Spalter Zwickl

Spalter III
Spalter Zwickl
0,5l
4,9%

Ahhhh a Zwickel, a Kellerbier.... my grand lover. Sadly tis bottle seems to have misplaced its label.. a sure sign that I bought it in the brewery directly, alas a sorry picture but it cannot be helped.
As this is part of a series, turn for the first entry for further brewery information of this amazing city owned brewery.

A brown bottle, just like I expect ot for beer.. as mentioned I can't say much about the label as it is lost somewhere but yeah.. the back label shows a retro poster saying (in old German writing called Sütterlin: Our dads only drink Spalter Beer).

My apologies for the less than optimal pictures, alas I was attacked by a vicious wasp (yellow jacket? I never got the difference...) who also seemed to like my brew... It won and I retreated.
It pours easy middle gold yellow with slight red hues. It is unfiltered which is always a plus. A nice head of uniform mediocre bubble foam makes it truly nice to behold. The head stays nicely and doesn't dissipate fast. That's how I like me beer.

As you might have noticed I'm usually staying with the tasting glasses I bought for almost all brews, as I find them indeed to be the about perfect glasses to get the most out of my beer.

The aroma is mild and not super pleasant I must admit. It reminds me of raw meat somehow. Slight yeast tones but most of it is overshadowed by that smell that I would identify as raw meat.. and as I am a vegetarian... maybe slight floral tones but ever since I started thinking of this as meat I can't smell anything else. Oh woe is my brain.

Good carbonation. Bitter umami starting taste, first getting more bitter in the aftertaste but then opening up to nice facets of yeast and spices mixed with hop flowers. It does hold a lot of aroma on different scales, alas it doesn't fully convince me. It's too watery in the end and I am missing the true WOW effect. It's a decent beer with good craftsmanship.
Ratebeer holds it higher than I do it seems. To each their own.

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Buckweat Beer without gluten - Spalter Buchweizen

Spalter II
Buchweizen
0,33l
2,5%

Now this..... I have been warned of this brew..actually by the dude who sold me the beer in the brewery (see last post for more about Spalt and their brewery).
I think I can't repeat his words but let's say they were R-Rated.
They made this brew to have a gluten free beer which is a very worthy cause I'd say. What they did is using Buckwheat-malt instead of Wheat-malt for the brewing itself. I somehow always have had a wonder some relationship with buckwheat since I was a kid and always wondered what tasty dishes one could make out of it. I am, however, not sure why that is. Maybe because my Nanny (RIP Love you Lisa) experienced WW2 and had to make food out of what was left. I dunno really. Buuuut anyways so yes, brewed with buckwheat and thus gluten free... It comes in a clear glass bottle which is a bad decision, as the brew itself looks.... vile.... unfiltered apple juice  mixed with a bad urine sample is the best I could describe its texture and color with. The label is trendy and in, black and golden, also depicting the buckwheat plant itself, respectively its flowers.

A beer lives from taste and not from the looks I guess and hell I have had weird Sahti that looked worse so let's keep it coming!

It pours very milky as if there is a lot of sediment/ yeast/ I dunno what in it and produced a lot of foam when I opened the bottle but then dissipated fast. The head itself is of a dirty cream color - again not really appeasing me but hey. I'm a bit sad that this only has 2,5% but I guess it is a product for a special market and thus it is a great idea.

The aroma actually isn't bad. Very tart, a bit like bread dough that's just expanding. Spicy and faint herbal tones are also recognizable mixed with a yummy yeast tone that was to be expected. Obviously I imagine smelling buckwheat though I have no idea what buckwheat smells like so maybe disregard that idea...:P

I must say that he color is still putting me off... it looks as if I'm about to slurp some dirt water or ... even worse..

Tastewise this is interesting. I do like the buckwheat  as it adds a fruity new addition to the well known beer taste. The yeast isn't bad either. It starts very mild almost lactic mild, starts to develop a slightly medicinal, herbal fruit taste which then doesn't fully develops but ends with a ping of bitterness.

Now the taste isn't as bad as I was told. I actually would prefer this over a lot of wheat made beers that I loathed. It's a nicely crafted beer with a new addition to taste. I prolly wouldn't buy a case of it but it was really worth trying. I am happy that people with celiac can now also enjoy a beer.

While writing this Ratebeer doesn't have a rating out for it... maybe check it out whenever youa re here dear reader.



Thumbs up!

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Spalter Premium Pils Nr.1

Spalter I
Spalter Premium Pils Nr.1
0,33l
4,9%



So on my trip around the area in Germany /?the world? with the highest density of breweries I ventured into Spalt this town holds one of Germanies last City-Breweries, meaning that the breweryis actually owned by the city. Every inhabitant of the city is part owner and the CEO of it is the current mayor of the city. I drove right into the brewery and one of the dudes there helped me get one of each of their beers they had available that day. So I know that this will be a new series. I am not sure whether you dear readers actually LIKE the series I do or whether you would prefer eclectic single beerses. Maybe let me know? I live from feedback and so far I have exactly gotten.... zero messages to any of my posts. :)

I kick off the series with their Pilsener. The brewer guy told me that that's what the kids like to drink... whatever that meant.
They advertise their beers as made with the well known Spalt aroma hops and indeed there were HUGE fields full of hops around the city when I drove there.

