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German beer

under a cloud

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It’s an odd kind of day – warmer than you want for the time, but also not sunny at all. We’ll be having colder days next week, though, so I guess I just have to be patient. A nice German dunkel beer will brighten up the day. It’s one of those classic breweries too, Augustiner. Somehow I imagine Munich with the opposite weather…

Extra fluffy head, and dark caramel color, but still somewhat transparent. It’s not very aromatic, but there’s a whiff of grain and grass there. The taste is surprisingly dry, tilting towards bitter but with a good base of malt. It’s clean drinking, although there is a clearly bitter aftertaste. It’s a typical German dunkles, malty and ever so slightly sweet, but without any stickiness that some sweeter beers and lagers from other places can suffer from. It’s a year-rounder for me, with enough lightness to be palatable in summer but also enough body to make a stand against winter chills. Would I prefer a stout? Sure, I always feel some preference for stout, but it’s good to keep your experiences varied. It’s not usually regrettable, and this time is no exception.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €2.40

last whispers

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It’s not a black beer, but bocks do have the heavier feel to them that I generally like. This is not famous Spaten, but it is an authentic German bock, from Weiherer of Bavaria. Maybe I cold have picked out some red ale or fruited sour for the coming holiday, or saved that Mahou rosé, but sometimes it’s nice to rest on a standard. Like many classic things, there are reasons why some styles remain popular for decades and centuries. Weiherer itself is not a traditional, centuries old brewery, only having about 30 years under its belt, but it does make some big claims about its sustainability and care with the environment. Sadly, that’s not very traditional at all. But in the future, it may be that those attitudes will be the ones that survive. Here’s to trying, Weiherer!

Clear, golden brew, just a thin sliver of head, and not terribly aromatic. It has kind of a sour grass smell, not exactly what I expect from a bock. Flavorwise, though, it does line up. It’s not as heavy as Spaten bock, but it has a dark maltiness and a certain solidness of body. There’s a flicker of sourness, but it’s much more clearly bitter. It’s not quite a light summery beer, although it doesn’t go down the path of darkness either. It eases up on the bitter, growing some grainy sweetness, fitting right in with the typical bock character. I feel like it could go with some little treat, tart apple or mild cheese, but even on its own it feels nourishing.

Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €3.75

moths

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On the fourth day of Beermas I went and got for me
Four silent moths
Three frisky parrots
A bottle but not two cans
And more than half a liter of perry

I wavered between the four moths and something louder for calling birds, but the moths wouldn’t let me push them aside in the end. They’re fine, too, all four of them staring into the middle of the design. The silence is deafening I’m sure. It’s a helles bock from Naparbier, very reliable for good stuff, in collaboration with Mahrs Bräu. Getting an authentic German brewery to help on a German style beer may just be a selling point for Napar, which has produced excellent beers of almost all styles, as mentioned. Maybe Motte have some extra Teutonic touch.

The brightness of the beer contrasts with the shadowy glumness of the can, but is appropriate for the helles style. A nice cap of head comes up while pouring, although it dissolves quickly. The aroma is very subtle, but I can pick out some grain and fresh bread. The mouthfeel is oddly thick and heavy, there’s even a little whisper of licorice, so this is the bock experience coming out. It leaves hardly any aftertaste. In spite of the weight of the beer, it goes down very easily and cleanly. It has a depth of flavor I associate with bocks more than with helles, and in spite of the sunny appearance, I can feel a gravity around it that goes with the season. Fourth day down!

nicht zu spät

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Oh, the last beer of Oktoberfest, how quickly you come! I saved Spaten for last, which I might be thankful for, if it’s anything like their bock. Spaten is one of the oldest of the Munich breweries allowed to participate in Oktoberfest, with records from the end of the 14th century. The name comes from it’s 17th century owners and it has had a slow but steady growth over the years, to finally merge with Löwenbräu in the 1990s after a merger with Franziskaner earlier in the century. They are now under the wing of AB InBev, which certainly helps their availability, and at least with Spaten Bock still leaves a delightful beer.

It’s a much lighter straw color than the bock, on par with a couple of the other festbiers. Fluffy head and lively bubbles show the party is ready to start. I struggle to get much aroma out of it, I think there’s a little lemon in there but that might be the influence of the color, only after some focused sniffing does there seem to be a little bread hovering under the edge of the glass. The rounded maltiness of the bock must be at the forefront of my mind, since I can’t help but think of Spaten Oktoberfest as Bock Lite. It has a similar fresh grain taste right off, descending slowly into something more bitter and typically beery. It doesn’t have as much presence in the mouth as the bock, or even a couple of the other festbiers, but it makes its mark with the flavor. It’s strong and bright, oddly summery on a rainy weekend, and slips away cleanly with practically no aftertaste at all. It’s an especially bright sunset on a festival, and a big contrast to the coming months…when we will relish the darkness!

Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €2.50

third chance

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Paulaner might be the easiest German beer to find in Madrid, if not Franziskaner, but it’s not one of my favorites. There are quite a few I would choose over it, sorry wheat beer fans. I do like a Salvator, though. According to their website, Salvator was the first beer produced by the monks whose labor would become the Paulaner brewery, with the more famous wheat beer coming later, and Oktoberfest, well, with Oktoberfest. Paulaner sponsors one of Madrid’s Oktoberfest celebrations, usually in some kind of sporting venue, although I think it was in the patio of the newer Príncipe Pío building once. I’m at 50/50 with my enjoyment of Paulaner, so I guess this will be a tie-breaker.

