, but as of right now I've only had the Rauchbier Lager. And the above website only offered their Rauchbier (as far as I could tell). The only places in Bamberg where I've actually sat down for a few are Schlenkerla, Klosterbräu, and Mahr's (and Ambrosium for a quick waiting-out-the-rain Halbes). I would love to go back and either hit Spezial's tavern or the Keller and sample some of their other stuff.

 

The Maerzen should be available for mail order somewhere...it's fairly common in the bottle. I checked the site you ordered from, however, and you are correct that they only offer the Lager from Spezial. I did see they offer this: http://www.hier-gibts-bier.de/Bier-aus-Franken/Hoenig-Posthoernla-Spezial::51.html. I am a BIG fan of Hoenig...but I must warn you, their beers are old-school rustic; the Keller is very lightly carbonated but nicely hopped...reminiscent of a pale mild on cask. But delicious either way, if you ask me. Overall that's a great site. Lots and lots of excellent choices there (especially among the Keller- and Lager/Helles biere). Wish I had access. Prost!

 

Thanks for the tip, and by all means if you (or anyone else!) see anything else on this website to recommend I'd be happy to hear it. I'm not likely to pay the shipping for a beer I don't know anything about.

 

She's not ? Your wife is a wimp

 

...and yet somehow I am afraid of her...

 

Your first purchase was an excellent one! As for other tips...whew, where to start? Maybe by season. And I'll try to keep it at one selection (and things I assume you haven't had yet)...for now.

Winter: http://www.hier-gibts-bier.de/Bier-...rei-Vierzehnheiligen-Nothelfer-Trunk::40.html
Spring: http://www.hier-gibts-bier.de/Bier-aus-Franken/Huppendorfer-Vollbier::48.html
Summer: http://www.hier-gibts-bier.de/Bier-aus-Franken/Hummel-Kellerbier::35.html
Fall: Give the Hoenig Rauchbier a shot http://www.hier-gibts-bier.de/Bier-aus-Franken/Hoenig-Posthoernla-Spezial::51.html

 

I have not had any of those, thanks! And I'm glad you picked the Klosterbrauerei Vierzehnheiligen Nothelfer Trunk Dunkel. I like beers with ridiculously long names. It's one of the reasons I like Weihenstephaner Hefe-wessbier Dunkel so much. Ridiculously long names are an indication of quality, IMO.

 

Absolutely! More is ALWAYS better!

Here's a pretty good review of the Nothelfer Trunk: http://www.neubierig.de/2012-05-29/...t-dunkel-der-brauerei-trunk-im-test-1001.html.

Grab 3-4 and settle in. Prost!