Bayernbiere Bought and Drunk

Are their Export Beers still in green bottles ?

Are their Oktoberfest & Ur Märzen still sold in the US ?

 

Yes.

The Oktoberfest (Wiesn) was never sold here (maybe some draft at bars), but the Märzen is still available -- year-round in some areas.

 

I know you're a huge fan of the amber from Spaten, have you had the pale Oktoberfest served at the tents?

If so, which do you prefer?

 

It's been too long since I had Spaten's Wiesn, so it would be unfair to pick one over the other.

However, I can tell you the story of finding the Amber on tap after drinking the Wiesn at the fest for a few days -- it was a nice change.

 

Go on...

 

No, really.

Oh, you mean "Go on with the story..." Really not much else to tell. My friend and I were surprised when they plunked down the Amber in front of us, and now we were happy that we got "rained out" of the Fest (when it's raining hard, everyone runs to the tents and they become so crowded that they stop all new entry).

As said, it was a while ago and before I was taking notes (and no smart phones with cameras).

Place was called Zirbel Stube and was right across from the HBH on Arnulfstraße. I see it's now a fancy joint called Peter & Wolf and is an HB house. Times change.

 

Just had this years Spaten O yesterday.




Really heavily Malt-forward with Honey and spicy Hops.
Pretty much no fruitiness or Herbal notes unlike the other Wiesn Beers of the Big 6.

I liked it though, but HB wins the Oktoberfest competition again for me.

 

What sort of fruit character are you getting from the Wiesn beers. A bit of an odd flavor for a cold-lagered beer.

 

I attended my local micropub’s Oktoberfest over the weekend and enjoyed some great beer. Ayinger Marzen was incredible however it doesn’t half make you fart!!!

 

Opening the very last can of Löwenbräu under the Höfbräu obliviouness, with Weihenstephan a close third.
Ex aequo L/H

 

couple of stunners came round my house this weekend

 

Do they taste like two different beers? The Festmärzen I would imagine would be the same as the US Oktober Festmärzen at 5.8% abv, while the Kirtabier is 13.8%, 5.8% abv.

 

honestly i loved the festmaerzen and then felt that the kirtabier was the same beer but unfiltered and maybe younger when it was bottled

 

I usually get some Citrus in most Pale Lagers incl. most Wiesn Beers.

 

I usually only taste a touch of lemon in Pilsners (of all kinds) from the boost in certain hops. A light lager along the lines of a Helles or Festbier or Maibock never seems to hit me with any citrus or other fruit -- depending on who's brewing it, of course. Some Ami-brewed takes on the style can get weird.

 

Random question - what's the status of pilsner in Munich right now? I know that's helles country, but I remember 5 of the 6 large brands in town brewing a pils not too long ago.
On my last trip I barely saw any and the websites for Spaten, Lowenbrau, and Paulaner no longer mention those offerings overtly. Do they still exist...and does anyone care? Just one of those questions I had when someone asked me the other day.

 

That would be such a huge evolution in my mind. Pilsner (Paulaner?) was the first beer I ever drank in Munich -- and thereby my first beer in Germany. It was still readily available in the subsequent years I made the trip to the old country.

 

It was the exact opposite for me. I had some background on Munich's beer preferences prior to my first trip, so I immediately flocked to helles, dunkel, and weiss. Not like I saw much in the way of pils anyway. I don't think I had a Munich area pils until I'd been there 2-3 times. That was only at the request of a friend who suggested I give Augustiner's a shot. It actually took 3 stops to find a hall that carried it. That one's still around. I think the only other one I've had (while actually in town) is the H-P Braumeister Pils. It's definitely still alive and kicking, too.

 

Great random post! I'm surprised that the H-P is still around (There's nothing on their website about it either)--I had it the last time I was in Munich,which was about a decade ago now.

I remember Paulaner's pils being quite good.

I think it's interesting that both of the small, but well-known in the US, breweries around Munich (Ayinger and Weihenstephaner) both package and export a pils.

Edit: I also thought it was a bit odd that Spaten Pils was briefly available here in the US and seemed to disappear as fast as it showed up--and only in certain spots.

 

What's your history timeline with the Spaten Pils? I ask because I was seeing (and drinking) it a lot back in the late '90s and early 2000s -- mostly six-packs and .5 Liter bottles.

I reference that time because I was getting Dinkelacker Pils at very good prices then and when I learned Spaten was brewing it for DA export I tried the Spaten and DA Pilsners side-by-side to see if they were the same -- they actually weren't.

DA Pils was more robust and hoppy, Spaten's was lighter and smoother (also lighter than their Helles) -- I actually liked the DA better.