Märican Biere Bought and Drunk...

Which ones?

By the way, I had Urban Chestnut's Winged Nut tonight. Worth a try, very interesting beer. Became quite cloying towards the end. A very odd but enjoyable beer. Not sure if I'll revisit it though.

 

Straub made a very good Vienna Lager that was part of their summer variety pack; I really enjoyed drinking those beers!

Cheers!

 

August Schell and Gordon-Biersch, off the top of my head.

Haven't seen that one. The Urban Chestnut beers seem to have been a flash-in-the-pan around here. Too many beers filling shelves, I guess.

 

Well, this sounds kinda interesting. Shiner Birthday Beer 107 - a hoppy pilsner, BUT at least they're hopping it up w/ Hallertauer and Saaz (not some crazy PNW hops). And, knowing Shiner, my guess is won't reach the huge hopping levels of some other craft breweries, as Shiner's base seems a little more "everyman" than beer nerd. I always had a soft spot for their Bohemian Black Lager. Might have to give this one a whirl when it comes out.

 

They made a "Czech" Pilsner a few years ago that was, true to Ami breweries, more German than Czech -- but pretty tasty. But they also made a Dortmunder, at one time, that was pretty near perfect to style. Looking forward to the Birthday Pils.

 

Today I went down to Urban Chestnut Brewing Company and tried their Hollermöffel, a smoked bock. Of course, I had to have Leberkäse with it.



It certainly wasn't Schlenkerla Ur-Bock but it was damn good. It may be the first time I've had an American made smoked bock. Not as rich and malty as Schlenkerla's but an assertive smoky flavor in a traditional bock base. My friend, who hadn't had smoked beer liked it too. Too bad I had to go back to work afterwards.

 

Leberkäse sandwich? Nice. But I don't know about the actual Käse on it... Probably tasty, though.

Also -- interesting to see no fries or other deep-fried side-order with this meal. Customer choice, or the way it was offered? Healthy choice either way.

 

Having a Sam Winter Lager right now -- marked as a Bock by BA, but I'm not sure what Boston Brewing calls it these days.

This used to be a go-to every winter, and it's tasting pretty good, but it's nothing near a true German beer -- let alone a true lager. There are fruit esters in the flavor that tend to trump a good lager character, and I also notice that Sam yeast character that seems to permeate their beers. Could be I'm picking up on it because I haven't had a Sam beer in a while (didn't even buy the Okto this year), but it's standing out to me.

 

That's the way it came. I imagine the Leberkäse came from a local German meat market. The texture is not quite right but it's pretty good and the best I can do around here.

 

Don't know how far you are from UC, but it's probably better than I can do around me! At least these days -- used to have 2 pretty good local German restaurants, but it's been too long since they closed shop.

 

I had one last weekend, tasted good to me as well, in the past few years it hasn't. But I agree, the depth of the malt profile isn't anything near what I would find in a true bock. Tastes far more "spiced winter ale" than German lager. I really dig the choices for their variety pack this year, and I'll likely purchase another, while I won't necessarily look forward to this one again, I won't bemoan "having" to drink it either.



If you pick up the variety pack, this one is more true to style, and was far more enjoyable. Always a seasonal favorite. Smooth and rich, with a roasted bitterness that is pleasurable and robust without being astringent. I like the head in this picture, as it highlights the smooth creamy mouthfeel in this porter. Having the Chocolate Bock while I type this, the chocolate notes aren't overdone and are welcome, but the depth of the malt character is lacking after the initial hit of chocolate fades.

 

It has been a number of years since I have had a Sam Adams Winter Lager. This beer seemed to vary from year to year for me; some years I liked it and others I didn’t.

It appears that this year’s version is a Spiced Lager:

“Bold and rich, with a touch of holiday spice, Samuel Adams Winter Lager is a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that accompany the season.”

“SPECIAL INGREDIENTS: Orange peel, ginger, cinnamon”

http://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/winter-lager

Cheers!

 

I tried one of these a couple of weeks ago, to see how it tasted these days. I used to love this bier years ago, perhaps ~15+ years ago.... I believe way back when it was called a Weizenbock.... but it's now termed a lager and not an ale. Even my review here from 2002 ( http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/101/?ba=Bierman9 ) bemoans some loss of body and character. The one I had recently wasn't bad, and I'd drink more if offered, but I won't seek it out if better offerings are available (and they usually are).

Prosit!

 

You're right about the melted cheese on top not being very fitting/authentic, but don't forget about the "Pizzaleberkäse" found all around Germany which contains chunks of cheese, bell pepper, onions and salami mixed into the mass. Definitely sticks to your ribs.

 

steveh, same thing here in Houston, where we do not, oddly, have a good german restaurant. However, when I need a leberkäse fix, I can buy this locally: http://siegis.com/store/deli-meats/fleischkase/

It's excellent, very authentic, recommended. These too: http://siegis.com/store/sausages/nurnberger-brand-bratwurst

 

Hasn't the abv slowly been decling as well? It's sitting at 5.6% this year, but I feel it used to be closer to 6% years ago. I've heard it actually to be 7%, maybe this is when it was labeled a Weizenbock?

 

Wish I had an ABV to share.... Oddly, I Googled Winter Lager and found this on a Sammy website:

"Samuel Adams - Winter Lager - Seasonal Craft Beers
https://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/winter-lager
Samuel Adams Winter Lager is our staple winter seasonal craft beer. First
brewed in 1997, a bold and rich lager with a touch of holiday spice."

Odd, since they say 1997. I have in my possession in front of me a Winter Lager bottle that says "1992 & 1993" on the neck label. It only refers to "special beers to celebrate the winter season" and "these richer, heartier beers"... Nothing about a style or added spices anywhere, and no ABV listed anywhere... Anyhow, I recall liking it a LOT more way back when....

Prosit!

 

Dave, I too enjoyed drinking Sam Adam Winter Lager 'back in the day'. I basically stopped drinking this beer about 5 or so years ago. Just not as enjoyable a beer in more contemporary times.

Cheers!

 

5.6 according to the bottle I had with dinner last night.

I don't know that the BBC ever considered it a Weizenbock. I think others did only because it had wheat in it.

 

You're probably right. I had an Old Fezziwig last night, I like having this around the same time as Winter Lager for comparison. Both have that prominent spices flavor (cinnamon, ginger, orange peel) that make me think "Winter Warmer" (whatever that means).

While the beers are similar, the wheat is also noticeable, but not as bold as the spices. But it's the wheat and the obvious fact one uses a lager yeast and the other an ale yeast that separates the two.

Typically the Old Fezziwig is miles ahead of Winter Lager for me, but I kind of dug the cleaner profile and subtle wheat notes I got with the Winter Lager this year. The Fezziwig seemed a bit muddled overall (but still enjoyable), and I still liked the flavors from the spices. When I do think Winter Warmer, I think some combination of spices, and both beers display this characteristic without it being overdone. I think I might pick up another mix pack just to try all the beers again, since I split this first 12 with a friend.