Is German beer really THAT good?

Just finished a pint of Weihenstephaner Original and is hard to beat IMO. Who knows how old the pint was but still tasty! Wish more would go to canning but at least Weihenstephaner has gone to brown bottles.

 

Replaced by the Provisional German Beer Law, which says "for brewing bottom-fermenting beer only barley malt, hops, yeast and water may be used."

 

Is German beer really THAT good?

, yah

 

Suuuuupahhhh!!!!

 

Nothing new, German breweries made IPA, Porter, Stout and Ale in the 19th century.

 

Here's some evidence of German IPA:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.nl/2010/04/german-ipa.html
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.nl/2010/09/german-ipa-update.html

It even reached the USA:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.nl/2011/01/german-ipa-in-usa.html

 

Surprisingly enough, I resent the fact that you assumed I was voicing my opinion without having experienced Germany for myself. Simply because I'm proud of a local institution that is in all ways but one authentically German in its practice, and is producing close to, if not the best German beer in the United States. I wasn't dismissing the merits of German imports, and I especially wasn't dismissing the quality and superiority of German styles by German brewers. I was just saying that it is possible to get some of the best German beer in the world right here in my home state, right from the source. It's laughable that you're up on your high horse about arrogance, when I doubt you've tried Live Oak. And if you have, you know that I'm not being "arrogant" when I claim it to be true to style and an excellent German Hefeweizen. No need to meander around the forums being a dick because you think you're the only person to have explored German beers in Germany.

 

Yet... you have the receipt. Experimentation for research, or non-beer friends coming over?

 

Sorry, but I just browsed through all 11 pages of the thread I simply wasn't replying to you in that post, nor any other post in the thread. The comments were made with general words to apply very generally, since those sentiments on this topic repeatedly come up on the forums. I made the latter statement conditional with the use of the world 'if'... if someone hasn't been there. I'm not interested in you, your personal situation, and whether or not you fit that criteria. Honestly I would have replied to you or tagged you if I had you specifically in mind.

I, and I'm sure some others, are just a little fatigued with encountering the strongly held opinion that American examples are as good or better than the best German examples, as a relative claim, without having experienced the best examples from Germany (and, most likely involves going there to experience that). There's nothing high horsey about pointing the inherent problem in making a relative claim without having experienced both sides of the two sets being compared.

 

It was trying the bitter medicine to report back to the German forum. You'll notice I bought 1 bottle, just 1, not a 6-pack. Sometimes science must a hard road.

 

OK OK, NOW YOU'RE JUST SHOWING OFF!!! Thanks for not wasting postage on Hacker Pschorr ~~ just say'en. BTW gotta know what that shipping and duty cost?

 

Thanks. There was no duty, for it was from German sites, and I live in Germany. Shipping was 5.90€ for the beers from Schönramer, Camba Bavaria per order. Any orders above 75€ and the shipping's free. That was from Biershop Bayern. They don't deliver outside the EU.

BavarianBeerShop.com, where I got the Kneitinger and Eichhofener, have higher shipping costs, but those beers are harder to find online. It was 15.90€ for 2 boxes. The total was 77.50€ for 32 beers, even with shipping. Ironically, even at an average of 2.42€ per 1/2L bottle (when shipping is included), many Germans who heard that thought I was insane paying such an exorbitantly expensive price for beer. "Why that's almost 3 Xs more than a Bitburger or Krombacher!"

 

I just quickly ran through Kneitinger's and Schlenkerla's website to check their direct-from-brewery shipping prices. Shipping a 10-pack of 500ml bottles of Kneitinger Dunkel within Germany (theoretically Regensburg to Heidelberg) would be €7,90. A 20-pack of Schlenkerla's Urbock, also 500ml bottles (Bamberg to Heidelberg) would be the same price.

 

I dunno about the other, but Crew Republic is run by American ex-pats in Munich of all places. There are positive reviews for a few of their beers in the new BA Magazine. I've heard good things from a few other people, too.

 

Really? I didn't get that impression when I met the guys who run Crew Republic in Munich a few months ago...

I may well be mistaken though.

The dudes from Crew & I drinking a La Cumbre Elevated IPA at BrauKunst in Munich last Feb:

 

I read that somewhere. I'll have to dig around and see what I can find. Hopefully I haven't mixed them up with someone else.

 

I believe Crew Republic is a 'gypsy brewing' operation which means they don't own their own brewery or bottling facility but rent the usage instead from another company to produce their beers. Again, I may be mistaken or things may have changed for them recently..

One can follow 'em on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/CREWrepublic.de

 

Looks like only one of them is American: http://www.crewrepublic.de/en/about-us/the-crew/richard-hodges.html

I knew at least one of the brewers around here had an ex-pat friend that was there. I was thinking there was another one, but I guess not.

 

You are both right. Look at their website... in English even!

• Richard Hodges "is our master brewer and accordingly the most important man of all since he keeps the supplies replenished and, together with Timm and Mario, develops the recipes for the beers we like to drink.
  Aside from that, we don’t really know much about Richie. He’s probably the most mysterious member of the CREW. Born in Virginia, he has lived on just about every continent of the world.
  In 2005, Richie came to Germany where he became a master brewer. He held several positions in various craft beer breweries before ultimately landing with CREW Republic."
• All other members are native Germans: the founders, marketers, etc.

Edit... you beat me to it by 17 minutes. That's what I get for reading their profiles.