New pils tasting results

Discussion in 'Germany' started by herrburgess, Apr 12, 2016.

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  1. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    We have seen these tastings from Hopfen und Malz before. Here are the results of the latest tasting. As you'll see, first went to a traditional Franconian brewery, second to a so-called Fernsehbier, fourth to the international award winner, and the bottom two to new 'craft' breweries [considerably behind Oettinger]. First time 'craft' beers were included in the blind tastings.

    Außenseitersieg beim Pils-Tasting.
    Letzten Samstag war Pils-Tasting bei Hopfen & Malz, natürlich als Blindverkostung. Neun Pils waren am Start, ein bunte Mischung; zum ersten Mal dabei zwei Craftpils. Der Überraschungssieger: Förster-Pils von Gampertbräu aus Weißenbrunn/Ofr. Zweite Überraschung: Mit großem Vorsprung vor der Nr. 2, VELTINS. Dritter wurde Krug Bräu aus Breitenlesau, vierter das Schönramer Pils, das anderswo schon Goldmedaillien gewonnen hat. Oettinger diesmal nur Platz 7, die beiden Craftpils ganz hinten.

    Resumee: Förster-Pils wird ausweislich Etikett mit Hopfenextrakt gebraut. Das ist also kein Hindernis für guten Geschmack. 10 von 11 Testern hatten Förster-Pils unter den besten Dreien. Veltins hat sich besser geschlagen als andere Großbrauereien (zuletzt Becks Platz 7 und Bit Platz 8) Oettinger war in der Vergangenheit schon auf 5 und 2. Das Craftpils hatte mit Lactobacillus zu kämpfen.

    Tabelle:
    Förster-Pils 2,15
    Veltins 2,85
    Krug 3,0
    Schönramer 3,1
    Debringer 3,2
    Hummel 3,2
    Oettinger 3,25
    PILZ 3,7
    Fastmoker 4,5
     
    #1 herrburgess, Apr 12, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2016
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  2. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Did it use Lactobacillus for some "innovative" reason?
     
    #2 steveh, Apr 12, 2016
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  3. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    protesting the oppressive and creativity-limiting Reinheitsgebot?
     
    #3 herrburgess, Apr 12, 2016
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  4. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Me? Or Das Craftpils?

    Not me -- just curiosity on my part. Something about a "sour" Pils (Milchpils?) just doesn't seem like innovation I can get my arms around. :wink:
     
    #4 steveh, Apr 12, 2016
  5. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Was joking that they were bucking the purity trend in favor of infection. Didn't sound like it was intentional. Not that that has stopped 'craft' brewers before....
     
    #5 herrburgess, Apr 12, 2016
  6. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Wait, was this that really innovative brew from the Czech republic? :grimacing:
     
    #6 steveh, Apr 12, 2016
  7. Lurchus

    Lurchus Zealot (733) Jan 19, 2014 Germany

    Gampertbräu Försterpils is easily my favorite of those, and I'm glad to see it so highly rated here, esp. compared to the "innovative", "edgy" craft pilsners. I mean, just compare these bottles:
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    #7 Lurchus, Apr 12, 2016
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  8. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    And the Wildwuchs only costs about 300% more per bottle...
     
    #8 herrburgess, Apr 12, 2016
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  9. einhorn

    einhorn Savant (1,175) Nov 3, 2005 California

    Still wonder why some of the larger(ish) breweries don't do a higher Plato beer, added a few more IBUs and did some late additions or dry hopped... seems like a logical thing so "spruce up" the Einheitsplörre most of them produce.

    Also, I have read on many German craft beer threads that brewing with Hop extract is considered poor quality. Not sure I agree with that, but that's the general consensus.
     
    #9 einhorn, Apr 13, 2016
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  10. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I thought there was mention of that in Herrb's post (don't ask me to translate again*) -- favorable to the extract.
     
    #10 steveh, Apr 13, 2016
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  11. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Sounds like it's the 'craft' beers that could really use some work. :wink:

    As to the hop extract...well, every beer culture has its fake bogeymen. Actually I agree that it would be easy enough for some of the Industriebiere to bump up a degree P or so and adjust the hopping accordingly to restore a degree of respectability. Really wouldn't take much....
     
    #11 herrburgess, Apr 13, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2016
  12. einhorn

    einhorn Savant (1,175) Nov 3, 2005 California

    Just a hunch, but I'm guessing that the "dumbing down" of the pilsners has to do with the taxation of beer. In order to be most competitive, costs must be reduced. Beer is taxed based on OG Plato, and that's why most pilsners fall in the "under 12 degree Plato" on the sales numbers (making them generally 4.9% ABV). I'm guessing that most "export/helles" beers and weissbiere fall into the Plato category between 12-13, making them over 5% ABV, those 2 categories representing the lion's share of beer sales in Germany.
     
    #12 einhorn, Apr 13, 2016
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  13. einhorn

    einhorn Savant (1,175) Nov 3, 2005 California

    Interesting to see Veltin's in 2nd place. It has also always been a fairly hop forward beer (comparatively), but my question is, if you're going to include Veltins (as only 2 macros), why not include Jever, Bitburger, Beck's etc to the mix? Fresh, well brewed beer will always taste better than small batch, possibly older beer with less QC.

    Anyway, as a German craft brewer, I wouldn't really even try to beat the German big brewers at their own game.
     
    #13 einhorn, Apr 13, 2016
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  14. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    The same place did include Beck's and others in previous tastings. And I agree about Veltins. I'd put it in with Koenig and Jever and a couple others as very nice 'macro' offerings that often outshine many beers. As for 'craft' brewers, if they can't brew a proper pils, why should they be trusted with any formerly extinct styles? Only because there would be no competition?
     
    #14 herrburgess, Apr 13, 2016
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  15. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Douglas, that was the first though that popped into my mind. Why would a "craft brewery" produce a beer like a Pilsmer both from a business perspective but other reasons? German beer consumers would not be likely to pay more for a beer like a Pilsner so what is the financial reason here? Very weird IMO.

    Cheers!
     
    #15 JackHorzempa, Apr 13, 2016
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  16. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Because it demonstrates their mastery of the 'craft' and appeals to the culture and its traditions and people? Or why should an American 'craft' brewer ever make a CAP?
     
    #16 herrburgess, Apr 13, 2016
  17. einhorn

    einhorn Savant (1,175) Nov 3, 2005 California

    What I was insinuating, as what I think what Jack meant as an analogy, is that there are (for example) very few craft AALs on the market in the US, and the forgotten lager is only now creeping into the"mass craft market", if that's a thing.
     
    #17 einhorn, Apr 13, 2016
  18. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Sure, but Jack not only advocates vocally for more 'craft' AALs, but also vicariously bemoans the purported decline in the quality of German pilsners. Which leads me to ask the opposite; why NOT have these supposed better brewers come and show everyone what it's all about?
     
    #18 herrburgess, Apr 13, 2016
  19. einhorn

    einhorn Savant (1,175) Nov 3, 2005 California

    Again, I'm not looking for a fight here, it just seems as there are other styles available to the German brewer to "wow" the nuvo beer consumer other than pilsner.
     
    #19 einhorn, Apr 13, 2016
  20. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Which styles?
     
    #20 herrburgess, Apr 13, 2016
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