Beer Scene in Feuerbach-Stuttgart

I like the Trumer as well, but we'll have to agree to disagree on style expectations as I would never find a good Pilsner "balanced," hops will always be king. Maybe not like a Pale Ale or IPA, but definitely not like a Helles -- which I consider balanced between malt & hop.

Bottom line is everyone has their own favorite expectations in beer, but as I said -- I was never disappointed in my choices in Germany; from Bock to Weizen.

 

We were there last week.

Their beer was pretty good. Nutty with a touch of chocolate/coffee. Darker than most. Similar bitterness to Füchschen. Clean but soft.

 

Mostly seasonal, unless you head for the Salvator Keller in Munich.

 

An Italian? A Californian?

 

I opined recently on what constitutes a ‘good’ German Pilsner in a recent thread:

“To me a ‘good’ German Pilsner style beer is a combination of noble hops (noble hop flavor/aromas) and Pilsner malt flavors (which I sometimes describe as grainy).”

http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/india-pale-lager-ipl-thoughts.126250/page-5#post-1852470

IMHO, Trumer Pils is a ‘good’ German style Pilsner.

Cheers!

 

While I can somewhat understand this perspective (especially if you're drinking a lot of mass-produced Pilsners, Schwarzbiers, and Weizens), I find it extremely frustrating in cases where the beers are traditionally and stylistically spot on.

For example (and RaverJames, you may actually know the guy I'm talking about as he is a pretty regular presence at lots of SC beer events and in general on the craft scene here), I brewed a Koelsch that was stylistically extremely close to a hybrid of Paeffgen and Malzmuhle: a delicate, if nicely bready, pilsner malt presence backed up by a floral noble hop foundation and finish -- and a slight Chardonnay-like winey-ness, some pear-like esters, and slight SO2 sulfry-ness from the yeast. All in all, everything in near perfect balance and just really right on.

However, since the style is extremely subtle, his palate just couldn't pick up on these things. Our Chardonnay-drinking wives could taste all these things; an award-winning (older) homebrewer -- a finalist in the SA Longshot competition -- deemed the beer nearly perfect; even macro drinkers could appreciate the complexity. The "craft" geek's assessment: maybe add more hops and perhaps some Chardonnay-soaked oak spirals to the secondary for MOAR FLAVOR.

So, you might say I'm over-reacting and/or my beer simply wasn't that good. However, 90% of the people -- wine, macro, and established-craft drinkers absolutely loved it and found that it had the perfect amount of flavor for the style. The only one who couldn't appreciate it for what it was was the new-generation "craft" geek. MOAR is somehow nearly always better for these types...and this guy is a certified BJCP judge. Not saying you are like this, RaverJames, but this attitude seems far-too-prevalent these days.

 

And sometimes beers taste like: “Awful, bland, industrial German mass-pils. 08/15 as we say here.”

Prost!

 

If you are still in Stuttgart, look for Alpirsbacher Pils in your local beer store, I'm guessing you'll be able to find one. I'd be interested in your opinion on that one.

 

Exactly what I was saying.

Are there many mass-produced Schwarzbiers? Honest question, because I wouldn't think so.

Oy.

 

I addressed that in my first paragraph.

 

Even if you've never set foot in Germany? Yeah, okay. Who's "we?"

"Bland" is such a subjective opinion. I know a lot of people who think Optimator is bland. I know a lot of people who think Czechvar is bland. There's no accounting -- and it's been said a million times.

 

You ever make it back down here these days? If so, happy to meet up and serve you a half-dozen Stangen fresh from the kegerator!

EDIT: FWIW, the guy I'm talking about has since sought out and tried a number of Koelsches, and has come to appreciate mine considerably. Even said it was better than Olde Mecklenburg's version (and I take that as a huge compliment).

 

Heh -- it's Germany not the US. You can find just about anything in a grocery store -- I have.

 

Schwaben Brau's Das Schwarz?

Kostritzer is mass produced, as is Monchhof's. I like those two well enough.