Lager as an extreme beer?

Which was followed by another lager that took it's place as "the strongest beer in the world" :
Hürlimann's Samichlaus.

 

Founders Dissenter was pretty extreme, as I recall. So is DESTIHL Bela.

 

I can remember the EKU, Kulmbacher Eisbock, and Samichlaus being the "whales" all the kids wanted back in the 80s. Have you had Samichlaus lately? Been a long time for me.

 

I bought a couple of vintages of "new" (well, it was at the time ) Eggenberg-brewed Samichlaus for the cellar (2000 - probably a case - and 2002, according to my records) - and probably tried one or two, but typically I dip further back into my mid-1990s Hürlimann stash in the winter, as I watch* help my wife decorate the tree...

* Repeat joke, but it's a good one 'cause it's true. ​

 

Because, like the guy who brews for Jack's Abby you'd want a business that looks like this one with with lots of happy campers who are discovering the full range of flavor experiences certain types of beers have to offer (even if only just to show it could be done)?

 

Nice post and thanks. The parallels between wine in the mid 90s to beer now are striking. Wine geeks with disposable cash glommed all over big, jucy, high alcohol zins, cabs, syrahs and would relentlessly stain their teeth purple in the quest to accumulate Robert Parker's 95 points + scored big red wines. The sheer power of these wines would blunt any ability to really taste them. They were well made, good wines, mostly from California, and made many consumers expect to have their senses assaulted. I always have taken respite with Bordeaux reds quite like I have with German Lager.

 

I'd agree that most new breweries will think they have to hit the markeplace running with an IPA in their intial line up, but one example of how it could be done without an IPA might be Orpheus Brewing in Atlanta where they opened and became successful early on with flagship beers that did not include an IPA.

Their first IPA was added to the line up later as they were growing based on their initial acceptance and success. Pretty interesting that they did that. But then they may be the counter example that proves your point about the importance of an IPA to the starting line up these days. (Not being from Atlanta, I'm still trying to figure out if Orpheus had a method to their madness or just got lucky. :-))

 

Have to honestly say I love Jack Abby beers, everyone I've had has been great. I still like traditional lagers too, as well as a nice spicy Chez Pils. Actually I'm drinking more of these lately as I move away from most IPAs. I still enjoy a great IPA don't get me wrong, but outside of Pernicious, Scythe, Hop on Top from Lynnwood there isn't another local IPA I'd spend my money on. All the big Dipas I love are always welcome, but they have to be traded for. Extreme isn't always better.

 

This may be more a function of widely available, well-brewed, Helles. How many are actually on the shelves, then how many are fresh, and THEN how many of those are well-made?

Finding a fresh, well-made Helles among a sea of IPAs is like trying to find Waldo (which coincidentally is an IPA).

Our local Jack's Abby brews all lagers (both extreme and subtle), and they are second in MA in terms of volume of beer brewed within the state, next to Harpoon. Notch is also a big seller (one of the best at my local liquor store) and their flagship is a 4% Czech lager (among other lagers they produce).

Allagash is another huge brewer in the Northeast, proudcing nearly all Belgian ales. Another poster here mentioned Von Trapp, who is expanding from 2K barrels per year to 50K.

Are they the norm? No. But if I'm starting a brewery, why would I want to compete with all the other IPAs in the market, when I can attempt to buck the trend with high quality beers in other styles?

I'm not sure I've drank it before this, but this past year I had a sample of an aged Samiclaus (maybe 10 years old?) at one of my local liquor stores. It was incredible. I keep meaning to go back and buy one, I believe they have multiple just sitting on the shelves (along with aged Thomas Hardy and Celebration).

 

I've never had a French Pils before.

 

Lol, I'm sure there's one being brewed.

 

I need to get back to Chez Pils, the staff and view were sublime.

 

It's "Chez IPA" now. New owners.

 

Your dreams have come true! (Not all that great, by the way)



Cheers!

 

Or my nightmares? I like how the label says, "french Pils...Product of the USA".

 

The irony (is irony the correct word here?) is that this beer is a Saison, not a Pilsner.

Cheers!

 

No argument there, you are absolutely correct. Most craft brewers do concentrate on ales since that's clearly what most craft beer drinkers seem to want and seem to be conditioned to expect...which is a good thing for the brewers since good ale is most definitely easier to brew than good lager, and ale is usually ready to go out the door for sale in less time.
Like you, I enjoy lagers every bit as much as I enjoy ales, and it's nice to see some craft brewers taking a stab at lager. As much as I despise most of the beer made and served in brewpubs nowadays, it's worth noting that some of my favorite craft beers of all time were stellar lagers that were made and served at two long defunct brewpubs, in the heart of New York City: ZIp City and the very short lived (less than 10 months) New Amsterdam Brewing. Zip City's brews were particularly great, and authentically German tasting. Zip City was simply a victim of the costs of doing business in Manhattan, while New Amsterdam had the misfortune of being ahead of it's time (which can actually be worse than being behind the times), coupled with it's location in what at the time was a very seedy section of the city on 10th Avenue (which in the intervening 20 years has gentrified and would ironically now be an ideal location )

 

Yeah, I thought that was funny too, but marketing is key ( I guess ...). Whatever you wanna call it, it's my least favorite offering from Tahoe Mt. Cheers!

 

What you advocate is 180 degrees from the 'craft' world's origins, which is to make what you enjoy and hope to get enough likeminded customers to settle into a niche. And the instinct to follow the herd is the root of where everything going wrong today.

 

But AALs are what constitutes 180 degrees from 'craft'.

Cheers!