German Beer Appreciation 2025

Päffgen Kölsch in Köln
No need to say this, but this is the best Kölsch i have ever had

 

Augustiner Dunkel in Köln

 

Altbier outside of the Köln Cathedral

 

Trying Kuchlbauer 1300er Zwickl. 5.2% abv. I had their Festbier a couple of years ago but this one is new to me. The beer is light golden in color. In aroma it is clean but with a pale maltiness. A light touch of herbal hops as well. It is a mild aroma. In the taste the beer is malty, almost verging on tasting sweet, but the hop bitterness is enough of a balancing flavor that it does not taste sweet. Bittersweet maybe. This actually reminds me a great deal of a Swedish beer brand, Norrlands Guld Export, at 5.3% abv, which is the second largest beer brand in Sweden (which I am quite fond of). That is interesting.

Regarding it being unfiltered and a Zwicklbier there is no real yeastiness to speak of in the aroma or taste. The beer becomes very lightly hazy towards the end of the bottle. Which is a bit surprising coming from a mainly weissbier brewing brewery. I expected some sediment in the bottle but there was none.

All in all it is quite a drinkable and tasty beer. Stylewise it fits within the broad spectrum of Zwicklbiere, in the mold of a circa 12% plato, Bavarian Helles.

 

Schreckenskammer on the Rhine River waiting our train back to Brussels.
Didn't make it to Dusseldorf cuz the Bahn train is complete shit.
Everything was delayed

 

gotta keep in mind that these guys mantain tradition like a ************ .
Having a true Kölsch out of gravity casks in Köln beats modern brewery stuff from back home for me ten times over .
I've had maybe 35 or so Kölsch style beers back home , Two Coast Kölsch being King, and yes, while these tasted a bit more toned down and not as 'flavorful' as the ones in the states i would never call them superior as they will never compare.
Cheers, papa

 

But better than Hamm's, right!?!

Cheers!

 

LOL!!

Cheers to Hamm’s!!!!!!

 

Kostritzer Schwarzbier on tap at our local German restaurant. So good!

 

Schanzenbräu Rot at the Gare de Lille Flandres station
A solid breakfast beer. Have only had one other Rot so can't say much Luther then i will drink 100 more of these

 

Great breakfast beer @Resistance88! Earlier this year i discovered the Tucher Rotbier, i have fallen in love again!
I am enjoying your beer tourism Tomas!
Tom

 

Werner der Wiesn Traditionalist marking the start of the historically accurate Oktoberfest celebration

 

Shreckenskammer Kölsch for brekfast

 

After bringing this one back from my Germany trip a few weeks ago I couldn't stand waiting any longer to open it. It's a whiskey barrel-aged dopplebock. Not having that bourbon character that I'm used to with so many American BA beers, it's different. But it's still an excellent beer from a small barrel-aging program. (I don't think there were more than 20 barrels in that cellar.)

 

Found more 4-packs of HB Fest on sale* locally. Still drinking fine and no skunk!

*$10 a 4-pack for .5 liter cans. That's $5 a liter -- cheaper than a Maß at the Fest, I believe.

Who's talking about expensive imports?