5 Favorite/Least Favorite German Beers

Discussion in 'Germany' started by herrburgess, Dec 21, 2013.

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  1. whatsgoody

    whatsgoody Zealot (697) Nov 16, 2012 Vermont

    So many good ones to pick from, but looking back on my lists from the 5 months I spent playing soccer in Germany (and taking routine trips to Bavaria), I'll go with:

    Schneider Aventinus (clear favorite)
    Mahr's U
    Andechs Dopplebock
    Alpirsbacher Weihnachtsbier
    Augustiner Weissbier

    Bottom isn't as much fun or exciting, but I'll give it a shot (in no particular order):

    Norten-Hardenberger Pils
    Tucher Helles Hefe
    Binding Export
    Leikiem Landbier
    Something labeled PILS
     
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  2. Beric

    Beric Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2013 Massachusetts

    Best I've had:

    Aventinus Weizenbock
    Rothaus Tannenzaepfle Pils
    Weihenstephaner Hefewiessbier
    Feierling Inselhopf (Helles)

    Worst I've had:

    Ratskrone Pils
    Hasseroeder Pils
    Ganter Badisch Weizen-Kristallklar
     
  3. JHDStein

    JHDStein Zealot (555) Aug 16, 2013 Germany

    I love this thread, not least because it highlights a number of beers that I really need to hunt down and try out! Having said that, here's my best effort at a top and bottom 5 (right now...).

    Top:
    Der Vogel Weizendoppelbock
    Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
    Ayinger Weizenbock
    Schneider Weisse Tap X Mein Nelson Sauvin
    Andechser Doppelbock

    Bottom:
    Lausitzer Porter
    Neuzeller Kloster-Bräu Schwarzer Abt
    Oettinger Bock
    Klosterhof Heidelberg Heidaleberg Roggen Pale Ale
    Eichbaum Winterbock

    One thing I noticed looking over my notes to put this list together is that, as much as I love trying out all of the "new" styles that German brewers are putting out there, and as much as I enjoyed some of those beers, several of them made my bottom 5 and none of them came close to being in my top 5 (unless you consider the Schneider Tap X a "new" style, which is arguable). I don't see that as a condemnation of those "new" beers, so much as an affirmation of just how great a really top-notch traditional-German-style beer can be.
     
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  4. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,339) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    I have heard bad things about this one. I've seen it a few times but passed every time, thankfully I guess.

    Klosterhof's dunkel tasted to me like it contained pureed peas. It was most unpleasant.
     
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  5. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,339) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    Wait, what? Did we all as a group just overlook this? Did you play for Dortmund? (avatar) If so, awesome! Or did you play for someone else? If so, still awesome!
     
  6. whatsgoody

    whatsgoody Zealot (697) Nov 16, 2012 Vermont

    No no... took a "gap year" and lived in Bad Homburg (outside of Frankfurt). Played for a local team and fell in love with Dortmund as they made their Champions League run. This was before I started school back home, and I'm now playing college soccer.

    I've been meaning to start posting in this forum for a while, because frankly, Germany was my first exposure to good beer, and though I've fully enjoyed exploring the New England (and especially Vermont) craft beer scene, still nothing can beat a good weissbier or dopplebock in my book.

    I certainly have my limited knowledge of German beer and culture to share, and hopefully I'll find a bit more time to spend reading this forum. It's great reading posts and seeing so many of my favorite places and beers in photos and discussions. And I'm happy to share my stories, because I look back on my time in Germany so fondly and I wish I had the $$ to make regular trips back.

    So take this as my "introduction"... I rarely read the main forum but I find the discussion here more fun and insightful. And Germany's beer tends to speak for itself...

    tcd
     
  7. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,339) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    Welcome! Feel free to chime in any time. I always root for Dortmund to do well because I'm a fan of their coach. I like Bayern's coach, too, I guess, but that's like rooting for Goliath, so Dortmund it is!
     
  8. JHDStein

    JHDStein Zealot (555) Aug 16, 2013 Germany

    I generally don't like to slam beers, mainly because tastes differ and someone put alot of work into making it, so as my Mom always taught me, "if you can't say anything nice..." Having said that...

    Neuzeller Kloster-Bräu Schwarzer Abt - You should continue to avoid this. It is remarkably bad. So overly sweet that you are basically just drinking a Coke. I've tried it on several occasions and it was the same every time.

    Strangely enough, I find the Dunkel to be inoffensive. I don't buy it, but if it is the only dark beer around, then I'll take that over a Pils (I'm not a big Pils fan...). The Roggen Pale Ale was epically bad, though. I drainpoured after 4-5 sips. The only way to describe it is that it tasted like a hospital ward. It had a medical flavor like chewing on a band-aid. Maybe it was spoiled, but at €8 for a 750ml bottle, I don't think I'll ever pay to give it a second chance.
     
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  9. paulaner

    paulaner Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2004 Wisconsin

    Bitburger cause it's local and fresh and I'm attached to the area since I've lived here for so long. Anything from Ayinger, But my all time favorite is Schlenkerla.
     
  10. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,281) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Not fond of lists but I'm sick of how German beer often gets knocked by some American craft beer enthusiasts so here are my top five.

    Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche
    Schneider Aventinus
    Uerige Alt
    Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier
    Ayinger Celebrator
     
  11. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,281) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Just thought I'd add that German beer often gets equally knocked by the new generation of UK craft beer drinkers as well. Unjustifiably of course.
     
