Bayernbiere Bought and Drunk

They still do, but also buy in unsmoked malt, their Lager, Märzen and Bock are made from a mix of smoked and unsmoked malt. Also, they deliver their smoked malt to one other brewery.

 

Actually, though I'm not sure just which beer you're labeling as "their lager,"

From the Schlenkerla web site.

 

I'm sure he can answer for himself, but I believe he was talking about Spezial, not Schlenkerla.

 

I believe you are correct -- my mistake @TreinJan, too many big pictures of Schlenkerla Fastenbier blinding my judgment.

 

Read before you write

 

I did, but your post only used pronouns.

 

Read ALL before you write

 

Quotes are over-rated, especially when cherry-picked...

 

Did not see the Fastenbier yet, but the place had some Andechs which was relatively fresh - bottled in December of 2015 if I'm reading that correctly. Picked up two bottles and will probably check back in on the Fastenbier in a week or two.

ETA: Andechs Dopplebock Dunkel that is.

 

My local beer guy told me ordered the Fastenbier so hopefully it should be here (in Boston at least) fairly soon.

 

Drinking some Spaten Premium right now. Old Spaten premium, as of this month -- stuff was bottled a year ago, but it's about all I can find in my area right now.

Even being a year old it tastes pretty good (covered 12 pack, so the green bottles were protected), but I think I'm slowly becoming more of a Hofbräu fan when it comes to Helles. The HB I can get around here is more fresh and has a bigger malt character than I've found in Spaten's Helles lately.

 

I've always preferred Hofbrau over Spaten. I just picked up some Weihenstephan Original bottled on November 2nd two weeks ago. It's been tasting great.

If I have my choice though I liked Andech's Helles when it first hit the area a few years ago, and Schlenkerla's Helles is always amazing.

 

I can get HB for $2 less a sixer than Weihenstephan around here, tends to sway my purchase.

Weihenstephan and Andechs are good (to me), but they both seem a little too thin compared with the Spaten and HB (Hacker Pschorr is thin to my palate too).

I could never get into the Schlenkerla Helles, seemed like the body was too thin against the smokinesss -- have to try it again to see if I like it any better.

I thought you liked the Ayinger Jahrhundert best? Wish my one local source for that was closer.[/QUOTE]

 

I enjoy drinking Ayinger Jahrhundert when I can find it on tap. IMO that beer is a German Helles Exportbier (I agree with the BJCP here).

I personally refuse to buy this beer in bottles since they are no dates on Ayinger bottles; no way of knowing how old they are.

Cheers!

 

I didn't list it because it's considered an Exportbier as @JackHorzempa points out.

Tastes like a Helles to me though (albeit a tad stronger in ABV), and if we're throwing that into the mix, and I was pressed to pick one beer, the Jahrhundert may just be number 1.

Although if we're including Exportbier as well, I believe Augustiner's Edelstoff would be included, and that may be a contender as well...although that one is Maerzen-strength at 5.7% ABV.

 

Ayinger Jahrhundert is of Maerzen strength as well: 5.5% ABV.

Cheers!

 

That pretty much defines it: An export Helles (just like the Edelstoff).

From friend Ron:

 

I've actually seen the ABV vary in the bottle. I believe I've seen it as low as 5.2% recently, but I've definitely seen higher as you've posted here.

 

It's listed as 5.2% on the importer's (Merchant du Vin) webpage and 5.5% on Ayinger's own webpage. I would tend to believe the brewery, but who knows?

 

This is what H-P's Munich Gold is too. It's listed as 5.5%.