2016 New Glarus releases

Hopslam pricing seems quite a bit much for a lager, I'd agree.

 

Yeah, that beer is tasty for sure, but it's not quite on par with this one. The malt complexity that NG Zwickel has is unmatched by Urban Chestnut's. I do love Metropolitan's Heliostat as well, but that's a seasonal DONG, which is even more unfortunate.

Definitely looking to pick up Weihenstephaner's 1516 Kellerbier to compare.

I agree the pricing is high, but it's such a great beer that I honestly don't care all that much. I wonder where that money is coming from (given that it can't be that costly to make), but since I love it and want to support the cause (brewery-only lager), I will probably purchase another case.

 

Sounds like the pricing is supposed to be in line with Thumbprint pricing, so I take back my previous comment about not being in line with any previous pricing. Always forget that NG beer is more expensive at the brewery than at most retail locations.

I would gladly pay Thumbprint prices for some of their lagers (e.g. Unplugged Bohemian Lager, or the Original Two Women Lager).

 

My guess would be the price is coming from ingredients/recipe. The blurb on the side of the bottle seems to indicate some fairly exacting and specific ingredients.

 

I like it, though I think I prefer Hometown Blonde and Two Women myself. Good (very good) beer but the $72 bones I spent on a case was excessive IMO.

I've only drank 2 so far though, so I want to give it a bigger sample size too.

 

I think it's pretty great and well worth the price, though I would absolutely love to see this come out as a seasonal at the normal $8 a sixer.

 

They probably got tired of reading our complaints that their beer is so reasonably priced for their quality, and are essentially a steal compared to their competitors'.

 

Nope, I don't think that Urban Chestnut is in WI distro all though Urban Chestnut is entering the Rockford, IL market before the end of this month. So that makes it that much closer to WI.

 

I'm drinking #3 right now, good luck so far. Growing on me even more.

I do have one question though. I thought Zwickel was supposed to be unfiltered and cloudy? This thing is clear as can be.

 

That really surprised me too. I would actually prefer this beer to have a bit more yeast in it, that extra touch of yeasty flavor would make it perfect.

 

Did New Glarus ever say it would be unfiltered?

 

They said this on facebook: Zwickel Bier, straight from the tanks, has undergone its third and final fermentation in the bottle in order to ensure that you getting the freshest possible Lager bier.

Just thought that meant it should be expected to have a bit of cloudy.

 

Description from the website:

You hold Brewmaster Dan Carey’s confident response to “What’s your favorite beer?” As a young Apprentice, this is the Reinheitsgebot Lager Dan brewed in Bavaria. Wisconsin glacial water softens a decoction mash of the finest Wisconsin, Czech and English malts. Dan personally selected the German, Czech and French hops for six separate hop additions. Finally, a long lager on his proprietary Munich yeast just as Brewers have done for 500 years. Straight from the tanks, unfiltered, this bier has undergone its third and final fermentation in the bottle in order to ensure you the freshest possible Lager bier. Expect this bier to be assertively hoppy, complex, and slightly cloudy. We revived the name but have brewed a new favorite that can only be found when you visit our little village Brewery here in New Glarus.

Edit: Linky - http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/ourbeers/beer/zwickel-bier

 

Interesting how their facebook post is using almost all the exact same wording, but in a bit different order of sentences, and uses the same terms of assertively hoppy and complex but omits the "slightly cloudy" phrase you highlight above.

Intentional after seeing the first bottles?

Will be interesting to see how subsequent batches are.

Here is the facebook post:

When Master Brewer Daniel Carey was a young apprentice in Bavaria, Reinheitsgebot Lager was the bier that he brewed. Zwickel Bier is Dan’s confident response to the question, “What’s your favorite beer?”.
Zwickel Bier is the Wisconsin version of this lager. Although this bier shares the name of a beer produced by New Glarus Brewing Company a few years ago, this one is new and different, and only available at the New Glarus Brewery Hilltop facility. Zwickel Bier is assertively hoppy, and complex.
The glacial water of Wisconsin softens a decoction mash of the finest Czech and English malts. Dan travelled around the world to personally select the German, Czech, and French hops that he used in six separate hop additions. Finally Zwickel Bier had a long lager on Dan’s proprietary Munich yeast just as brewers have done for 500 years. Zwickel Bier, straight from the tanks, has undergone its third and final fermentation in the bottle in order to ensure that you getting the freshest possible Lager bier.

 

Arn't NG's thumbprints normall 10 for a 4 pack? How is this beer mroe expensive than thumbprint brews.

 

Everything is a little more at the brewery (in an effort to not undercut their local distributors/retailers). Assuming they charge $11/4pk plus tax, it's in line with Thumbprints at the brewery.

 

So got to try Zwickel 2016 last night. It is definitely up there with the best lagers NG has put out, which say a lot for a brewery that puts out consistently good European-style lagers. It wouldn't be a daily drinker at $11/4pk or $17/6pk, but if I were at the brewery and they had it available, I would by a six pack or two.

Hometown Blonde or Edel Pils are a better value, but this really is a great beer.

 

Approx half a pallet of Zwickel available at the depot currently

 

How many cases in a pallet?

 

Looked to be about 30 cases or so left