Bayernbiere Bought and Drunk

I think Vollbier Hell and Spezial Hell are the Andechs equivalent of the Hell/Export products that others put out.

Things can be confusing over here sometimes. I remember our local brewpub had a "try our Summer Pils" sign out front, so I ordered it.

Waitress: "Who had the Hell?"
Me: "Uh, I ordered the Pils?"
Waitress: "Yes, the Pils is the Hell. It's the same."
Me: "I thought your Hell was the Kräusen (<--listed this way on the menu)."
Waitress: "Yes."
Me: "I'll take it!"

 

Who's on first!?!

Cheers!

 

Yeah, they are...at least as far as I can tell. I don't think they always clarified it very well. Both are great beers and my favorite of the two seems to change from trip to trip and sometimes even glass to glass.

 

Another bier from Dampfbierbrauerei Zwiesel - Bock @ 6.5% abv

Best before 9 June




Appearance - Apple juice gold with a slight haze. Head is 3 finger and creamy but average in lacing and retention reducing to a crown relatively quickly even considering abv

Aroma - Musty pils malt initially with hints of apple sweetness, biscuit and toffee malts, perhaps a touch of vanilla

Taste - Pils malts up front with the appleyness coming through, getting thicker and sweeter/syrupy almost in a bit of a messy unclean finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation and body. Coats the tongue, a bit too syrupy/sticky.

Overall, its not as malt dominant as I'd like a bock to be, more like a festbier (reminds me of Hacker Pschorr Superior). A nice aroma but mouthfeel/finish feel lets it down. Not one to be seeked out but I wouldn't avoid either!

Zum Wohl!
Sean

 

This Bier sounds very intriguing, but since it's an April release, and I'm a September visitor, it's not likely I'd get a fresh one..... :-(

Sounds so inviting when fresh, though....

Prosit!!

 

A couple of interesting beers courtesy of one of my incredibly thoughtful Bavarian co-workers who has recently made a habit of bringing me back a care-package of different beers whenever he visits his hometown.

Bierwerkstatt Veldensteiner Mandarina Bavaria Weissbier:

Fairly poor photo that rather diminishes the true beauty of this weizen. Pours a hazy, slightly amber-orange color with a wonderful head. Mouthfeel is beautiful, thick and creamy without being oily. Flavor is also excellent: slight clove and banana elements, but with a wonderful orange peel background that surfaces at times. Also a gingerbread note lingering somewhere. Really nicely put together, not aggressive, but also not muted. Just really nicely balanced. Overall, an excellent weizen with a unique German-hoppy twist. I’d be a very happy man to have this at my local Getränkemarkt.

Friedenfelser Schwarzer Ritter Zoigl:

Pours a slightly thin, dark amber with a decent head. Flavor is interesting, but not exceptionally good. There is a hint of caramel in here, but otherwise, it could be a lemony Pils. There is a bit of citrus mixed with maltiness, but mainly there is a slightly sour flavor that reminds me of lemons. It’s an odd mix with the caramel sweetness, and I’m not entirely sold on this. Kind of like a rye bread with that sour breadiness. Interesting and drinkable, but not really my sort of beer.

Brauerei Simon Schwarzer Kuni:

Pours nearly pitch black, with a huge fluffy head that lingers at a cm high virtually the entire time I'm drinking. Impressive. Texture and mouthfeel are truly luxurious: creamy and full, soft and simply beautiful. This is how a weizenbock should feel in your mouth. Flavor is also excellent, if a bit odd. There are slightly burnt flavors, along with some licorice sharpness, but also a nice background of malty-caramel, banana, clove and even honey. Surprisingly, it all comes together quite well. A really nice beer, smooth and inviting, but also complex, interesting and unique. I'm very happy to have had a chance to try this. Having said, that, I'm not entirely sure it's the type of beer that I would want to drink regularly. But as an occasional change-of-pace, it's exceptional.

Summary:
If I had to pick a winner, it'd be difficult. As a gift to a fellow beer-nerd, I'd choose the Schwarzer Kuni, because it's unique and really well-made. But on a day-to-day basis, I'd personally go with the Veldensteiner Mandarina Bavaria. In fact, if I can find it at Biershop-Bayern, I may have to order me a few more...

 

You seem to have a very nice co-worker. The Mandarina Bavaria from Veldensteiner was available in a local Getränkemarkt some time late last year, early this year and I thought it was quite good. Totally agree with what you say: it still retains its typical Weißbier-taste while adding a nice, but subtle, twist with the Mandarina Bavaria-hops.

 

Sitting at the Augustiner biergarten as I write... I just started drinking a maß of their helles served from a barrel. Aroma is very similar to the stainless version, it didn't pick up much from the serving barrel. (I'm assuming you all know how Augustiner Helles smells and tastes) The taste is also very similar. There seems to be a bit of heat at the end of the malt sweetness. There's just a hint of oxidation as well. Otherwise, it's a carbon copy of the production beer. IMO, there's no need to try this beer from the barrel. There is a need, however, to drink the stainless version on a daily basis.

 

If you're at the Augustiner Keller, you are likely drinking the Edelstoff (I don't think they have the Helles vom Holzfass). Are you comparing to the Helles?

 

Good call. It is indeed the edelstoff. I'll redact my comment about the additional "heat" at the end of the malt sweetness. That must be the additional Pils malt combined with a bit of alcohol that I wasn't expecting (when comparing against the helles). It's a fantastic beer, but there's still a slight lack of cleanliness as compared the stainless version. BTW, I am loving life this week in Munich.

 

Yea, the Helles vom Holzfass is really where perfection is to be found (although for me the Edelstoff is a close second). If you have a chance, get over to the Bratwurstgloeckl and try the Helles from the wood and compare with the stainless. If you need some inspiration, here's Ron P.'s take: http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2011/06/simply-perfect.html

And FWIW, I'm very neidisch...so I'll be living vicariously through you. Oh yea, try and hit up Der Pschorr for at least one haf-liter of their Helles vom Holzfass. I found it extremely refreshing, and would be very interested on your take. Prost!

 

Nothing personal, mind you, but I hate you right now.

 

Following @herrburgess' suggestion to go to Der Pschorr, if you're looking to have even more bier vom holzfass, I'd recommend stopping at Ayinger's Speis und Trank, across from the Hofbrauhaus. They tap their Jahrhundertbier vom Holzfass daily at 17.00.

 

Hey bro- we were up at Faust last week and had a few in the biergarten then hit up Sigon Deli for dinner. We were wondering if you were still around or if you had relocated to Munchen for school...

 

Friday test - anyone try this beer before?

St Michaelsberg Festbier

I guessing (by the wholesale 30L keg price) that it is a contract brew of sorts. Anyone?

 

Have to post this. If one single video takes me directly back to my student days in Bamberg, this is it. Behold, the Bamberg Bierdiplom (beer diploma), which students receive for drinking at least one beer from Bamberg's 9 breweries in a single day. Ah, the (fuzzy) memories.... We, too, did ours by bike. Prost! (EDIT: p.s. the girls that accompanied me and my buddy were from Sweden and the UK...but also major troopers.)

 

You should have sent me a message. Regrettably, I don't spend every waking hour in the Biergarten. I'm at Faust until the end of August. Sadly, my 80L/month beer allowance is coming to an end.

 

At first, I thought I was watching your video. Then I reread your message.