Hefeweizens - Paulaner and Hofbrau

Hefeweizen is a German wheat beer that originates from southern Germany.  The blend is typically 50% wheat / 50% barley, but more wheat can be used in brewing this beer.  This beer is also cloudy because of the yeast (Hefe) that is present in this unfiltered beer.  Hefeweizen is a popular style, especially in the summer, because it is light and refreshing with tastes of banana, cloves, and bubblegum.  Some people put lemon wedges in hefeweizen – do not do this if you are in Germany – this is an American thing.  I tasted two classic German brewers – Paulaner (5.5% ABV) and Hofbrau (5.4%), which is actually brewed in Kentucky (go figure).  Both beers pour cloudy gold because of the yeast in the beer and both had a large head.  I made sure to swirl the bottles near the end of the pour to get the yeast from the bottle into the glass. I liked the Paulaner best and it had a great taste of wheat, spice, bananas, and yeast – it is a very tasty beer.  There are many American brewers that brew Hefeweizen or similar styles of wheat beers.  I enjoy Belgian Wits too and these typically have flavoring of coriander and curacao orange added that give them a unique flavor.

German food and German beer

The beer tasting group met last night for good drink, good food, and great conversation at Tibor’s home last night.  At our last tasting, we agreed to taste German beers and Chris, Dennis and I each brought two different types of German beer.  I grabbed some fresh Bratwurst at Tony’s Meats in Littleton along with some sauerkraut.  I had purchased Ayinger’s Celebrator and Aecht Schlenkerla’s Weizen Rauchbier for the evening.  Nicole, Tibor’s wife, also cooked spaetzle with bacon and cheese, prepared a wonderful salad, cooked large warm pretzels, and served some nice Troberlone chocolate with sprinkles of cayenne and cinnamon to taste with the chocolate.

I grilled the Brats and then placed them on top of the sauerkraut in a crock pot with some Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen.  Tibor had really decked out the table with classic German steins, glassware, and other items he had collected in Germany during his youth and his trips back over the years to visit his father and family.  Tibor and Nicole have both attended Oktoberfest and have a great knowledge of Germany and German culture.  Tibor started with two Oktoberfest – Marzens of Spaten (5.9% ABV) and Paulaner (5.8%).  These went excellent with Brats & Kraut, mustard, spaetzle, and salad.  I preferred the Paulaner over the Spaten and the pairing was very good. 

Next up was Erdinger Dark Hefeweizen (5.6% ABV) and Aecht Schlenkerla Weizen Rauchbier (4.7% ABV).  The Erdinger Dark Hefeweizen is  classed as a dunkelweizen and was the best beer of the evening.  A Rauchbier is a smoked beer and the Aecht Schlenkerla had a deep smoky aroma and taste and we thought it would have paired excellent with smoked salmon.

Spaten Optimator (7.6% ABV) and Ayinger Celebrator (6.7% ABV) are doppelbocks and these were very nice.  I think Nicole served the pretzels at this time and these were very tasty with the pretzels.

   

We ended the evening with Warsteiner Dunkel (4.9% ABV) and Kostritzer Schwarzbier (4.8% ABV) and these were another great pairing with the Trobolone chocolate with cayenne and cinnamon.  It was great do a little trip to Germany with excellent food and drink and it was a great evening.  I really appreciate Tibor and Nicole hosting and the food Nicole made was excellent – I loved the spaetzle.  One thing I picked up from podcasts from Dr. Bill is that if you pair beer with the regional cuisine you usually will not go wrong as the regional beer and food historically go together.  This is excellent advice as the beer and food of Germany paired excellent with each other.  Next time, we will be meeting in May and we are considering focusing on Hefeweizens and Witbiers. 

German Lagers and Wild Raspberry Ale

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel has an ABV of 5% and pours a nice dark tan with a head that quickly recedes.  This was poured in a Bavarian-sytle Pilsner glass.  Ayinger is a brewer in Bavaria and is close to Munich.  Altbairisch Dunkel translates to "Old Bavarian Dark Beer." [and] This is the most traditional style of beer in Bavaria.”  I enjoyed with roasted pork tenderloin, roasted potato, and a salad.  This is a great beer to have with food and it paired nice with the pork and potatoes.  I think it would go great with sausage and any German food for that matter.  While I typically pick ales, I wanted to sample some German lagers.  Lagers have a different taste profile compared to the ales and I am sure it is due to the different yeast used in the brewing process.  The German beers I sampled also were lightly hopped, with just enough to balance the sweetness of the malt.

Paulaner is based in Munchen, Germany and Salvator is a Doppelbock with an ABV of 7.9%.  This is a nice beer that pours an orange / tan with a head that quickly recedes.  This was poured in a Bavarian-sytle Pilsner glass.  The taste emphasis is malt and with hints of dark fruit, chocolate, and smoke.  Paulaner Salvator is known as the beer that represents Doppelbock I enjoyed it.  Paulaner’s website describes Salvator as “The Paulaner monks used to drink Salvator as a food substitute during Lent” and since beer is “liquid bread” it makes since the monks would brew and drink Salvator during Lent.

