Tasting Notes: Schneider and Sohn: Tap 2: Mein Kristall

Schneider and Sohn: Tap 2: Mein Kristall (Germany: Kristallweizen: 5.3% ABV)

Visual: Lager grained yellow. Huge crisp white head packed with bubbles. Lots of carbonation. Small but fast bubbles swim up the glass.

Nose: Very crisp lemon and wheat. Slight peppermint menthol. Orange rind. Ripe bananas.

Body: Slightly dry hop character. Menthol. Quite fizzy feel. Slightly minty. Some malt and some banana.

Finish: Peppermint. What and some bitterness. Mild amount of cloves. Banana.

Conclusion: While it is a tad unfair I do tend to look upon kristallweizen as a weaker example of its cousin the hefeweizen. This is unfair as they are aiming for completely different character despite their shared roots.

Speaking of different characters this thing has a bloody peppermint like taste. It is subtle but present throughout the entirety of the beer.  As a result the beer has a slightly menthol feel. Different? Most definitely. Appreciated? Well it probably would be if there was more to the main body to back it up.

The aroma does have a lovely sharp lemon but main body doesn’t really expand much past the slightly bitter wheat character. In this environment the mint seems out of place and slightly intrusive.

The menthol character does have potential, but it isn’t used well here. Give it the right backing and I think it would help make a supremely refreshing beer. Here it just is a wasted element.  The beer is close though, it hints at flavours that really needed more expanding. Banana hints, cloves in the finish. Just a bit more fleshing out and it would have been an entirely different ballgame.  Not even full hefeweizen style needed, just that touch more.

This close to working, but in the end does not quite reach it.

Background: Also called Schneider Weisse Kristall, because standardised naming is too helpful or something.  Schneider and Sohn are responsible for my favourite beer I have never got around to reviewing -  Aventinus (though I have reviewed the Eisbock version).  This beer is oddly hard to find in the UK. I don’t know why, all of their other beers are really easy to find, but not the Kristall Weisse. Finally found at Utobeer. Which was nice.  As mentioned in the review I tend to find Kristall Weisse a poor second to Hefe Weisse, but there are enough good examples of the style to counter this impression.

Tasting Notes: Weihenstephaner: Hefe weissbier

Weihenstephaner: Hefe weissbier (Germany: German Hefeweizen: 5.4% ABV)

Visual: Hazy lemon. Many small bubbles froth up. Massive slightly yellow white bubbled head that comes up into creamy froth.

Nose: Orange peel. Cloves. Coriander. Dry wheat. Lemon.

Body: Honey. Lemon sherbet. Light wheat and bitterness. Nutmeg. Lemon curd more than sherbet as the beer warms. Banana and cloves. Vanilla.

Finish: Honey and cream. Slightly oily sheen. Nutmeg again. Light ground peanuts. Bitterness and banana slices.

Conclusion: Frankly, for me, this is weissbier. I’ve had many of the style over the years but none have ever toppled this old favourite.

Despite the very obvious bubbles in the main body and obvious wheat influence of the style it feels smooth in texture. There’s also enough thickness to carry the fresh banana influenced flavour and matching honey sweetness .There’s a lightly spice aroma and body and the spice mid body keeps it refreshing rather than sickly sweet. It’s that balance that makes it easy to drink and delicious.

It’s a beer that catches you from the first glance. Like all the best weissbiers it looks great, especially in a weiss glass. The play of light through the hazy liquid at different thickness’ is always appreciated.

The beer keeps an understated hop bitterness that plays nice with the wheat, setting off the sweet flavours.  Thankfully the beer also avoids the flaw of a lot of similar beers in the style that make the carbonate too heavily and roughly. An element that makes them hard to taste over the texture. This looks bubbly as hell but feels smooth and lets the flavour flow.

I must admit this may seem less like a review and more like a joyous return to an old friend, but I would be lying if I claimed it was anything other than one of my favourite beers and easily best in the style for me.

As a summer refresher its great and very citrus styled. As a beer in itself it’s wonderful and flavoursome.  The fact it is so easy to pick up these days is a thing of joy.