The little bottle is standard green and has 3 labels. The color persisting is green, silver and white, with the name Spalter and the number 1 printed in golden. Now Ratebeer is pretty much in the middle with this.
I usually stopped drinking the normal Pilsners simply because they are too bland but let's see.

It seems to be a bit lighter than the usual yellow/gold of Pils and forms a really nice uniform foam head with small white bubbles. As I said I don't expect too much...

The aroma is fresh and slightly yeasty. There are pepper and nutmeg tones coupled with faint floral subtones. It's a nice smell I must say.

This is sweeter than I thought coupled with peppery bitterness and truly a nice Pils. I really do like this. It has a nice full mouth feeling that is slightly umami but also very bitter for a Pils. I can get the peppery hops mixed with rather mellow malt. Now there is one slighty weird side taste that I can't identify but that's absolutely not ruining it just giving it a bit more zest. I do like the way this plays with all taste sensations. Now it could possibly be a tad bit less bitter but that's OK. One of the better if not the best Pils I have had in a long, long while!

Me likey!

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Sharp's Doom Bar

Sharp's Doom Bar
0,5l
4,3%

So I brought this from London must be good right? The fact that I did buy it at a TESCO EXPRESS where I had to battle with their self check out line till some security guard saved me might not speak for it. Now see, I have NO idea whether this is off the shelf crap or actually a good beer... The bottle is clear which is unusual for a beer as far as I know and the label is some kind of plastic that has translucent parts and otherwise sprouts the blue- white- gold writing. Says it is named after a sandbank... doesn't really speak pro taste now does it. :)
It's amber colored and no shit it is called an Amber Ale.
It's a sheer coincidence I actually took this back home, simply as I didn't drink it while I was in the UK.
As I don't expect much we shall see... It is unfiltered and produces fine foam when forced to.... but doesn't like to give much foam really.

It smells very genuinely Pilsner-y and I don't like the aroma. Very copper, very dry, subtle floral sub tones.... nothing special there either.

Tastewise it is not unpleasant. It reminds me a bit of Kilkenny I guess. It has subtle bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste and isn't as boring as a genuine Pilsner. though it is close taste wise.  Copper/Iron aftertaste mixed with faint pepper.
Now I see where they are coming from but I fear they wanted to cater to the masses and thus made it as genuine as possible. In any case a nice memory for Worldcon!
Now Ratebeer follows my below mediocre rating and gives it a 33. At least sometimes Ratebeer and I are of the same opinion.

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Black Isle Organic Hibernator Oatmeal Stout

Black Isle Organic Hibernator Oatmeal Stout
0,33l
7%

Part 2 of the Black Isles I had. Another beer my beloved brother brought me.
Now I have had this one on tap in various Finnish Pubs and I liked it, alas I hadn't written about it, which will change today.
Just like the last of their labels had a yellow/orange filled thistle, this one goes with a jeans blue one and also has the name of the brew in the same color. Otherwise the labels are more or less identical.
I DO appreciate that both have the seal of approval by the vegetarians society. I have been jealous of this habit in the UK for years and I can't see it happening here yet, alas I am extra thankful for it now.
With 7% this promises to be a stronger experience but I am up for it.
Also they state that the brew is organic and that the label is made out of recycled material. A nice touch I like.
Ratebeer gives it a solid 94 but like usually I didn't read what is written there so I do not spoil my own impressions.

It pours a bit oily and it took me some attempts to actually get it to produce any foam. I got a nice fine one which dissipated rather fast again sadly.. but I am used to Scandinavian bartenders to scoop away the head anyways. Sigh. The beer itself is very dark, possibly the most black I have seen in beers, the foam is of hazelnut color. But yeah seriously black is the only color I can describe the brew with.

The aroma is nice, dark malt, slight burnt aroma in it, fresh bread, dark fruits slightly fermented with definitely the slightly roasted/ burnt malt persisting. Slight hints of espresso/ freshly ground coffee.

It is very sweet for a second till the bitterness fully hits. It is mixed with coffee and dark chocolate tones but the full warm bitterness is absolutely awesome. I like how this plays with sweetness and bitterness a lot and I do remember when I drank this from tap... fun how tastes can evoke memories.
In any case, it is really, really nice if you like your brews bitter. If not... go and get a Kriek. :)

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Black Isle Organic Goldeneye Pale Ale

Black Isle Organic Goldeneye Pale Ale
0,33l
5,6%

So I returned from London and Worldcon. The Beerses were great though not super great. I did have 1 that was amazing though. Then my brother brought me two beers and I glanced at them and said ah I know em. He was sad. Then I looked at hem again and realized I didn't. I had seen the logo and figured it to be twisted thistle but nah. So tonight I give you an Goldeneye Pale Ale. The Black Isle Brewing label seem to be the same on their specialties with varying color dots in the middle of the iconic thistle. I always loved that design though admittedly I thought it was a different brewery.

