Bayernbiere Bought and Drunk

Not near a Lambic, i tried to fix that comment, but still a touch of it. I find many Helles and Pils lose everything i love about them by this date even if still "inside". The Keller seemed to work well in the other hand even if a bit corrupted, at least as an eye opener. Will try to get the real thing soon. Thanks Steveh!

 

No space for doubt here though, as i can still get these relatively to very fresh from the usual retailers. After a long summer trying new things it feels great to get back home. Prost!

 

Following up the SN Vienna Lager I was drinking earlier with one of my remaining Spaten Oktoberfest Märzens. Still my favorite of the style with its deep copper color and rich, toasty maltiness. The batch is showing its age with some light vinous flavor, even if it's best-by 06/16, but I've tasted worse beers at newer vintage!

 

Christmas beer season has arrived at the monopoly and Ayinger Winter Bock is the lone German offering among a plethora of dark Swedish lager beers. Alot of the flavors are similar: caramel, roasted malt, sweetness and hop bitterness. The Winter Bock is noticably smoother however, perhaps due to the higher gravity and residual extract. Either way it's a really tasty beer. I'm always looking forward to the Christmas beer season since all of the Swedish lager beer breweries come out with tasty dark lager beers which are mostly absent from their line ups for the rest of the year.

 

Ayinger Winter Bock and Celebrator are the same Beer right?.

 

Yeah, that is my understanding at least, since they have the same original gravity and abv.

 

I see your Winter Bock, and literally "raise" you an Ayinger Dunkel.

 

Anyone ever have Mahr's Christmas Bock? Thoughts? It's the only Mahr's beer we get here in Arizona, and after loving their Weizenbock that I tracked down at a random pub in Reading, England this summer (of all places), I'm eager to crack one open.

 

I think we need a full report!

It's funny because I'm starting to get a craving for bigger, darker Bock as the season approaches. I've always liked them at any time of year, but I seem to be wanting to hunt them down more this year.

 

Same here! "Cooler" weather has finally kicked in here in AZ (a brisk 67 degrees for the high today ), and I too find myself craving some good, dark bocks and other hearty brews.

 

As an addendum, I was fortunate to get a couple boxes o' beer full of Northeast hoppy brews from some good folks here on BA. And as much as I love working through these hop bombs, I do find myself -- in concert with bock weather and such -- ready to switch things up back to lagers. @steveh - which of the German Oktos do you think are holding on the best right now? Figure I may as well sneak a few more in, alongside some bocks, dunkles, etc.

 

Ugh -- I honestly couldn't say. I had a Spaten last weekend and an H-B. Both were still pretty tasty, but they seemed to be losing some character... but that could very well be my palate in full-on sprain!

True to my usual seasonal steps, I've saved a bottle or can of just about every Okto I picked up this year. I usually drink them off, little by little, by mid-February, but maybe I should do a huge side-by?

 

I like it -- going down in a blaze of glory!

 

Yeah... but my wife probably wouldn't!

(seriously, there's almost a case worth of single Oktos, between imports and American, in my garage)

 

Just a FYI... this blonde bock is to be released in the spring on 2016. Note - please do not start a RHG discussion.

 

Bergbock Hell is every bit as good as the Doppelbock Dunkel. Is the limited edition version any different than normal or is it just on draft for the first time? I've only had it and seen it in bottles.

 

Dunno. Maybe just calling it "limited edition" will make the tickers take note.

 

I'm guessing it's the same beer and that they're taking a page out of Paulaner/Hacker-Pschorr's playbook for the US market (just as Einhorn is alluding):

 

Ha. You know, I didn't even think about the fact that the ad was in English. That probably makes sense.

 

I want to "like" that... but then I don't!