Background: Hefe weissbier pretty much was the style that got me interested in beers. I was in my late teens and I’d heard a reference to this strange cloudy German beer and one day I saw it in a pub. So I ordered a glass.  Most of the rest of the nights drinking was based around questions from mates on this strange beer in an equally strange glass.   That started an interest in German beers that later branched into Belgium beers which branched into craft beers, which branched into the beer nut I am today. So you may say I have a  fondness for the style. Weihenstephaner is one I have tried many a time and never tasting noted, possibly because it is quite easy to get, so I always think I’ll review it the next time. I finally got off my arse after seeing a review of the dunkel over at “It’s just the booze dancing” which reminded me how much I love this beer, and that I really should share the joy.

Tasting Notes: Wurzburger Hofbrau: Julius Echter: Hefe Weissbier Hell

Wurzburger Hofbrau: Julius Echter: Hefe Weissbier Hell (Germany: German Hefeweizen:5.3% ABV)

Visual: Nicely cloudy honeyed lemon haze. Good inch of dense packed bubbles that are just off white.

Nose:  Wheat. Jiff lemon. Possibly a touch of cinnamon and coriander.  Fresh and slightly meringue like. Lemon curd as it heats.

Body: Lemon. Honey. Light crisp wheat. Light bitterness.  Touch of raw carrot. Ice cream floats.

Finish: Slick honey. A slightly warm syrup. Light bitter and a popcorn touch. Still lemon. Malt drinks. Touch of cloves.

Conclusion: It’s all in the texture for a weissbier. This is more evident when you are having the beer on tap than from a bottle. I’ve had the same beer, with just slight difference in the gas used for carbonation, and it ranged from a super smooth beer to fizzy piss.

Bottles, as mentioned, don’t have the same variety, but it’s just as important to get the carbonation and thus the texture right. This beer gets it right so damn well.

It’s very smooth, but with still that wheat grip. The main body has just enough flavour, the finish however soars.  Depending on the moment the remaining flavour after a sip could be distinct honey, lemon or a slight chocolate malt touch hanging around.

Now I’m not saying that the main body’s a slouch. With the smooth hell character and subtle carbonation it is refreshing yet thick and gives you a nice moment before the finish, which quite frankly, is where it is at.

Frankly an impressive beer. Unlike say the Mikkeller “Not Just Another Wit” (Which yes I know is a Belgium wit, but it does for the comparison I need here) it is not pushing the style to the extreme. That means however that it can be enjoyed as a casual drink as well as a one to savour.

I would consider this one of the mainstays of any good summer beer stable.

Background: I’ve been a big fan of the various weissbiers. They were the first slightly unusual beers I tried, and are a big part in starting me on the road to investigating the world of beer.  Wurzburger has been a damn solid brewery from Germany so far.  I always like a chance to break out the weiss glasses as they always seem to make the beers in them look so amazing with how they interact with the light.

Tasting Notes: Hofbrau Muchen: Oktoberfest

Hofbrau Muchen: Oktoberfest (Germany: Oktoberfest Marzen: 6.3 % ABV)

Visual: Clear light yellow, heavily carbonated which gives it an inch plus of frothy bubbled white ahead. There is actually audible crackling as it settles.

Nose: Dry malt. Zesty fresh. Lemon rind and coriander.

Body:  Lots of malt. Slight cinnamon sweet. Strawberry. Moderate nuttiness and hop oils.  Very smooth. Sugar lace. Touch of sweet orange and peach.

Finish: Dry and crisp. Malt. Slight bitter hops and pistachios.

Conclusion: I love the idea of going to Oktoberfest. The whole shindig looks like massive fun, but I have been wary about Oktoberfest beers sometimes.  The first few examples I ran into were not overly noteworthy.

This is however quite pleasant. Looks far too fizzy, but feels smooth on the tongue.  There are a few nice touches that grace the very malt heavy body. The finish comes in a touch too dry and musty for my liking though, it feels slightly like a kolsch finish on a beer that is more easy going.

So, reasonable taste, a very well done texture, overall it is good if not inspiring. So, I’ve still yet to find a great Oktoberfest beer. Guess the hunt continues.

Background: Well Oktoberfest ended a while back now. I intended to drink this to mark the ending of the festival but I period of being ill put paid to that plan. Ah well.  I’ve tried a few Oktoberfest beers, and none have been amazingly great yet. This is one of Michael Jackson’s 500 great beers so I thought it would be a good point to give it another try.

