I acquired a couple of bottles of beer from St. Georgen Bräu, Buttenheim a while back, and it's about time I posted something about them. As you can see from the photo, the
St. Georgen Bräu Pilsner is a slightly hazy, yellow, straw colour. It has a mildly sweet, fruity aroma. The same comes across in the flavour, being relatively sweet with a decent tangy bitterness that cuts the malt. This is certainly not a complex beer, and there's not much else to describe it really. Simply a decent thirst quencher after a hard days work.
I had been looking forward to trying their
Kellerbier, expecting something a little darker, and a little more robust perhaps. This one being labelled as
Ungespundet makes me expect something special given the traditions around Franken and the fact that the
Mahr's Bräu example appears to be rated quite highly (I think I need to try this from the tap to be honest), and this has the added tag of having
hefetrub. It certainly looks good and healthy with all that vitamin B bearing yeast floating about, and it has a nice head that lasts the pace. First impressions are of a plain and simple caramel-like malt. A little watery flavourwise, despite a medium body, and perhaps a little over-sweet. There is a decent hop kick in the back though, in a herbal (basil? oregano?) way. It's not unpleasent, but the whole thing doesn't seem to sit well together. It feel unbalanced and, frankly, a bit boring. If I had to choose between the two I'd probably go for the Pilsner.
I acquired a couple of bottles of beer from St. Georgen Bräu, Buttenheim a while back, and it's about time I posted something about them. As you can see from the photo, the St. Georgen Bräu Pilsner is a slightly hazy, yellow, straw colour. It has a mildly sweet, fruity aroma. The same comes across in the flavour, being relatively sweet with a decent tangy bitterness that cuts the malt. This is certainly not a complex beer, and there's not much else to describe it really. Simply a decent thirst quencher after a hard days work.
I had been looking forward to trying their Kellerbier, expecting something a little darker, and a little more robust perhaps. This one being labelled as Ungespundet makes me expect something special given the traditions around Franken and the fact that the Mahr's Bräu example appears to be rated quite highly (I think I need to try this from the tap to be honest), and this has the added tag of having hefetrub. It certainly looks good and healthy with all that vitamin B bearing yeast floating about, and it has a nice head that lasts the pace. First impressions are of a plain and simple caramel-like malt. A little watery flavourwise, despite a medium body, and perhaps a little over-sweet. There is a decent hop kick in the back though, in a herbal (basil? oregano?) way. It's not unpleasent, but the whole thing doesn't seem to sit well together. It feel unbalanced and, frankly, a bit boring. If I had to choose between the two I'd probably go for the Pilsner.
7 comments:
Kellerbier has always struck me as a style best enjoyed straight from the cask. Sadly, when I visited Bamberg last year the only Kellerbiers I was able to sample were served from the bottle, despite the fact that I was sitting in the brewpubs! I still enjoyed them (particularly Marh's) but hope to try one vom Faß one day. Have you had the pleasure?
Unfortunately not, Russ. Kellerbier isn't something you see around this area very much, and when I am in Bavaria it tends to be just north of Munich with little time to really explore. I really should try to get to Bamberg, or somewhere in Franconia to try some really fresh delights!
Most of the Kellerbier I've had has been the bottle-conditioned St. George, which I've really enjoyed, but it remains my primary reference point. Galavanting through Austria, I tried some Kellerbier from a couple breweries, but couldn't tell if it was truly authentic or not, as it tasted much more refined for a lager aged in an unbunged barrel. I could've been swindled, but it was still tasty. It's a type of beer I'd like to see much more of, though.
I know it's always tedious when people say this, but St Georgen really is superb on tap. We liked the pilsener almost as much as the kellerbier.
Yeah, it is :D
You describe the Kellerbier as a hop bomb, which is retty far from what I was drinking. I should point out that many of the bottles I got were very close to their best bfore date, and while I don't usually pay too much attention to those dates, a couple of bottles began looking decidedly ropey (as in strands of what looked like slime in the bottom). So much so that I won't be drinking those.
If I get down there i will of course be trying it! :D
For some reason, sevaral of the St Georgen beers are available in Norway. I enjoy both the Helles Vollbier and their bottle conditioned Weisse very much.
I'll keep an eye out for them Knut. Although it's probably easier for you to get them than for me to find them in Muenster :D
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