Paulaner - Oktoberfest Wiesn

Wow, I'm beat.  This morning I ran a 5k race for the first time ever and holy crap was it harder than I expected.  I started out running with one of my buddies, trying to keep pace.  After about a mile I threw in the white towel and said "Yup, can't go as fast as you".  I finished, while only taking a brief break for about 10 seconds to ensure two things: One, not vomit everywhere (note to self - don't eat Cheerios before a 5k), and Two, ensure that I could continue to breathe.  I finished my first 5k in about 28 minutes which I thought was pretty darn good.  Of course, after any significant personal accomplishment one achieves, I celebrated with beer!!!

The men on the front of this can are a
 future representation of me in 20 years.
 Clothing included.

Paulaner releases an Oktoberfest-themed mug + beer package this year.  They provided us with a 1 liter Oktoberfest-style mug and a 1 liter can of Oktoberfest Wiesn.  Paulaner's Oktoberfest Wiesn, while not an original Oktoberfest Marzen, has been produced for a number of years.  In fact, it's been around since the start of the Oktoberfest festival in 1810!  The whole reason us Americans are able to enjoy this specialty beer is because Paulaner was kind enough to release it to the States for its 200th anniversary.

This mug is absolutely huge.  When compared next to a 12 can the Paulaner brew looks like an offensive lineman next to a high school freshman high jumper.  While I don't wish all beers came in this size of a can, there are certainly many delicious brews I can think of that I would love to have the opportunity to buy a six pack of liter cans.

Monks Blood is a 12 ounce can.  Need I say more?

The color is brilliantly clear and colored of straw.  Aromas are pleasantly floral with a bit of a malty backbone.  Very nice.  The taste is amazingly clean with hints of hop bitterness and malty sweetness throughout.  Every flavor is balanced and easy to pick out.  A nice body with mild carbonation brings this simple, yet flavorful beauty home.  Absolutely delicious.  I'd drink this every day.

Its... glorious!!!

Overall - I think its clear that I am infatuated with this beer.  I wish I had this on tap all the time.  Its hoppy, but not overly hoppy.  Its malty, but not extremely sweet.  The entire product is clean and extremely enjoyable. If you are not an owner of a 1 liter Oktoberfest-style mug then this is where you should get it.  The mug is awesome, but the beer is even better.  Grab this limited release package while you still can!


Update! - Apparently my wife thinks I look like this picture...

Just because I have a big nose doesn't mean you need to hate! :-D

Paulaner - Salvator Doppel Bock

Tonight I'll be breaking out a brew from Paulaner in Germany.  This brewery has been around for centuries, with records of beer being brewed all the way back in 1634.  This particular beer, Salvator, was the first beer to be documented from Paulaner after it gained some local fame.  The Monks of the order of St. Frances of Paola that created this concoction for sustenance, because they were strict vegans and forbidden from any food from animals aka meat.  They called it "Saint Father Beer", or Salvator. 

At 7.9%ABV, this is the strongest beer brewed by Paulaner - brewed using Munich malt and other ingredients in a recipe that's been unchanged for 375 years.  The bottle states this is best before 1/11 - oops!  Completely forgot to check that before I picked it out....+1 dumbass points for me.  Hopefully that won't take away from the experience.

The beer is a deep, almost chocolate hazy amber color with a light cream layer of foam.  The aroma is heavily malty, with some raisins, caramel, and a faint sugary booze scent.  The flavor starts off with toffee-nuts and plum-raisins.  Creamy caramel is next up, with some prickly carbonation tossing it around a bit.  The second half brings on a kind of metallic, dry, herbal taste that lingers for quite a while.  The alcohol is noticeable throughout, and not in a good way.

Overall Rating:  I was a bit disappointed by this Doppelbock.  There were enough off-flavors in there to distract from the good stuff.  Keep in mind, I'm drinking this 5 months past the best-by date, so it's not a fresh example.  I'll be giving the Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock a try next, and we'll see who wins the Doppelbock-ator wars!

German Beer Tasting at the History Theater

Today certainly is a winter weather day. We are expected to get around 12-16 inches of snow with 2-5 foot snow drifts! Shoveling my way out of the front door is not going to be a good time. Although, a fire and a few beers will definitely be in order which I cant complain about. Good thing this is all hitting today since last night was The Christmas Schooner play and our German beer tasting. The play was great. Lots of excellent singers and very impressive young actors. The family in the play is of German decent which made for some pretty funny, dry humor. If you are in the area and haven't seen or heard about it you can find more information about it here. Go check it out! One of my wifes students is actually the lead kid in the play!

