2019 Imported Oktoberfests Blind Tasting

Though it only shows a snapshot in time I think the excerpt below shows how the Vienna lager and Märzen had developed by the 1930s.

With the span of OGs having dropped for both lager and Märzen to below 13%, with the color only slightly darker than for Bohemian lager, one can understand why Dr. Kulka would claim that the Vienna beer does not possess any distinct qualities. It had become increasingly an intermediary form of lager. Of some interest here is the legislation in place in Czechoslovakia in the same time period. In a Swedish governmental report from 1936 (page 181) the following is stated about the latter:

One can see that the lager category could now be brewed to between 10-12%, with anything above that belonging to Spezialbier. I find it interesting that the same designation was used at the time in Austria to denote a higher gravity beer than Märzen, even though Czechoslovakia had been independent from Austria since 1918. Spezial still exists as a category in both the Czech and Austrian beer markets and they still denote higher gravity beers. If Spezial was higher gravity than Märzen, and both types fit within 11-13% OG then that must mean that the Märzen wasn't much stronger than the post war 12% Märzen already in the interwar period. It makes sense then that there emerged a new term (Spezial) for a higher gravity beer, since Märzen had clearly lost some of its meaning as a higher gravity beer which it had had in the 1800s/early 1900s.

 

Likewise, my bad. A good Weizenbier however. Next up tonight, for Festbiers, a couple of bottles of Ayinger.

 

On a side note it is interesting to note that according to Kulka:

I imagine the significantly higher tax, and thus higher price, for Spezialbier had something to do with the 1% market share. Production was dominated by 10% schankbier (back in the 1800s 10% beer had also dominated Czech brewing*, but back then 10% meant it was between 10-10.9%) at 74%. One can also note that Bürgerliches Brauhaus still had a schankbier of their own at that time next to their Pilsner Urquell lager beer.

*From Noback's book in 1873:

 

Thanks for the time and effort for this interesting post. I'm glad you included the BJCP guidelines. With some but probably much less regard to style guidelines, my rank order of these based on my BA ratings is:
#1: Ayinger
#2 Paulaner
#3 Hacker Pschorr
#4 Hofbrau
#5 Spaten

Of course, some variability here should be attributed to differences across time, place and other conditions.

My highest rating for German versions of the style goes to
Hofbrauhaus Berchtesgaden Jubiläumsbier which, unfortunately, may only be available in Germany.

Cheers.

 

Which Paulaner? The Marzen or Wiesn?

 

They're both Märzens, one's pale the other is amber. (sorry, couldn't resist)

 

Yesterday I attended an Oktoberfest in this sweltering DC heat. They had both the Spaten (Amber) Oktoberfest and Hofbrau’s pale version. While I tend to be an amber fan, I must agree reluctantly with the move towards the Wiesn style on a day as hot as the one like yesterday.

 

The same beers as in the blind tasting.