Paulaner Salvator, what has happened?

Not sure about the murkiness but Salvator has always been lighter in color for a doppel.

 

Not sure how long ago it started, but Salvator has been lighter than most other Doppels for a long time.

To the murkiness, I'm guessing they poured the wrong beer. Even the end of a keg of Salvator shouldn't have sediment.

 

How could you tell the color in the store through a bottle?

 

Probably not color, but definitely opacity. Hold up a bottle of Guinness Extra to the light -- pretty opaque. Spaten Optimator, too... but I don't suggest that practice with the green bottle.

 

I haven’t seen a sixer of this beer in QUITE some time

 

Get it all the time here in the Midwest.

 

I think that you got the wrong beer. The Salvators that came in the Paulaner Best of Munich pack I bought at Costco taste and look the same as those that I've had in Germany.

 

I've had Salvator on draft and in bottles this month.

It's the same world class beer.

 

Yep had Salvator on draft earlier this month and it was phenomenal.

 

I think the pour you received in that NM bar could make the top ten list over in the brewery/beer bar red flag forum !

 

I had a 6pk recently and still have one bottle left, and for some reason when I open them a couple have overflowed with foam quickly and when I pour into a glass the head quickly dissipated with no foam left. I have only had Salvator once before so can’t compare but I assumed the bottles might’ve been old or slightly infected. The taste was malty and toasted with a slight roasty character, mild fruity esters, not sour or anything like that. My bottles say best before 09.23 with L26925 T on it for any reference. There may be a tiny bit of haze but nothing murky or substantial in my bottles.

 

Reporting back. OP may be onto something.

Had a Salvator on draft last night. From the same place I always get it, and the same place I referenced above as it being fine. Keg was also empty last time I was there so I know it was a relatively fresh batch. This one was last night was definitely off. Murky to the point of being opaque and not nearly the typical wonderful and complex malt profile. Even my non beer drinking wife who always likes to taste my beers thought it was completely different than the last (and every other time) I’ve had Salvator on draft there.

So N= 2 now, still a small sample but I highly suspect that OP was right and that some bad kegs hit the states .

Here’s a photo:


Clearly this looks different than any other Salvator I’ve had, and I am near certain this wasn’t the case of “pouring the wrong beer” as I know the establishment well and also knew everything else they had on draft that day.

 

Any Weizen-type yeast notes in that beer? Sure looks like some of the import Dunkelweizen I've had. Very odd goings-on.

 

In general, European keg beer is pasteurized and has been through hell and back. Not all. But most.

Brewed in Bavaria and kegged.
Warehoused until sent to receiver.
Warehoused until sent to port.
Sits at dock until set sail.
Docks in Amsterdam? Then Port Elizabeth? On to Baltimore?
Sits in Baltimore port until customs clears.
Warehoused until picked up by importer.
Warehoused until picked up by distributor.
Shipped to from easy coast distributor to local distributor.
Warehoused until a bar orders the keg.

Enjoy your fresh Euro imported beer. You paid a premium for it.

Bottles and cans are typically, but not always, in better shape.
Cheers.

Edit,
After all that, all it takes is one dim server screwing with the regulator.

 

No Wiezen type yeast notes. It kinda tasted like a poorly done and then poorly aged and well past its prime American barleywine. Subtle caramel malty notes and a mild generic bitterness with an overall relatively muted flavor profile.

 

Any oxidation? Like a taste of how wet cardboard smells?

I wonder if the importer or distributor is hanging on to out-of-date kegs?

 

I’ve had some bottled Salvator in the past week and it’s been just as good as I’ve remembered

 

I am well versed in experiencing oxidation based off of having a tendency to cellar beers for a long time which doesn’t always work out well. I got none of the cardboard notes, I did get a bit of the metallic type bitterness that often accompanies the cardboard when I have beers that are oxidized. But it was subtle, nothing to the degree of a drain pour like I usually do when I hve oxidized beers so hard to say if that was it or not (i suspect not due to the lack of the cardboard like characters).

 

I picked up a 6pk of Salvator because they were out of Optimator and Celebrator. I was disappointed at how light it was in color and to some degree the body. I was not bad but I was not impressed.