But, you aren't reading this blog to hear about a musical... you want to know about the beer! Or at least that is our assumption... Prior to the play Dunz and I had the opportunity to taste six beers of German origin. While we wont write a full review on each beer we were able to take some solid notes about each one while tasting it. My wife also took notes that we will include since I am almost positive she has at least three times as many taste buds as I do. That woman can taste damn near anything thats included in a beer.

Our first beer was a Pilsner brewed by Warsteiner called Premium Verum. It was very clear, clean, crisp and refreshing. Something that I would love to drink on a warm summer day. The noble hops were present but not a bold characteristic in this brew. The pils malt and lager yeast made for a very smooth and clean finish. Our first taste of Warsteiner's Pilsner seemed slightly tart but quickly went away after the malt and nobel hops hit your pallet. I could drink a number of these beers. Nice, mild, very quaffable. Overall - 5/6.

Next up, one of the few breweries in Germany who's flagship beer is a dark beer! Kostriker's Schwarzbier is a deep, opaque ruby red when held up to the light. The nose has a mild roast and a slight coffee and chocolate smell to it along with some fruit up front. The flavor was a little thin, even for a lager. The flavor profile is mild. Im now starting to think all of our American craft beers have blown up their flavor profiles so much that European brews seem dainty in comparison. However, this beer is still clean and easily drinkable. A good option for an everyday beer when you are in the mood for something with darker beer characteristics. Overall - 4/6.

Following our Schwarzbier comes an Oktoberfest from the Monks! Marzen Fest brewed by Weissenohe has been in one form of existence or another since 1050! Talk about a historic beer. This orange/amber beer seems slighly cloudy which leads me to believe its not filtered. Plenty of malt in the nose with some caramel and hop aroma coming in at the end. The flavor is nice, not bitter at all. Malt is what makes this brew. Very smooth, low carbonation allows you to drink a lot of this beer without feeling full. Thats what an Oktoberfest brew is supposed to do, right?! One more taste brings some bready characteristics to this 5% abv fest bier. Overall - 5/6.

Our fourth beer in this seemingly fantastic German lineup is Hacker-Pschorr's Munich Gold. A Helles style beer (apparently made to compete with the already dominant Pilsner style in Germany). Pours golden with a very slight haze to it. A sweeter aroma is present in this brew along with a bit more body than the pils we tasted earlier and slightly more bitter. Seems to be a beer for people who want more malt characteristic and want to avoid the sometimes "skunky" flavor you get from Pilsner malt. (Want to know why some pilsners smell that way? Find more information here. Warning, geeky beer stuff following that link!). Good beer, better suited for your fall or spring climates as far as I'm concerned. Still a well brewed beer. Overall 4.5/6.

Second to last we have an Eisbock brewed by Kulmbacher. An Eisbock, style wise, is left to sit at sub 32 degree temperatures after fermentation is finished. This forms water crystals in the beer which are then scooped out and set aside leaving a more potent brew for consumption. Our example was a potent 9.2% abv but you wouldnt know it without reading the label. The aroma was a complex raisin, fig, caramel mix that melded together very nicely. The first step emphasized those aromas on your tastebuds and gave an extra sweet and alcoholic warmth to the finish. This deep mahogany colored brew is very nicely done. My favorite for the session. We were able to purchase any of the beers we drank during this session half off during intermission of the play and we both chose this Eisbock to drink. Overall - 5/6.

Finally, we finish with Paulaner's Hefe-Weizen. A nice, cloudy orange which is to be expected with unfiltered wheat beers. A fruity, citrusy aroma is prominent upon first whiff. The taste easily backs this up. A well composed beer that will have Blue Moon fans immediately won over. A quality beer for anyone looking to diversify from American attempts at the style. Also, my wifes favorite of the night. Overall - 5/6

The History Theater is having another beer tasting similar to this one on March 25th, 2011 where they will taste beers of the Twin Cities. Expect local brews from the smaller guys in the area. Sorry Summit, I think you have reached "big craft brewery" status around the area since you were not mentioned in the line up.

Thanks for reading our German beer tasting experience. Let us know what you think in the comments and feel free to pass our blog along to others! More followers means more comments which also means better reviews because you are telling us what you want!

Prosit!