New Glarus (2022)

The classic German stuff has never wavered. That’s what I cross the border for. Dan does traditional German styles as well as anybody in the states. There are probably a few dozen in the conversation, and New Glarus easily makes its way into that conversation.

 

Eh.



Seriously, the original 2 Women was much better than what it's become. Staghorn is more Ami traditional Oktoberfest. The Bock from the past was all American influenced. The honey Maibock is too sweet and thin of body to style.

But I don't mean to pile on, they're all very well made and drinkable, just not as to-style as I like to find.

OTOH... the specialties Dan works on turn out great. The Gyrator is quite good, the imperial Weizen (no, not bottom-fermented, but German in style) was terrific, and I still dream that he'll bring back the Bohemian Pils -- that was outstanding.

Okay, rant over -- I still have great respect for NG quality and will always try the new stuff as well as turn back to old favorites now and again. But I think there are other breweries doing better German styles.

 

If you're talking "to style" I can see where you're coming from, but I'm not sure NG's trademark was ever pursuing recipes that perfected styles. While the new doppel is pretty spot on tradition, most of the stuff I've come to love by them--while not that crazy off track--is always a slight riff on something traditional.

 

Agreed, and pretty much how I concluded. But mostly just talking to this.

 

Hometown Blonde is the closest thing I’ve found to fresh Weihenstephaner Pils. Uff-da is pretty damn good as well, and I would consider it to style

 

Does anyone else find it disappointing that every new fruited beer Dan has put out in the last 1-2 years has been overly sweet and just not as well crafted as the fruited beers he did in the past? He was the master of fruit and seems to have taken a page out of the "way to sweet over the top fruited sours" book that people are into these days. Bring back "old Dan" where fruit is done right!!

 

If we're talking about a typical Midwest-brewed Spring seasonal release Bock, I agree.

If we're talking about a German-brewed Bock Bier, I'm afraid I don't.

On the downside, the NG website reports neither Hometown or Uff Da are on the current brew list, so any debate seems moot.

 

Yes, agree with this. Love NG's lagers. I will never pass up Hometown Blonde. I know his wheats are good too, but not a fan of them, regardless of who makes them.

 

yea I’m not in love with the current offerings. Although I do love me some fresh Scream. And they drive me nuts with their calendar updates. Why not just post the calendar like any other brewery of New Glarus’s size? If I go to Odell’s website, I fins their entire gamelan for 2022

 

Finally tried the Blueberry Cocoa Stout at Beer and Cheese Fest and as someone who hasn't always been super impressed with even the more simple adjunct stouts NG has done, I have to say that this one at the very least delivered a major Tootsie Pop character. Lots of flavor, zero flab.

 

Has anyone been to the Beer Depot recently? Do they still have all of the R&D beers that came out a few months ago?

 

I live in MN and would often drive down to Chicago. Picking up NG on the way to Chicago, and on the way back home to MN was a ritual for many years until 2015/2016. The problem is... I don't actually think NG is that good. Sure, they are a pioneer and certainly way better than Miller, Coors, Bud but they've been outclassed by so many local breweries. It's just not the same.

I think the whole "exclusive to WI" + brand loyalty is keeping the hype going, but if they were to start distributing outside of WI they would flop bigtime IMO. Their beer is good, but not that good.

Perhaps their fruited beers are amazing, but I've never tried them as they are definitely NOT something I'm into.

 

I'm still sitting on a sixer of the Gyrator and saving that for the spring but the last two I had (while still very good) seemed to be slipping a little...I'm debating on holding this other sixer to the spring now...

 

Curious as to which breweries you think are doing better lagers than New Glarus?

 

Note, I said "Better German styles." Their lagers are certainly well-made and delicious to drink, I just find others that are closer to what I enjoyed in situ.

For instance; Metropolitan, Dovetail, Roaring Table, Phase 3 (to some extent), Urban Chestnut, Wisconsin Brewing -- even Lakefront and Sprecher in certain circumstances.

So, I'm not saying NG makes bad beers, they're just better at certain styles than others.

 

No-one has been better for lagers than Kirby Nelson when he was brewing for Capital back in the day. Blonde Doppel, Dark Doppel, Maibock, Ofest, Winter Skal, Garten Brau Pils, Bavarian Lager (My favorite maybe), Autumnal Fire, they had a wild rice lager too if I remember right. Maybe my all-time favorite brewery at that time and that would still hold today.

With that said I'd love to see Kirby at Wisconsin Brewing focus more on those kinds of beers more although I may be out of touch as I only get their beer when vacationing near Boulder Junction in the summers.

I'd put New Glarus solidly #1 in Wisconsin for lagers right now though. Probably Lakefront #2.

Overall in the U-S there are some good Colorado lager breweries.....I'd tout Bierstadt and Wibby. Prost is pretty solid too. I'm dying to try some Olde Mecklemburg beers out of North Carolina...we were slated for a trip there that got cancelled last fall. KC Bier Co. is the closest I've found to the old Capital beers.

 

Low-key...I'm really enjoying Lakefront's lager lineup, which seems easy to find fresh in my area right now. Underrated brewery, in my opinion!

 

Watch for their Maibock, it's been a consistent go-to for me every Spring.

Rich, lightly sweet and smooth maltiness that is very authentic to-style.

 

I highly recommend seeking out Wisconsin Brewing's Wild Bock, if you haven't. I put it right up there with NG Gyrator.

Oh, and the "Wild" is because Kirby uses the wild rice he's fond of. I was a bit afraid, having some weird allergy to malted or fermented rice, but one per sitting is very enjoyable.