Even a little lighter in color than Löwenbräu, but with a slightly meatier aroma. There’s a little bit of spice, kind of a caraway bun scent that greets my nostrils. The head is abundant at first, but fades down to an adequate but not excessive cover. I am reminded of Paulaner’s wheat beer at first – there’s a tingle of sweetness and a good, rounded feel, but the aftertaste maintains a fresh and meadowy flavor instead of the smoky sour that I remember from that wheat. Heavier than Löwenbräu, more in line with the others, it’s a beer you would get comfortable to drink, not only because you probably have a liter of it in a glass mug. I am not disappointed.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €2.25

cat’s meow

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To begin the second half, Löwenbräu! The brewery has a presence in bars where import beers are prevalent. I remember it being a more impressive experience than Paulaner or even Franziskaner, but I haven’t had the pleasure for quite some time. Also, the normal import beers aren’t the Oktoberfest beers, just the normal lagers.

Back to extra bubbly and pale gold, but this one has a vanishingly faint aroma. The taste is also light and delicate, with just a teasing amount of sweet breadiness. This is one of the lighter of the festbiers, flowing in and down without fuss. While the last three had a good amount of weight and you get the sense that they will nail you to your seat (not such a bad thing at Oktoberfest, actually), this is a beer you could stand up and walk around with. It’s also lower alcohol than previous beers, but still more than 6%, which is stronger than what you would be getting from your standard evening lager.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €2.25

first half

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Ah, Hofbräuhaus, I remember you! Long tables, loud tuba, feverish enjoyment everywhere. Apparently once banned to women, although because service was only for the seated nobody would get up even to pee. They peed, of course, but not in a contained location, and certainly not maintaining a friendly environment for long skirts. Now Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier can be found at any of their restaurants, they have something of a franchise, but I believe I was told that was their original beer hall, or least the oldest one in operation.

Well-headed and bubbly, but not quite as lively as its brethren. Bright gold and clear as day, and with a little tang to the aroma. The taste is much fuzzier than the other beers too, although not overly strong – there’s some pretty clear malt and a little clean grain, but the feel is heavy and oddly powdery for the appearance. A kind of sour lining comes out over the tongue after a while, which would leave your palate feeling cleansed if the feel wasn’t as heavy. The flavor is delicate and well-balanced, but the texture is definitely robust. This beer is a whole drink in itself, demanding and center stage, which is probably what a festbier should aspire to be. In comparison with Hacker-Pschorr’s märzen, I prefer the märzen, but that’s definitely my personal preferences coming out. If anybody made an Oktoberfest stout, that would be my favorite out of principle.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas
Price: €2.60

they can hack it

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Second week, second beer. In alphabetical order it’s Hacker-Pschorr, with its traditional top and traditional style. You do come across the swing top on other beers occasionally, but Hacker-Pschorr proudly has them on all its beer products. The story of the Märzen is told on the back of the bottle, just in case you need a little light reading while waiting for friends or food. Unlike Augustiner, it’s always been a secular business, although sometimes it was actually two businesses (hence the hyphen). We can expect something heavenly to come out of that bottle, though.

The pop from the traditional top is satisfying and the opening itself is easy. The beer is coppery and heady with a strangely lemony aroma, mixed with some honey. A repeated sniffing also reveals fresh bread. As expected, it’s a step above the tostadas you can find in any old bar around here, malty in taste and velvety in feel. Although predominantly sweet, there’s a floor of bitter holding everything up. Although fluffier than Augustiner’s festbier, it whisks itself down the throat more quickly with a cleaner feel. And yet, there is some aftertaste, quite pleasant and surprisingly creamy. Strangely, I feel like I might be tasting a ghostly amount of Nutella, or some other hazelnut flavored treat. Maybe the ghosts of those tonka beans have finally shown up.

Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €2.75

a+

  • por

So now it’s fest-time, and the beers are flowing into the stores and the streets. There are multiple Oktoberfests organized in Madrid, although no Beermad this year, but I don’t feel much like elbowing my way through crowds right now. No, I would prefer a quiet heimfest, and I can do that with all six Oktoberfest beers! Let’s start with Augustiner, it’s easy enough to go alphabetically. Founded by monks, of course, but a privately owned brewery since the 19th century, Augustiner graces the Theresenwiese with no mere tent, but a beer castle. Deserving of such a royal presentation?

I may have slightly overchilled, what with all the collecting bubbles, but the resulting head is nice and the beer is a very clear light gold. It’s not very aromatic, just hints of straw and something kind of peppery. The flavor is pure lager, a little sweet and grainy, maybe even a touch of honey. The bubbles are a little prickly, but the beer itself is smooth. It’s a little heavier than the color might suggest, leaving a bit of a coating behind as it goes down. Although it’s not the light and easy pilsner that took over almost every beer drinker’s glass a century and a half or so ago, this golden festbier shines a light on a celebration of beerkind.

Supplier: Be Hoppy
Price: €2.95

a fitting name

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What kind of hellhole is developing? One that’s a little less infernal than last year’s, but uncomfortable nevertheless. It’s a good excuse to drift into the light lane, remember the most important influence on beer history, and enjoy a good German beer. Schneider Weisse is always a name to keep in mind, although not in the same craft category as, say, Ratsherrn or Frau Gruber. The beer is quality, the respect for tradition as well as innovation is present, and damn if that’s not a fine looking bottle!

It certainly looks the part in terms of color and head. It’s slightly cloudy, so definitely weissbier more than regular lager. It has the typical aroma of light German beers, with the grain and grass wafting up like from a Bavarian meadow. I detect a hint of something more sour-citric, a nod to modernity perhaps? Or just the way this weissbier is supposed to be. It’s more bitter and bitier than the aroma would lead you to believe, with that clean kind of bitter you expect from German and Czech beers. There’s lemon zest hiding in the undertones, getting more noticeable as an aftertaste. As much as I love a good black beer, there are times when you have to bow to the mastery of summer friendly weisses.

Supplier: Labirratorium
Price: €2.25

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