Favorite German brewery

As much as I love and respect the Weihenstephan, my heart will always belong to Heller-Trum, purveyors of the smoky goodness that makes my mouth water to this day...

 

Ayinger all the way.

I could drink Ur-Weisse all day every day.



Weihenstephan has the history, but is overrated IMHO.

 

Same here. Heller-Trum

 

My favorite German brewery is Jever since I am a big fan of Jever Pilsner.

Needless to say that there are a lot of very good German breweries. If only their beers could survive the transport over the Atlantic a bit better.

Cheers!

 

If only our breweries could make them as well...

 

Just said something to the affect of "Weihenstephan is one of the greatest breweries on earth" last night while enjoying a Korbinian. That was on untappd as well and I actually got a toast and "thanks" from the brewery. I stand by my exultation and have to go with those guys. Just fantastic stuff all the time.

 

Gotta go with Krombacher, Erzquell, and Herforder myself.

 

Too hard for me to say.

 

It's more a favorite by style situation for me:

Blonde Wheat Beer: Weihenstephaner Vitus
Dunkle: Ayinger Ur Weiss
Dark Weizenbock: Schneider Aventinus / Eisbock

So I guess I have three favorites!

 

There are a number of US craft breweries that make high quality German style beers. The ‘benefits’ are that you can obtain them fresh and unpasteurized from these US breweries.

Cheers!

 

Spaten, as part of the available big boys here in the U.S., but I have a soft spot for the Berchtesgaden Hofbräu. If I'm ever back in that area it will be the first place I stop for a beer.

Of course Schlenkerla and Augustiner Salzburg are big favorites too.

 

I'm with you. All it takes is the right ingredients and patience.

Many U.S. breweries make good "renditions" of German styles (drinking a very nice Summit Oktoberfest right now), but they never seem to hit the bull's eye dead center -- fresh or otherwise.

 

Too many to name, but here are my top 5:

1. Heller-Trum/Schlenkerla -- from their own maltings to the unassuming brewhouse to the extensive cellars to the wooden kegs at the tavern, which dates back to 1405, everything they do is meticulous, somewhat single-minded, and perfect.

2. Augustiner Munich -- own maltings, double decoction brewing, open fermentation, and gravity-served liters of the cleanest, yet most enormously complex, Helles lager to be found anywhere...oh yea, and served straight from the wooden barrel in a shaded beergarten with self-service half chickens, smoked mackerel, and pork knuckle -- and a playground for the kids.

3. Mahr's Bamberg -- my favorite Kellerbier, Mahr's "U". An unfiltered, orange-y amber lager that is aged in open fermentors creating a low carbonation (and great quaff-ability) and heavily hopped (for German standards). Plus a great Weizen, Helles, Dunkles, Bock, etc. etc. etc. These guys can do no wrong. Plus growlers to-go at $7 for 3 liters.

4. Brauerei Spezial, Bamberg – actually the first Rauchbier I fell in love with. Anyone looking for an introduction to the style that is also a definitive representative of the style, here it is. Own maltings, been doing it since 1536. Not bad longevity.

5. I give up – other favorites include Kraus, Hoenig, Weihenstephan, Ayinger, Singer in Thueringen, Hofbrau Traunstein, Rittmayer, Andechs, St. Georgenbrau, Witzgall, Griess, Sauer, Greifenklau, etc. etc. etc.

There are literally 100s and 100s of others that produce lagers as good as anything you tried anywhere. Go there as find out for yourself.

 

Weihenstephaner all day. Every beer I ever had from them has been 90+(IMO). I only need to have Festbier and I will have had every one that's imported.

Ayinger is a tie because just as much praise has been given by me to their lineup.

 

I'd probably go with Ayinger & Heller-Trum, but I had the best German lager of my life thus far on Wednesday: Mahr's Ungespundetes. An unfilitered/unpasturized lager that's left unbunged to release some carbonation, similar to a cask ale but with better balance in the body. It was so good I almost wanted to swear off American beers for life!

 

Maybe not overrated, just different. I've been seeing a lot of different German Hefeweizens available around me recently and I wouldn't turn down any of them. Had a Schneider for the first time, in a long time, yesterday -- forgot how good it is.

 

Mahr's U (as they call it) is my 2nd favorite beer of all time. The comparison to cask ale is fitting...especially when it's served from the wooden barrel at the tavern. I used to live right up the street and would walk down and fill this growler with 3 liters for me and the wife each night...for the price of $6. You are a wise man.

 

There are some good ones, although my personal favorite is definitely Schneider & Sohn. Aventinus was one of the first craft beers I had and it blew my mind, never had a beer by them I didn't like

 

Ayinger
Aecht Schlenkerla