Controversial Beer Opinions (Round Two)

Hefes kind of turn me on.

 

Just one word for you: Schneider. You're welcome.

 

Not in our distro area, but if it was I’d give it a try on the recommendation.

 

Really? That sucks. I see it around here, but not as readily as I used to, so I'm leery of age.

 

Weihenstephaner here is never fresh, sometimes if your lucky you might catch it at 4 months old, but as usual when your dealing with imported beers you either sacrifice your acceptable time lines or you just stay away. Hell even the Fest beers are 4-5 month old as seasonals, a price you pay for distance and going thru customs.

 

Well I've been trying to revisit styles that I wrote off early in my beer experimenting days so maybe I'll have to revisit the hefe. I'm fairly certain I see the weihenstephan around so I'll give that one a go. Its hard to fit in too much experimental beer purchases these days when there's so much stuff around that I know I like.

I miss bars/tap rooms for that. For whatever reason I'm always more adventurous in my ordering at a good beer.bar than I am in the beer aisle

 

I am too, especially when you can ask for a sample or get a half pour. Buying an expensive sixes can be bad news especially at the price depending on the style. Bottle of Weihenstephner is what $5-6 bucks, the only thing I don’t like is decoding the beers. I haven’t found an American Hefe I’d buy again, that bubblegum stuff scares me away, and I don’t love the style enough to really seek new stuff out.

 

For revisiting that type of beer to see if it clicks with you differently, I'll second the recommendation for the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. Then go to the regular version (not the Eisbock) of Schneider Aventinus for a Weizendoppelbock and then perhaps Schneider Hopfenweisse if you're an IPA fan. If you can get those in good shape and you don't end up liking any of them, just give up on Weissbier in the US.

 

TJ's Joseph's Brau Weizen -- which is Gordon Biersch's Weizen, is pretty good. Very traditional Bavarian.

Guess whose yeast they use?

 

Definitely Riegele

 

Um, nope. Unless they've switched -- it's been Weihenstephaner.

 

I like their beers especially their Pils, there’s one in Myrtle Beach. Never had their Hefe though, unfortunately this years beach trip was impeded by Covid.

 

Well, the restaurants brew differently from the brick & mortar brewery in California, so I can't vouch for those beers.

 

Consistency is always an issue with multiple sites, I’ve only had their Pils and imo it tasted like Pils Urquell probably should taste if it wasn’t 6 months old. I think that beer in particular is outstanding.

 

I started drinking around 1960 at a time and place where the overwhelming majority of beer was from excellent small local breweries, basically what would be regarded as craft these days. And cask conditioned too, although not every pint was in top order back then, before refrigerated cellars. In fact, although the breweries have long gone the same beers are replicated by craft brewers. Lager was a novelty, largely for the ladies and served in half pints.
So on this side of the pond, it has been possible for a lifetime of drinking craft beers, even when it wasn't called that.

 

It is not just a case of multiple breweries, they are different companies. The chain of what was "CraftWorks" (now SPB Hospitality) brewpubs branded "Gordon Biersch" is under different ownership than the Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. of San Jose.

Gordon Biersch Brewing Company is not affiliated with SPB Hospitality
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant is a company financially unaffiliated with the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company

 

I thought maybe the restaurants were franchised and licensed. A bit confusing to have two different companies flying the same name.

 

I think at one time they were, but mix in too many owners or shareholders and confusion ensues.

Funny thing is, it looks like they still have a restaurant/brew-pub, and it's not the original in San Francisco I've been to a couple times.

 

Its definitely risky, the brewer in Myrtle Beach happens to be pretty good, but what if you get a restaurant where that’s not the case? I’ve heard mixed reviews on their beers, but my experience has been great, both food and beer. Then add in a brick and mortar brewery, more than a bit risky.

 

Controversial beer opinion: (most) craft lagers cost too much.

$4/can for a hazy IPA? Fine, I'll buy that sometimes.

$4/can for a helles? Absolutely not. But that's what many breweries are asking me to pay as they add lagers to their lineups. It's good that some of these IPA factories are diversifying their product lines, but they need to diversify their price points, too, if they ever want to pull me away from Jack's Abby and Von Trapp.