Welcome to the German STYLE beer appreciation thread! We will include beers brewed IN Germany AND beers made outside of Germany but in the style to which we love. German made beers are some of the best in the world. Easy selections for when you want something that tastes good and pairs well with a variety of foods. The problem many times for us on this side of the pond is finding fresh stock of imports. Fortunately, over the last several years, many American craft beer breweries have taken up the challenge and are making good quality beers to style. In order to both appreciate the good ones and introduce new Beer Advocates to the joy of drinking these classic, old world beers, I present the style appreciation thread. Post the ones you are drinking and enjoying. Let us know who all is doing these styles justice and where we might find them near you. I'll start us with a brewery I've known about for a while and always wanted to try their beers, Notch Brewing in MA. Low and behold, some started showing up locally at Max Beverage in Cumming, GA! Discovered this gem last year. Notch Brewing Geman Afternoons German style Pils 4.6%. A simple recipe of Barke Pils malt, and Spalt Select hops. But meticulously brewed using single decoction mashing, this is a crisp, clean Pilsner with spicy/herbal hops and grainy and bready malt backbone. Has a snappy bitterness that does not hang around too long. Nice soft mouthfeel. A well crafted German style Pils from Chris Lohring's Notch Brewing. For our foodies out there, by all means, post what your pairing these with if you are so inclined! Prost to German style beers!
FWIW, you have my full support! Earlier today I purchased a German Pilsner brewed by a local craft brewery. I will post about that beer! Cheers!
I am half German as my mom was born there. When I think it of wanting a German beer, I only crave 2 styles; Marzen and Hefeweizen. My apologies in advance...
This is TKR Pilsner from Tucker Brewing Co. in GA. Checks in at 4.8%. Tucker is a brewery that I don't mention enough. They make primarily German style beers and do a solid job at it. TKR is their flagship beer and a fine representation of the German style Pils. It is bready and a little toasty with floral and herbal hops to compliment. Bitter in the balance. Clean, crisp and dry finish. If you visit the brewery, which has the largest beer garden in Georgia, this is a must try beer from their slow pour tap. Prost!
I absolutely love Munich style Dunkel. It is my favorite dark beer style bar none. Drinks just like a pilsner but with the dark malt flavors. An all year dark beer. Round Trip Brewing Dunkel Platz 5%. If you are visiting Georgia and want to drink the best Munich style Dunkel I'd put this up as the one you need to try. And we have a couple of breweries that make a good one but I like this the most. Like dark bread, spicy/herbal hops, restrained bitterness. Expertly crafted. I'd love to see these guys enter this beer in some competitions, I'd bet they would medal for sure. Brewer is Craig Mycoskie, who was trained at Siebel and was head brewer at Rahr & Sons Brewing in Ft. Worth, TX at one time.
An award winning Pilsner! The SEPA area is awash in high quality Pilsners. From old standbys (over 30 years old) like Sly Fox, Victory, Troegs,… to more recent versions from Von C, Mainstay, Human Robot… to the beer I will be discussing today: Sterling Pig Shoat Pilsner. So, what are the awards to may be asking at this point? Well, one of the awards is from the large competition of World Beer Cup 2018 where they won a Silver Medal. The other award is from a more local competition (Philadelphia area) which is ‘sponsored’ by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Shoat Pilsner was voted to be the Best New Beer: “1. Shoat German Pilsner (5%, 24 IBU), Sterling Pig Brewery. Brewer Brian McConnell scored a second place in last year’s Brewvi with a special edition “keller” called Hoppin’ Pils. This year, he takes the top prize with the newly canned edition of his Media brewery’s house pilsner, a crisp homage to the classic German-style Americanized by dry-hopping with Mount Hood hops and kettle hopping, too, which McConnell says adds a minty brightness. The judges called it “clean” with “great balance” between its noble hops aroma and malty backbone. “If all pils tasted like this, it would be a more popular style.” “Wow! Just wow! OMG!” “Seriously," said the panel’s guest out-of-town brewer, Mike Fava, "get in my fridge!” https://www.inquirer.com/food/craig...es-inquirer-brewvitational-2019-20190530.html I am uncertain which of the SEPA brewed Pilsners I drink most often but possibly Shoats Pilsner is the ‘winner’ here? Served in my Polish Pilsner glass: Appearance: Straw/Golden yellow colored with a BIG rocky white head. Aroma: The first impression is bready Pilsner Malt aroma but there are notable hops aromas of herbal/spicy. Taste: The flavor follows the nose with notable bready malt with a pleasing combination of herbal/spicy flavors from the hops. There is a low-moderate bitterness. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a pleasant dry finish. Overall: This beer is very, very good!! It has an enjoyable combination of bready malt and herbal/spicy flavors that I look for in a German Pilsner. I will once again be attending the annual German Bierfest this Saturday held at The German Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Hopefully Sterling Pig will be in attendance so I can enjoy this beer on draft. Otherwise, I will have to ‘settle’ for the German style beers brewed by Human Robot, Mainstay, Yards, etc. https://www.phillybierfest.org/ Cheers!
A German Bierfest sounds up my alley. Hope you give us some reports Saturday. That comment by the judges “If all pils tasted like this, it would be a more popular style" is interesting. If it used a noble hop, are they saying it wouldn't have been as good? That's an odd comment from a judge.
If beer drinkers really understood the traditional Pilsner style and how it should taste it would be more popular.
Jack's Abby Intrepid Traditions Dunkel 5% Another US brewery that does German style beers much justice here. Toast with spicy/herbal hops. Another easy drinker. This one is so light colored. Fascinates me how amber or brown colored some Dunkel style beers get. I'm not sure which way I would lean as a brewer. One thing is certain, the world needs to enjoy more Munich style Dunkel! Prost!
It's hard to pin down what a traditional pilsner should taste like. For me the current Urquell is only a shadow of the beer I remember drinking in about 1980 (draft at Golden Ox, Chicago). I also remember many imported German beers in that era. I realize that the pale German beers owed a debt to Pilsner, But (for example) Munich helles' full malt body also bore a relation to the earlier Munchner dunkel. The helles beers seem to be trending toward a modern pilsner style balance. Everybody has to establish their own baseline.
I forgot that I could cross-post from the Cellaruary thread. Here's one. I knew I had two Ayinger Maibocks in my fridge but I thought both sere last year's edition. Nope, this one was bottled on 11-23-23 thus from the 2024 release. However, I think this style ages very well (even at only 7% abv) so I'm enjoying it with my chicken schnitzel, Käsespätzle and sauerkraut dinner. (Sorry didn't take a pic of the food.)
I'm hoping we get more of the Ayinger Maibock around my neck of the woods this year. I really like it. That's a beer style that not even some of the larger focused breweries near me have not really taken up.
Gilde USA Broyhan's weizenbock. Charlotte brewery. Aromas and flavors of big ripe banana, bubblegum, clove, peppercorn, pear, apricot, red apple, raisin, plum, fig, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, herbal, grass, light pine, and yeast earthiness. Light-med pine/herbal/grassy bitterness and yeast spiciness on the finish. Medium carb and medium plus body. Balanced creamy/bready wheat and sticky hop mouthfeel. Lingering sticky hop drying, no cloying sweetness. This is like banana bread with stone fruits. Minimal warming 7.5%. Spot on style, big yeast complexity. 4.22/5 Cheers