  12. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Just thought I'd add that German beer often gets equally knocked by the new generation of UK craft beer drinkers as well.” Are the UK craft beer drinkers knocking the ‘popular’ German beers (e.g., Beck’s, Warsteiner, Bitburger, Oettinger, etc.) or all Germans beers (including Ayinger, Weihenstephaner, etc.)?

    Cheers!
     
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  13. boddhitree

    boddhitree Pooh-Bah (1,765) Apr 13, 2008 Germany
    Pooh-Bah

    Doesn't that sound like what a lot of U.S. craft beer drinkers say about German Pils beers, don't they? I agree with Jack that what most regular people INSIDE & OUTSIDE of Germany imagine what they think of when the term "German beer" is mentioned is Becks, Warsteiner, Fransizkaner, and other crap conglomerates. So it's also plausible that craft drinkers in U.K. haven't gone much beyond those and learned about the smaller, more "craft" brewers who use top ingredients for German styles, nor a few of the new, smaller, up-and-coming brews that mix German and more modern styles, such as Camba Bavaria, Pax or Schönramer, to name the ones I can think of at the moment. The last 3 are what are called a Geheimtipp, literally secret tip, or insider's tip.

    Hell, most people in Germany still think American beer consists only of Budweiser, Coors and Miller Lite and still think all American beer is crap.
     
    #33 boddhitree, Jan 5, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2014
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  14. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,281) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Fro
    I often hear new beer enthusiasts who have tried the likes of Beck's and Warsteiner say they are (understandably) unimpressed but many will still try Ayinger, etc etc without prejudice. But because the better German breweries/beers also brew different /traditional styles which don't appeal to their new found tastes tastes (ie highly hopped IPAs, extreme Imperial Stouts etc) many seem to think that all German beer is a write off and that the nation is a brewing dinosaur. I've even heard similar attitudes from some experienced tickers who should know better.
     
  15. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    “ …many seem to think that all German beer is a write off and that the nation is a brewing dinosaur.”
    I am saddened to hear that. Thank you for your report.

    Cheers!
     
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  16. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,281) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Yea

    Yes, it does go both ways.

    Its also sad how some of the old stalwarts of German brewing (Jever pils or Paulaner Salvator for example) seem to be in terminal decline. Jever is a good example. Even before it was acquired by Brau und Brunnen in 1994 it had lost a lot of its character and even in its glory days under Bavaria-St. Pauli it had a reputation for not travelling well. A shame because in its prime it was one of the very best pilsners I have ever drunk but that's the way things are. No need to dwell on it. Sadly many BAs (and RBs) see this sort of change as endemic, stick to their BA Top 250 'Extreme Comfort List' (which caters for their narrow tastes), and seem deliberately oblivious to how the German beer scene is evolving.
     
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  17. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,281) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    In the past I have had many conversations something like this:

    Craft beer enthusiast: Can't stand pilsners(''for example').
    Me: How many have you tried?
    Craft beer enthusiast: Enough to know I don't like them.
    Me: Have you tried them in Germany?
    Craft beer enthusiast: No, but I've drunk enough to know not to try them in Germany either.

    I don't even bother to engage in the conversation now. I just cringe whenever I see people trying to organise styles by rank. There's just no accounting for taste.
     
  18. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    “Its also sad how some of the old stalwarts of German brewing (Jever pils or Paulaner Salvator for example) seem to be in terminal decline.”

    “ …seem deliberately oblivious to how the German beer scene is evolving.”

    How do you personally see how the German beer scene is evolving? Your lead in sentence concerning Jever Pils and Paulaner Salvator could be interpreted as meaning that German beer scene evolving equates to decline. There are some German BAs who post on this forum who have unfavorable opinions on some of the Munich big breweries since they are now owned by bigger conglomerates (e.g., Spaten-Lowenbrau is owned by AB-InBev). They then view the beers coming from those breweries of being of lower quality.

    Cheers!
     
  19. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Engaging in a conversation on Pilsners (including German Pilsners) can be tricky since the Craft beer enthusiast that you are speaking to can readily associate the style of German Pilsners to mean Warsteiner, Bitburger, Beck’s, Krombacher, etc.

    Have you had similar conversations for non-Pilsner styles like Uerige Altbier, Weihenstephan Hefeweisse or Ayinger Celebrator?

    Cheers!
     
  20. Zimbo

    Zimbo Pooh-Bah (2,281) Aug 7, 2010 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    The way I see it some of the com
    To me the German beer scene seems relatively healthy. There remain many quality non conglomerate breweries and there are now new brewers with a new dynamic but the scene seems pretty inclusive. Outsiders sometimes see the supposed 'lack of revolutionary innovation' as a sign of stagnation when in reality its just stability. German beer is not and never was in a situation which required so much improvement like in the desperately dreadful days of American beer just 25 years ago.

    I don't see the the evolution of German beer scene equating with decline. Sorry if I gave you that impression. The example of Jever was just made to show that decline of even the best known most loved beers can happen anywhere in the world, even Germany (like the demise of Boddington's Bitter in England or Belhaven 80/ in Scotland). Its sad but its something we shouldn't get sentimental about as it hasn't stopped the rise of England or Scotland's increasingly dynamic beer scene in recent years. Unfortunately some people with agendas or indifference to certain styles (or even brewing nations) just use these examples to perpetuate their own prejudices and ignorance.
     
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