German / Imported Märzens

Kind of weird you liked the Marzen but not the Ur-Bock. They're both from the same brewery with the smoky character being the dominant flavor.

Maybe the Ur-Bock was simply TOO smoky and that brought out some unpleasant flavors that were medicinal?

You said you and the store owner looked at the date code. I believe the bottles are 3 characters that only mean something to the distributor. I found old bottles at my store (I knew because the Helles had floaties in it) and I gave the distributor the 3 character code and they were able to determine that they were very old.

Basically, there's no way the store owner would know how old they were unless they were privy to this information already (it's possible).

Well your gut wouldn't be under your belt...

 

I still have notes from my first taste of Dark Lord -- from cask at a Chicago Real Ale Festival event -- I just remember trying to spell creosote.

 

Yeah I've seen some posted online at other places I haven't been to. Redstone is one of the best stores in MA for sure, but yeah I haven't been up north in a little while, I used to hang and share beers with my uncle in Wakefield once in a while and we would go there sometimes, but haven't hung out with him since probably March since he doesn't want to be inside with others during this time. I'm not talking about the entirety of MA, just the stores I've checked out in my (hyper)local area, Revere, Everett, Malden, Medford, etc. I could trip into Boston too if I dare but don't feel the need to. I actually did take your recommendation on the new Malden Center Fine Wines shop and got a delivery from them, Bitburger and Ayinger fests, and a few other import beers including a 3F Kriek, pretty awesome place. They had the HP and Paulaner 12pks for ~$14, and probably do singles of them in the shop too. I'll definitely be hitting that place up when/if I ever go back to Malden Center to places like Idle Hands, Hugh O'Neils, Mystic Station, or now the new Faces brewery there. Cheers!

 

Odds are Ball Square has H-P and Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier six packs too. They had one six pack of the Paulaner Marzen left (somebody snagged that, that somebody might have been me ).

 

Coincidentally (or maybe not), it turns out I used the word "Robitussin" in my reviews for both Aecht Schlenkerla Urbock and Dark Lord. That medicine scarred me for life when I was a kid. Here's an excerpt from my Dark Lord review:

Taste is all over the place, whoa. Where to begin? Dark rum, soy sauce, chocolate syrup, flat Pepsi, Robitussin, dark cherries, some kind of liqueur... a lingering aftertaste that keeps punishing me long after the swallow. Cloying and sweet, tastes like pure insulin.

The review ends simply: Never again.

 

I'll see if I can dig up my old notes. My memory just conjurs up "harsh," even cask-conditioned.

That said, I can't make any comparison at all to Ur Bock -- that stuff I like.

 

Omfg, this is good!

 

Good luck, I hope you can get some.

It starts out rich and toasty, yet rounded, verging on bock territory, but seems to manage a bone dry feel on the finish. The hops are on point, and lend vibrancy. I don't think I could expect more from an amber marzen. Dangerously drinkable, too, especially for 6.3%.

 

Are there any German/Austrian-made ones that are better than Ayinger's?

 

Tried a bunch of different ones and didn't like any. American or German/Austrian-made, except Ayinger's. And I just looked at the ratings on here. Seems like the majority thinks so as well.

 

I'll have to grab some singles and revisit the style. I honestly don't even pay attention to all the Pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers. But it should be available around here.

 

Finally got my hands on some Weihenstephaner Festbier. Very good example of the style, but I still think I like Hofbräu better. Sort of like my favorites between Spaten and H-P Märzen -- thin line, and no way I'd turn down either.

 

Sounds complex.

I recall having this one a couple months ago and not really caring for it. I'll have to give it a shot again.

Personally I like Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, and Paulaner's better.

But the H-P and Spaten are just about in the same ball park as Ayinger regarding preference for me this year.

Paulaner's is my favorite this season.

 

Does that really say just like 1810?

 

Yeah, but I don't believe everything I read .

I'm sure they'd say it's meant in the broadest terms. And I recall @Crusader posting about how beers back then weren't so attenuated, so I'm thankful that this one came off as a lot more modern.

 

Was it bottled or part of this canning project? That could make a difference, I bet.

 

The other thing that's funny is most histories say there was no beer served at the 1810 wedding -- which always seemed a little odd to me anyway, being Bavaria and all.