Great Divide’s Wild Raspberry Ale has an ABV of 5.6% and is a raspberry infused ale.  I am not a big fan of fruit beer, but I appreciate Great Divide making this beer for people who do enjoy fruit beers.  I poured this into a no-nick pint glass and it was clear with a pink hue, which has to be attributed to the black and red raspberries used in this beer.  It has a nice head and you can easily pick up raspberry in the aroma.  Great Divide uses descriptors of “Flavorful” and “Refreshing” on the label and the website states, “Wild Raspberry Ale is a unique, thirst-quenching ale fermented with real red and black raspberries. Its balance of malt and fruit flavors make it a beer lover’s fruit beer.”  This beer has won a few awards and I think it would compliment a chocolate desert with raspberry sauce nicely.

November Beer Tasting

Last night’s beer tasting turned out very well and we (Tibor, Chris, Dennis, and me) tasted some really good beers.  Lori, made some great appetizers consisting of a good selection of cheeses, olives, salami, and pumpkin bars.  Nicole, Tibor’s wife, made a surprise stop with some pizza that occurred at just the right time for one of the beers and the combination (pizza and beer) was very good. I supplied a few different types of beer and everyone brought beer – we had an interesting combination and the list below is in the order of tasting.  I would say that none of these beers were bad and some were truly outstanding.

Paulaner - Wiesn Bier – a German Oktoberfest beer that now is in a 1 litre can available in the U.S.  – Wiesn means meadow and this beer was brewed to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of Oktoberfest.  The ABV is 5.8% and this bright beer poured with a nice head and was a great way to kick-off the evening. 

Avery – Ellie’s Brown Ale – Nice beer and this went very well with the cheese and the smoked almonds.  When I poured everyone was concerned that this dark beer was going to be a smack your face dark beer – all were surprised by the drinkability of this beer.  Avery never disappoints and this brown ale comes in at ABV - 5.5% and IBU – 17.

Left Hand Brewing Co – Oxymoron (A Teutonic India Pale Lager) – this is a collaboration beer with Terrapin (Athens, GA) and is described as a American style IPA using 3 different German malts, 6 German hop varieties and a lager yeast strain coming in at ABV – 7.2% and IBU -65.  This is a smooth and balanced beer even with the high IBU.  Nice work by Left Hand and Terrapin and this is Series 3 of the Midnight Brewing Project.

Avery – 17 – Dry Hopped Black Lager (A Study in German Hops) – ABV – 7.69% pours dark with a nice frothy head.  WOW – this is a great beer and I will buy another one of these before they are gone.  This may be my favorite from Avery; however, everything I have had from Avery is very good.

Left Hand Brewing Co – Milk Stout – this is a sweet stout coming in at ABV – 6% and IBU – 25.  This is a dark one with a nice bubbly head.  When I first tasted this I was expecting a sweeter taste and my first impression was “coffee” – this beer would go great with breakfast.  This beer went very well with the pumpkin bars.

Sierra Nevada – 30^th Anniversary – Charlie, Fred and Ken’s Imperial Helles Bock with an ABV – 8.3% and IBU – 41 and pours with a large head.  At first, I was disappointed with this as I had very high hopes for it.  I am not sure if it was the order of the tasting and I did not like it as much after the Milk Stout or if it did not resonate with my palate.  Then the pizza came and Tibor said to try the beer with the pizza.  I tried it with a slice of mushroom and sausage pizza and the combination was great.  I was really glad to try this pairing because I would have panned the beer.  This was a good lesson for me that a good pairing will make a beer shine.

Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw (Blue) – 2009 – Belgian Strong Ale at ABV 11%.  Wow, those Belgians know how to brew and this was my favorite of the evening.  This is an amber / brown colored beer that pours with a lacey head.  There is a lot going on here and you taste fruit immediately and the alcohol at the end.  The second taste was evening better and I did not notice the alcohol at the end.  This is a very complex beer and I say to add this to your list – you will not be disappointed.  Caution – this one is dangerous is a very good way – sip it and enjoy. 

Moosbacher – Kellerbier – is a German beer meaning “cellar beer” with an ABV – 5.5% that pours with little head that quickly disappears.  This is a “grainy” tasting beer that can be consumed quickly – it is described as a good representation of this style.  

Left Hand Brewing – 400-Pound Monkey – IPA with ABV – 6.8% and IBU – 60 that pours golden brown with a light head.  This is a well-balanced IPA and is not a hopped up one.  400-Pound Monkey is more earthy and herbal compared to the citrus / resin IPAs.  Left Hand has a different twist on the American IPA and I would like to try this one again and compare / contrast against other IPAs. 

In conclusion, the evening was great – good food – good beer – good camaraderie.  It is hard to beat a nice evening with friends tasting different beers.  All of these beers were good with my favorite three being the Paulaner, Avery 17 and the Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw.  I would say to obtain these if you can because they will be gone soon.