Trip to East Germany

I have to agree with @Snowcrash000 on this one. Your opinion on German craft beer seems misguided. However, I do agree that if you want a full on West Coast style bitter-hop bomb, you're not going to find that in Germany. First off, I think such a beer wouldn't be very successful in Germany because it's just too extreme and one-note-like. Yet have I found a beer as good as Bell's Two Hearted, etc? No, but I also still haven't found an NEIPA that was as good as Tree House or the like, but I could also say that about my search for NEIPAs when I visited Dallas this May; I just couldn't find one that matched the best from the USA.

Nonetheless, what you will find is more balanced IPAs, ones which often use more German-based malt bills, using Münchner, Pils, Aroma, or other malts. I call these beers "German IPAs." They use the main C-hops but often of German origin in the IPAs, but then by balancing them with more flavorful malts, IMO, you get a much better tasting, süffiger beer than a straight up West coast hop bomb.

Besides the ones @Snowcrash000 mentioned, here are other favorite craft brewers who are relatively new on the scene who are doing great things: Frau Gruber, Sudd'n Death, and Flügge, the latter doing some crazy sours super successfully.

My only gripe with the German craft scene is that, probably due to it still being in its toddler stages, they tend to use mainly the most famous C-hops like Centenial, Cascade, etc., and rarely experiment with any other new-ish hops.

 

Tony, what about the ‘new wave’ German hops like Huell Melon, Mandarina Bavaria, Polaris and Hallertau Blanc. Are these hops popular in German ‘craft’ beer?

Cheers!

 

I'm hoping that @patto1ro will chime in on this thread, as his wife is from the DDR and he has a strong knowledge of East German beer--at least East German beer in the 1980s: http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/search/label/DDR

I'd like to try a good East German Pilsator, if there is such a thing any more. I'm planning my own trip from Bamberg to Berlin next summer, so this thread is of interest to me. Been to Prague many times back in the 90s so won't be doing that on this trip, but I wish I could go again.

I just started reading a great book about East Germany, if you want to do some background reading before you go: Burning Down the Haus: Punk Rock, Revolution, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

 

My information is all a bit out of date, I'm afraid.

 

@Witherby you likely already read the below linked article but for the benefit of others below is an article written by Ron Pattinson entitled: “Fading in Popularity: East Germany’s Beer Styles”.

Cheers!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/16556/fading-in-popularity-east-germanys-beer-styles/

 

My first gut reaction is that many craft brewers in Germany eschew those above mentioned hops and go straight to the C-hops, Amarillo, the usual suspects really.
I find more using Opal, Saphir, and other more subtle strains derived of Noble hops.

Those Jack mentions are maybe much too subtle IMO and if you want to get noticed, the C-hops and their like are the way the craft brewers seem to go.

For bittering, many of the big conglomerates use Polaris (21% AA!!!) & Herkules (15-19% AA) for their huge bittering punch, making them very cost effective hops in the search to reduce those costs. I've used both and wasn't impressed with Polaris and was astounded how stunningly bitter they both were.

 

Tony, you might be interested in knowing that a number of US craft breweries near me have been brewing with the ‘new wave’ hops from Germany in particular Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon. I agree with your assessment that these hops have a lesser ‘punch’ than American aroma hops but so far I have enjoyed the beers brewed using these ‘new wave’ hops. Maybe at some later date these ‘new wave’ hops may become more popular with the German craft brewers?

Cheers!

 

Störtebeker has done some really good stuff.
They have (along with Köstritzer) probably the best IPA available, as far as bigger, commercial Breweries go.
They really nail their roasty styles (Traditionsbock, Stark-Bier, Schwarzbier, Nordik Porter).
Their Kellerbier actually features new-age German Hops (Mandarina Bavaria).