Augustiner Munich Question

Dave, you have a long memory!

Cheers to you!!

 

Definitely not.

 

@orangestorm87 Are you on the trip now? If not, when is it?

Report!!

Prosit!

 

Oh an optimist, eh?

 

Soitenly!!

 

Great thread! Traveling to Munich in a week myself. One quick question: What's the difference between the Edelstoff at Augustiner and the helles? Edelstoff is a helles as well it seems.

Cheers!

 

Here's my review of it:

Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff
vom fass @ Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin, DE
,5L for €3,90 at noon on Christmas day 2013

Good looking glass of beer. Clear gold with a massive head of bright white froth. The head retention and lacing are exquisite. In the nose it's floral over lightly sweetish malt. The flavor brings out a bit more character with a little more bready graininess and less sweetness than the nose suggested, as well as more noble hops and a subtle note of apple-like fruitiness. Median bitterness is well-threaded through - a very round, balanced, and nicely polished lager. Medium bodied. Crisp and clean. Remarkably easy to drink.

Additional note: I tasted this side by side with the standard "hell" and didn't find much difference. It's just slightly darker. And also a touch fuller in character, but not by much, and at the same time a little less malty... ? More balanced, shall we say? So... I'd guess it's got a degree or so more Plato to it, a touch more hops for flavor, and just a hint of additional bitterness to balance that as well - OR, is it the same beer and just slightly more fermented? No, probably not.

 

Edelstoff is significantly stronger beer (5.7 versus 5.2% ABV), almost as strong as Wies'n bier.

When drinking 3-5 Masskrugs per session, it does add up!

Prost!

Jim

 

Edelstoff is an export vs. a normal helles.
I like 'em both but I prefer the normal lagerbier. Flavor-wise, Edelstoff is a little sweeter and it's missing the crackery note that I like from the normal helles. Others (my wife included) like that it's more straight ahead and malty.

 

Edlestoff is a Helles of Export strength -- a German brewing legality. Why they make both is the big question, but maybe their customers demand it.

 

The bottled Edelstoff I found yesterday (see Bayern Beer Bought & Drunk) finished very dry to my palate and didn't seem quite as sweet (relatively speaking) as HB Original. Just my perception.

 

My friends here in Munich refer to EDELSTOFF as SCHÄDELSTOFF. Schädel = Skull and the idea idea is that this little bit more alcohol goes straight to your head!

By the way, Augustiner Keller serves only the Edelstoff...

 

Those guys are lightweights compared with the businessman I saw down a liter of St. Jakobus Blonder Bock with lunch -- in less than half-an-hour -- and head back to work.

 

You should see Greg Koch in action. Wait...

 

Thanks for the help! You guys are great!

 

Piggybacking on this thread to ask a question about Augustiner bottle dates. I just had a 0.5L bottle of Weissbier purchased here in Newcastle, from a shop that just got in a bunch of Augustiner. What's the window on their freshness dating? Every style was dated best by 10.17. Having thoroughly enjoyed the Weissbier, I'd find it hard to believe it's nine months old. Is it possible they use a six month code?

 

What exactly did the code look like?

Usually the Germans put 1 year on their beers, if treated somewhat properly they can withstand some time. Not a great thing to drink old-ish beer but over the years they have proven that they can win a small test of time.

 

Douglas, in your opinion what would be your target for "some time"? 6 months?

Cheers!

 

10.17
L2209461 S

 

Good question. With the current technology many international brewers are keeping their DO extremely low, 6-8 months shouldn't be a problem as long as the beer is treated accordingly during transport & warehousing.