The easy pour is darker and browner than I would have expected. Red, hazelnut brown gold with a nice mediocre head consisting of mix sized bubbles.

The aroma is very IPAish, the hops have a strong aroma mixed with very faint yummie vinegar notes (not in any bad way). Sweet flowery notes are there coupled with hints of dried red fruit.

By now most of the head has dissipated (sniff) and I can taste.

Dried red fruits, caramel, hops. Soft bitterness in the aftertaste. Faint chocolate tones. All in all not as powerful as expected but definitely a great drink. Faint dark chocolate notes. Only minus point I can find is that the alcohol is taste-able in the aftertaste and I'm not a fan of this.
Ratebeer is seeing this as I do. Definitely in the upper quarter of beers.

Thank you Frank!


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Köstritzer Pale Ale

Köstritzer Pale Ale
0,5l
6,4%

I'm amazed... somehow Germany is suddenly exploring new beers... there is hope after all.
Thanks to my friend Robby who brought me this baby.
They advertise with the hops they use which are: Citra, Delta, Hallertau Blanc, Galaxy and Calypso and say that their brewers have long studied English Ale to come up with their own version of it. The brewery is mainly known for their black beer .... it even is almost a synonym for black beer. So I am wondering whether they actually managed to do what they advertise.
I am sickish so I will not give you the pleasure of a full huge super duper article but I did promise Robby that I will write about this and I shall. The bottle is not a standard beer bottle but branded Köstritzer.. I'm not the hugest fan of this trend as it means recycling is more difficult.

The label is part black and part red golden advertising a dry citrus note... we shall see. The slight caramel colored foam is dissipating not as fast as I had thought it would. The brew itself is of red golden, copper color and slightly cloudy - a good sign as I hate em filtered.

The aroma now is very strong and appetizing Nice hoppish Ale tones mixed with tart and sweet grapefruit and freshly pressed fruit juices. Sweet Grapefruit is what comes to mind, mixed with a hint of chocolate. By now the foam is gone with the wind and we can go on to the actual tasting. *drool*

Now this is very nicely bitter but not in a bad way. The bitterness is sweet and filling the whole mouth and developing the bitter tones once they get in contact with more oxygen. I can taste the alcohol lingering behind the bitter tones which stay long and are full bodied. The aftertaste is bitter and fresh at once. I do  like my IPA and this is maybe the best one I have had which was made in Germany. A true gem! I hope that they will continue making this!

P.S.: 82 from Ratebeer

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Fuller's 2011 Vintage Ale

Fuller's 2011 Vintage Ale
0,5l
8,5%


So I was quite surprised when I stumbled over a batch of this in a supermarket close to my working place. Especially as it was the 2011. I once had one of these in my back then neighborhood bar in Helsinki / Ruskeasuo and I remember that I loved it, absolutely loved it and thought that this was the bestestestest thing made between earth and sky and wanted more... when I returned the next day they were out... I checked all Alkos in Helsinki and no one had any left. When back in Germany I tried to get it and found the 2012 version which I thought must be awesome too.... I tried it and I didn't like it at all... So as it is my mums Birthday tomorrow and I wanted to save this for a special day ... this is it. A 2011 Fullers Vintage Ale.... If this is gonna be bad this time I blame the atmosphere in the pub back then. (And the fact that the new bartender didn't know crap and sold it to me for the price of a normal Fullers.... MUAHAHAH)

It comes in a nice carton with a little leaflet etc.. but see the extensive pictures for that.
Apparently there are only 150000 bottles made and the bottles are numbered. Oh Myyyy.

Also the description says to pour carefully because of the sediment... now I again don't know whether that means one should drink it without the yeast mixed in but those of you who know me,know that I usually mix and I shall do the same here. I will use the super expensive tasting glass thingy for it to indulge me even further.

The number of my bottle is 015710 a grand number for a grand beer?

It pours with little yellow creamy foam with fine pores that dissipates very fast.
It is of dark red/light brown reddish color which shows its true hue under some light.

The aroma is very sweet and of berry marmelade with tones of citrus and wood or barbecue. Very piquant, full of zest and teasing the nose.

The carbonation is perfect and this is indeed as awesome as I remember it. It starts off very sweetish and changes into slight bitterness as it rolls of the tongue, leaving wooden bitter tones on the palate. It's like a great sherry but better. You can guess that this has 8,5% but it isn't shoving it into your face like other beers do. The aftertaste consists of dark berries and marmelade mixed with soft tones of dark chocolate and nutmeg.

Ratebeer agrees!

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