2019 Advent Calendar – Beers from Week 1
Note: This is a post summing up our thoughts on the first 6 beers from the 2019 Brewer’s advent Calendar. The following beers will be posted in a series and linked in that post. Feel free to visit it if you want to see all of the reviews. The review of the second set of beers is available here.
I really didn’t know what to expect when I had that first beer, part of me was worried that my advent calendar had spent long periods in time sitting in hot warehouses, or that the beers had to be brewed so far in advance that they were stale and not very good at all.
Thankfully, that didn’t appear to have happened here. Read more below.
Beer: Käuzle Helles Lager
Brewery: Kauzen-Bräu
Style: Helles
Helles is one style that I’m going to have to try more of. After my first sip, I ran to the box to see how many more Helles beers there are going to be, and the answer was 5 more, which I’m really glad about, because this Helles was terrific.
Soft malty bread and grain dominated the flavor, but it was a moderate flavor, not overpowering at all. The beer itself is very balanced, landing slightly on the bitter side of the divider. When I went in for the first sip, it had a bit of a sulfur aroma, and then a slight bit in the taste, but that disappeared before the follow on sip.
Beer: Hallertauer Craftbier Blau Weisse
Brewery: Hohenthanner Schlossbrauerei
Style: Hefeweizen – 5.6% ABV
Very nice hefeweizen, slight banana initially in the nose, but that disappeared quickly. Light clove flavor throughout. Mouthfeel is full and smooth. I’ve heard that the hefeweizen we brew over here is a bit of a banana bomb, and if this is an example of how Germans brew it, then I can see why people say that.
Many people aren’t fans of the banana esters in hefeweizen, but I really enjoy them. All in all though, this was a fine hefeweizen.
Beer: Schnaitl Bräu
Brewery: Privatbrauerei Schnaitl
Style: Festbier – 5.9% ABV
This was another winner in my book. A very pleasant grain flavor in the aroma, and it carried right through to the flavor. What I am coming to believe is Noble hops come in near the finish to bring a rounded flavor. Really nice mouthfeel, slightly bitter in balance. Finish is clean.
Beer: Gold
Brewery: Memminger Brauerei
Style: Märzen – 5.1% ABV
When I poured my glass of this, I was really shocked. I was expecting an Oktoberfest, and clearly this is more of what I would consider a festbier. At least in my simple understanding of it. Very light, brilliantly clear, lives up to it’s “Gold” name. Light grain flavor, and just delicious.
Beer: Kress Bayrisch Zwickel
Brewery: Privatbrauerei H. Egerer
Style: Zwickelbier – 5.45% ABV
I can safely say that this is the first Zwickelbier I’ve ever had. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. From the family of kellerbier, it was new to me. I think I picked up some corn flavor to it, but I can’t say anything really stood out to me. Maybe when I’m a bit more familiar with the style I’ll be able to make note of some of the characteristics.
[Jesse] This one was remarkable to me because the hops provided a little bitterness to this beer that the previous beers didn’t have. Overall, I thought it was not bad.
Beer: Erlkönig Hell
Brewery: Landbrauerei Ludwig Erl
Style: Helles – 5% ABV
Helles #2 in the box was a delight as well. Lovely head, tasty light grain flavor, and a light noble hop flavor coming in near the middle of the taste. Again, this one lands on the bitter side of the balance scale, but not overly so. Brilliantly clear.
The theme I’m getting in these beers is the grain flavor that shines thorough in all of them, with the exception of the zwickelbier. Obviously examples of styles that are meant to be drank in liters, none of them had any dominating flavor that would tire you out. They were really very tasty, and refreshing one and all. I could absolutely see where they would be a daily drinker that you would have after work.
[Jesse] First of all, I agree with Mikes assessment of all of the beers.
I have to say, if there is one thing that I’ve come to realize this past week is my complete ignorance of German beer styles. Helles? What is that? Oh, it’s a German Pilsner (Why didn’t they just say that..?) And, don’t get me started on Zwicklebier. I have to say, both the Helles beers we had this week were probably my favorite of the batch. And this from a self-described “not a pilsner” guy.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I have to admit that I am slightly disappointed that there isn’t more of a variety of beers so far. It may just be my in sophisticated palate, but there is very little difference in taste between all of the beer so far. I’ve enjoyed them all, but so far, they’re all “grainy, light and smooth with mild hop flavor”. They only real variance so far is clarity. But, I’ll happily keep drinking them up. As I said, they’re all quite good. Who knows, maybe my palate will improve?
