Hacker-Pschorr

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