Märican Biere Bought and Drunk...

Not sure exactly if this fits under this thread, but has anyone seen bottles of "Braupakt" a hefeweizen collaboration of Weihenstephan and Sierra Nevada?

https://www.weihenstephaner.de/en/our-beers/braupakt/

 

This article says that the beer isn't supposed to hit the shelves until April.

http://amp.foodandwine.com/beer/breweries/weihenstephan-sierra-nevada-brewing-collaboration

 

Saw someone (in Germany) post pic of bottle, turns out he got it at the brewery shop. The rest of us commoners will have to wait.

 

From what I've been told, Weihenstephan has had a good relationship with Sierra Nevada for a while.
I really like the bottle art. Hopefully they will be readily available. For some reason the Pils and the Kristall Weizenbock only made it to a handful of stores out my way.

 

Recently got to try a new local Pilsner from a brewery I didn't know existed until last week, and is pretty close to home: Prairie Krafts. Place brews mostly top-fermented styles, but they have a few German-style bottom-fermented beers. The Pilsner isn't quite Nouveau and isn't quite traditional; modern Nobel Hops without being overdone, and crackery malt that holds up well. Will be looking for other styles from them.

Also found some more Lakefront Maibock closer than a Wisconsin run -- a very delicious take on the style these days. And Capital's Dark Doppelbock from their one month release back in November -- which is holding up terrifically well. This Doppel is as good as most imports and better than some others.

 

Isn’t “mod rn Noble Hops” an oxymoron?

 

Heh -- probably is, but how else should we refer to the newer strains such as Hallertau Blanc or Saphir?

 

Noble derivatives? Noble-ish?

 

Nouveau Noble?

(you heard it here first! )

 

What are the main new hops that are noble derived? I'm guessing the previously mentioned Hallertau Blanc and Saphir. Are Mandarina Bavaria and Polaris, too? What are some others?

 

Hüll Melon, Mandarina Bavaria, and Hallertau Blanc were all Cascade crossed with male hops at the Hüll Institute.

Saphir doesn’t have clear parentage.

Mt. Hood, Liberty, Ultra, Vangaurd were Hallertau Mittelfrüh crossed with North American males.

Sterling is a Saaz cross. Santium is a Tettnang cross.

HM was used in the breeding of Citra, believe it or not.

 

@hopfenunmaltz Isn't Saphir a product of the Hüll Institute as well?

How about Hallertauer Magnum? Not quite as new as the others, but on the new side, as is Tradition -- though oddly named.

 

Yes, I looked Saphir up, and the parent hops were just numbers from the Hüll breeding stock.

YCH lists Magnum as a daughter of Galena! Released 1993

Tradition is from HM, Hallertau Gold and Saaz. Released 1993.

 

My info is from BSG Craft Brewing, so I have no solid confirmation on their accuracy, but they report Saphir was developed to have Noble hop characters and good cultivation properties. Probably can't pinpoint Noble heritage, but they were trying to cultivate something similar.

And the German male hop 75/5/3?

As said, not exactly "new," but still of newer Noble lineage.

 

Agranomics comes first is hop breeding. The farmer has to make money growing the hop variety. Many of these were developed to give an alternative to HM, which is susceptible to wilt.

The ones like Mandarina Bavaria, Hüll Melon, and Hallertau Blanc were developed to compete with the new fruity American hops. The Germans saw what was going on in the US, and wanted part of that market.

 

Right -- these are the ones that tend to stunt my palate (mentioned previously) and what I refer to as the "modern" nobles.

 

How about Polaris? That one is hard for me to like.

 

I can't honestly recall which beers I've had with Polaris, but isn't that one very herbal and nearly garlic-like at the end of a sample? If so -- no, not a fan.

 

I get mint and/or wintergreen, and it is not subtle.

 

Don't recall having a minty beer recently. If it was used in a German-style beer I'm sure I'd hate it.