Local Finds

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Prost!


Ein prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit.
Ein prosit, ein Prosit 
Der Gemütlichkeit.
Oans, zwoa, drei, g'suffa!

Now we just need some proper steins for toasting. 

We've been having so much fun cooking (and eating!) for this blog but, in an effort to explore all things German, we will occasionally be posting items that are not centered around recipes or recipe adaptations. 

Furthermore, there is a cast of characters that will inevitably pop up here and there, such as in Tuesday's Cheddar-beer Spread Part 2. That was actually the same tasting panel that was assembled for today's post on - you guessed it - BEER!

We will at some point properly introduce everyone with pictures and mini-bios or some such thing. For now, you just get names. Deal with it. 

We have so far been able to track down 3 of the 6 official beers of Oktoberfest in Munich. We have high hopes for one more, but sadly think the other two are a lost cause.

The 6 official beers are as follows:

* Augustiner (1328)
* Hacker-Pschorr (1417)
* Hofbräu (1589)
* Löwenbräu (15th century)
* Paulaner (1634)
* Spaten (1397)

Did you know that there are actual laws, strictly adhered to, in Germany regarding the standards of the beer that is brewed there? Germans do not take beer lightly, which is probably the reason that German beer is SO FREAKIN' GOOD.

Without further ado, here are the results of this first official tasting.


Hofbräu Oktoberfest:

Adrienne- Unimpressed, initial flavor but overall bland. 5 stars

Jen- Light & crisp, but mediocre; could drink it all day and not feel full, good festival beer. 3 stars

Rob- Refreshing but it doesn't make my tongue think too hard. 5 stars

Tara- Flavorful upon first sip, smooth, no notable aftertaste. 6 stars

Bevmo- Pale in color, dry with a festive finish.


Spaten Oktoberfest:

Rob- Smooth, caramelly guten-ness. 6 stars

Adrienne- Evenly blended, mild. 7 stars

Jen- Surprisingly smooth for a darker beer. 8 stars

Tara- A bit of a metallic taste initially but smooth overall, lighter than it appears but flavorful. 7 stars

Bevmo- A bronze, amber-red color lager with accents toward a sweet maltiness.



Paulaner Oktoberfest - Unanimous Winner:

Adrienne: Rich taste with a hint of hop, favorite of the tasting. 8 stars

Jen: Pleasant, balanced flavors, similar to Spaten. Favorite of the tasting. 9 stars

Rob: Robust, somewhat chocolatey, favorite of the tasting. 7 stars

Tara: This beer's creamy head came right out of the bottle to meet me and was like, "drink me now"! Favorite of the three. 8 stars

Bevmo - "Marzen" style; amber colored lager; full, rich, creamy; hops give a special crispness; balances with rich hops.


Bonus Beer
Weihenstephaner Oktoberfestbier:

There are no official notes on this beer, which Tara and Jen shared the night before the tasting. Suffice it to say there was a mixed review - Tara loved it, Jen did not care for it at all. 

Bevmo - This wonderful Oktoberfest shows lots of grain in the aroma with some faint spice and light citrus. Sweet, malty flavors start things off, plenty of grain are complemented by some light spiciness.

This tasting was too much fun!!! Rob even threw on some traditional German Oktoberfest music to set the tone. May we strongly suggest getting some friends together and doing your own tasting? Now...

Auf die Bänke!! (Command from the band to stand on the tables, lock arms, and sway with your neighbors!!)



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