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märzen

a possible preview

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Boy, time flies when you’re having fun with beer, and it’s the last Arriaca in my stash. Maybe the red IPA would have been nice to save for the end, something powerful to go out with a bang to, but I do have a soft spot for märzens. I like to have one at the end of most days to shove me off to sleep. Thus far, Arriaca has been strong in both drinkabiliy and style compliance, so we can expect nothing less from Tostada Märzen. Just letting the Spanish drinker know what they’re in for with that first part, I guess.

It’s as typical a märzen as you could find, with the reddish gold color, the slightly honeyed aroma, and the rough malty flavor. As similar as it appears to Voll Damm, it has a little more stability and body. It’s smooth and soft, very pleasant drinking, and would be a nice counterpoint to sour-savory kraut and wurst or the blandness of potatoes. I have Oktoberfest on my mind already, especially since I’ve already seen signs around town for it. Maybe it’s a little heavy for some, but märzen is supposed to carry the strength of a whole summer of lagering. Once again, Arriaca shows its talent and skill, producing a quality beer that’s a true representative of its style and its maker.

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

end of summer excursion

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It’s always nice to see a new arrival on the beer shelf, even if the brewery is already well known.  Even if the brewery is not exactly craft.  Or craft at all.  I like to have a Damm in the evening, although what I like is the märzen, and this is an IPA.  But it is new for me, a Mediterranean IPA, so I’m intrigued.  The can does not look too summery, although the mountains on the shore are green, so maybe there will be a warming feeling for the new cooler temperatures.  You never know what will come out of a Complot.  The story on the side tells of exploratory agriculture, trying to develop new hops and new farming opportunities near the coast; Complot is actually the name of the hops variety they developed to grow there.  While they insist the climate conditions are similar to those of the best hop growing regions in the world, I have the feeling that the Pacific Northwest and certain areas of Bohemia would be displeased at the comparison.

Rich orange, not exceptional head, and a sort of orange cream aroma. A little apple in there too. I think there’s a little citrus trying to get out in the taste, but it leans heavily towards apple/pear. It feels somewhat dusty at first, and like some body is trying to build, but it rapidly disappears after swallowing. It’s a very light feeling beer, and almost disappointingly subtle in flavor. There’s barely any bitterness at all and any hops are very subdued. I guess it has more flavor of its own than the typical Mahou, but there’s enough grainy sweetness that it wouldn’t quite be the perfect hot and spicy food accompaniment. If the food was very bland it could give a little interest to the meal. There are certainly light and subtle beers made from West Coast and Bohemian hops, but I’m just used to a little more oompf, and I miss it when it’s not there. I guess it’s something of a beach beer after all.

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