Jack’s Abby (2019)

@JacksAbbyBrewing stated that they may bring it back as part of the Keller Series earlier in this thread.

 

I have a single in my fridge I still haven't cracked, so I'll reserve judgement until then.

But unless it's the greatest beer of all time, my view will still be that it's just a hoppy pale lager (unique or not) that replaced a solid Vienna.

The latter of which has very few examples on the shelves, traditional, unique or otherwise.

I am looking forward to trying the Citra Brau though.

 

Glad to hear you're reserving judgement

I get the sentiment, but having torn through the better part of a six pack, I can't stay mad at this beer. I miss Saxony but it's only doubling my losses if I let that ruin another good beer for me. And Citra Brau is extremely Jack's; as someone who's been drinking there almost since the start, it reads like a continued development of a concept they've been working on for a long time.

I'd be delighted if Saxony and Citra Brau were both year round core offerings.

 

I have tried 3 Kellerbiers from J.A., Modern Hell, Private Rye and now Shipping Out of Boston.
All three are were pale in color (straw-golden yellow), and presumably based on Koelsh.

According to the “other B.A.” Kellerbiers are based on Koelsh or Altbier.

Anyone have any experience with darker Kellerbiers based on Altbier?
I’m interested in a darker version, likely to have a deeper flavor.

Thanks in advance.

 

From my understanding, Kellerbier and Zwickl are lagers, defined by their nature as being unfiltered or perhaps of a somewhat higher strength. From there, they can be variations of "filtered" lagers, most frequently Helles or Pilsner, but also often Dunkel. I think at some point they had a Dunkel in the Kellerbier series. Expect somewhat more flavor from the addition of yeast and the lack of pasteurization.

Kellerbiers in Europe aren't the most common type of beer, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact they can't really be moved easily due to the live yeast suspended in the beer, and thus that makes them elusive. Still, for that reason of live yeast, they are often marketed as being a healthy option, and commercial examples may use organic ingredients. But that doesn't necessarily define what ought to be a Keller or Zwickl.

 

Well, FINAL judgement that is...and I did have the caveat of "but unless" added to it.

And I suppose this is where my bias comes into play. I don't really care for hoppy pale lagers.

 

Their Franconian Kraft is a bit darker, and is listed as being amber. It's also tasty.

I just saw this article, which may be helpful explaining the differences between the older amber style and the newer and more popular pale style: https://learn.kegerator.com/kellerbier/

 

Thanks, that nailed it. Unfortunately Franconian Kraft is retired.
Thanks J.A. for having the berries to brew obscure styles.

 

I don't think FK is retired. It's just a once yearly release.

 

I purchased FK at the brewery just before the Superbowl

 

Rejoicing because I was told yesterday that jacks abby would finally be in NJ by end of the month. More reliable affordable and delicious lagers. Hooray.

 

Yeah, not sure if their website is updated, but it’s listed as available at the brewery right now.

As far as going out for distribution, it’s not listed on their 2019 release calendar, but I think they have occasionally sent out some of their Keller biers on a limited basis to select areas.

 

I think we've seen most of their Keller Bier series here in Somerville. Including Franconian Kraft.

 

Went there yesterday. Had the Citra, liked it a bunch. Also tried the Dry Hopped Post Shift. I thought that was good as well. On a non-beer related note, the pizza I had there yesterday was among the worst I ever had. I didn't complain as I had to run out of there, but that was a disappointment relative to past visits.

 

Odd, as I've always liked their flatbreads.

 

I pretty much always get pizza at the beer hall when I go, and have never had a bad one yet, and I’ve been there many times. Too bad yours was below par, hopefully just an anomaly.

 

Probably was but I'll go investigate just to be sure.

 

I've had at least one pizza that wasn't cooked long enough. The food can be inconsistent for sure but I find it good much more often than not IMO.

 

I'll have to see if the new Gingerbread or Peanut butter cup beat Cocoa Nut which is still the best of the variants in my book.