Tasting Notes: Kulmbacher: Monchshof Schwarzbier

Kulmbacher: Monchshof Schwarzbier  (Germany: Schwarzbier: 4.9% ABV)

Visual: A dark mahogany red with an inch of bubbled beige froth that leaves bubbled trails.

Nose: Lightly dusty with some crushed peanuts when cool, an odd amount of coffee cup remains as well. Warms nicely to light cinnamon and lovely frothy chocolate.

Body: Dry malt and some liquorice touches. Slight sour black cherry. Malted drinks. Very smooth texture.

Finish:  Dry dusty chocolate. Brown bread. Slightly bitter.

Conclusion: You have to hand it to Germany; they know how to make good beer. Now these days it seems trendy to give them grief for being heavy on the lager styles and big on large scale brewing, but I cannot say they don’t do it damn well.

I’d slightly over chilled this beer at first, which kinda killed it’s aroma, but as it warmed the dusty peanut style got traded it for a delicious frothy chocolate, and the smooth body got a nice extra punch of flavour at the same time.
When you get it to that point the aroma is like sticking your head over a chocolate fondue, and whilst the body isn’t as thick as that imagery it still gives decent grip to the flavours.

The range of flavours is quiet small, balanced well but not wide ranging.  Makes for a solid beer with what it does though. Rich chocolate and dry malt bitterness that rides to the end.  Add in that slight sour touch mid body and its got a bit of fun to it.

Nothing in this beer pushes it to the exceptional range, but a definite chunk above average.  Great aroma, good body. I’m impressed.

Background: I noticed we are back on Oktoberfest time again, in fact have been for about a week at this point. So a perfect time to catch up on Germany’s beers! I’ve been slacking on this country for a while which is a great pity.  Drunk whilst listening to Paradise Lost: Hallowed Land.

Tasting Notes: Boltens: Ur-Alt

Boltens: Ur-Alt (Germany: Altbier: 4.9% ABV)

Visual: Darkened brown, laced with ruby and amber shimmers. Massive bubbled murky coloured head. Quite carbonated and cloudy.

Nose: Musty malt, yeasty and black cherry.

Body: Raisins. Pepper. Wheaty and bitter. Very dry flavours. Malty with some syrup, Glacier cherries and dried fruit. Hint of black liquorice.

Finish: Peppery. Gritty and bitter. Flour feel. Dry hops and hop oils mix.

Conclusion: I’m always a tad wary going back to beers from my past. I have fond memories of this one, and I guess its time to see how memories hold up to reality.

It’s simpler than I remember, a very primitive rough and ready beer, all dry hops and rough edges.  Despite that it is quite easy to drink, just doesn’t seem as special anymore. It’s got its decent run though, good bitter kick, and nice fruitiness, even if it is predominately raisins.  Since I tried it first on tap I wonder if it was so much better that way, or if again it is the tricks of memory, or as the saying goes, if nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.

This all is a bit too harsh, I’m criticising it basically for not living up to my mental image of it rather than looking at the beer it actually is. It is rough and ready but the flavours hardly lacking.  So, for old time’s sake, and for what it actually is, I cannot complain about a glass of it, and it happens to come with some happy memories as well.

Background: First drunk on tap in Germany many years ago, during my early beer enthusiast days, to warm reception.  After a bit I decided on the Aventinus glass for hosting it, maybe not the best choice, but close enough that I don’t care, the glass is a too fun one to keep locked away without being used.  The photo is a tad worse than usual, had to drop back to my camera phone to take it after the batteries ran unexpectedly dry on the main camera. This caused me to miss taking a photo of the huge initial head it had.  Oh and Ur is an excellent prefix that does not get used often enough in my opinion.

Tasting Notes: Kuppers: Kolsch

Kuppers: Kolsch (Germany: Kolsch: 4.8% ABV)

Visual: Pale yellowed gold with a small white bubbled head and quite light carbonation.

Nose: Quite dry and crisp. Lightly syrup sweet. Popcorn and light lemon curd.

Body: Fizzy. Malty core. Wholemeal crackers. Bread. Slight hop tingle. Light custard and lime. Slight mint.

Finish: Solid malt. Slick but gripping texture. Quite bitter. Light toffee and slight mint.

Conclusion:  Hard to call it on this one, easy drinking, definitely more bitter than I would normally attribute. Oft not so much flavours as textures and bitter sweet ranges which you grip onto.

Drunk as an easy going beer to wind down to, and as that it did the job, with the bitter contrast to the slick body doing well at giving the impression of greater complexity than I have described.

It’s not shiny, but that’s not to criticise too much, as its sweet touches, well measured hops and crisp taste are carefully balanced. It’s not an “interesting” beer unless you count how the Kolsch style itself often acts contrary to your expectations. It is however easily drinkable, balanced and refreshing.

Background: Kolsch is surprisingly a top fermented style, though lagered afterwards.  The difference between the expected lager look and the hops and bitterness it often brings means it’s a style that oft confuses my expectations.   In this way it reminds me of a lot of the Germany styles which bring a lot of range into their lighter beers.   In recent years I have drunk less of the German Beers, but the German styles were an important part of my early experimentation with beer and it’s always good to revisit them.

Tasting Notes: Jever Pilsner

Jever Pilsner(Germany: Pilsner: 4.9% ABV)

Visual: Pale, almost grain hued with a large frothy bubbled head.

Nose: Cooked chicken, light wheat and slightly dusty.

Body: Smooth and malty, sweet. Fresh feeling, Very clear malt backbone and golden syrup.

Finish: Malt dominates, slight wheat, golden syrup and a touch of artificial lemon flavour. Dry and light bitterness with slight peppery accentuation mix in as it rounds out.

Conclusion: A smooth malt dominated pilsner, the kind Germany always does well. Not amazingly exciting, but the dry and just slightly peppery finish gives it that touch of style.

Its smooth and malt flavour puts it significantly above the mainstream crap that passes for lagers, but lets face it, that’s a weak complement and I can give it better than that.  It’s a pilsner with back to make it stay the course. A beer that lives to end, and bring in its graceful dry and slightly hopped finish.

Tasting Notes: Zirndorfer Landbier

Zirndorfer Landbier (Germany:Landbier: 5% ABV)

Visual: Banana toffee mix of colour with a reasonably small bubbly white head and a decent run of carbonation.

Nose: Cold cellars and banana syrup, Sweet and wheat filled. Ripe bananas as well. Quite syrupy.

Body: A nice note of hops at the front, more than expected, then sweet caramel, grapefruit and toffee.

Finish: Lots of malt, dry dust and a smooth finish. Some reasonable bitterness balanced out by more banana.

Conclusion: After finding their kellerbier reasonable, but not exceptional I have to say this one caught me by surprise.

Smooth, sweet with a little hop kick that is far from excessive and lovely syrupy banana taste. This is a refreshing beer and would make a brilliant replacement fro the usual summer lager. It’s light, sweet and crisp – very nice. It’s got the carbonation just right as well, the step so many lighter beers forget. Thank goodness some beers still know how to rein the bubbles in, and make a damn decent beer because of it

Tasting Notes: Radeberger Pilsner

Radeberger Pilsner (Germany: Pilsner: 4.8% ABV)

Visual: Pale as can be, large lacy bubbled head and carbonation bubbles that seem to roam the glass in a double helix formation.

Nose: Slightly sour, grain and cooked chicken. Mash tuns.

Body: Slight sugar dustings, still some sour, distinct hop character. Turned earth and moderate dry malt. Surprisingly smooth considering the carbonation. Pineapple. Works better with some head still on the pint. Light syrup.

Finish: Dry wheat flakes, bitter hoppiness – higher than expected in a lager – Indeed a decent hop finish. Sour pineapples and orange.

Conclusion: Quite a hoppy wee pilsner, which threw me for a while. Sour dough mash and other elements make an unexpected appearance in the flavours. Distinctly different for the style.

So does it work? Not overly to my eyes. The beer is smooth and it is not unpleasant, but the distinctive elements just don’t work for me.

As an unusual take on the style, I do respect what they are doing with it, and I hope that it turns out to be to someone style, but it’s not mine.