For week two of Ted Perez's German/Oktoberfest "Beer of the Week", the remaining eleven beer tasting reviews, as well as the final verdict on which brews took the TP seal of approval, have been posted. The rest of the tastings are authentic German beers coming from breweries such as: Paulaner Salvator Thomasbraeu, Augustiner-Brau and Erdinger Weissbrau.
Weihenstephaner Vitus [Brauerei Weihenstephan]
Appearance: Pours a cloudy yellow/light amber color - appearance of a Hefeweizen despite being a Weizenbock.
Taste: Full and creamy mouth feel. Taste included light lemon and banana with a touch of tartness.
Overall: Medium level of drinkability made this a 'one or two' at-a-time brew.
Augustiner Brau Edelstoff [Augustiner-Brau Wagner KG]
Appearance:Pours almost clear. Large white head with a "German beer stank".
Taste:Some malt and faint hops. Good level of carbonation.
Overall:This light brew had a great crisp taste. Great drinkability.
Ayinger Jahrhundert Bier [Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG/Brauerei Aying]
Appearance: Light brown/amber color.
Taste: Refreshing, with a light grassy hop taste. Very crisp and dry. There were also some sweet dark maltiness to the flavor.
Overall: Although refreshing, most of the flavors tend to come out up front leaving little on the back end.
Uerige Doppelsticke [Uerige Obergarige Hausbrauerei GmgH/Zum Uerige]
Appearance: Very dark pour. Dark brown with tall tan head and a sugary aroma.
Taste: Deep maltiness with caramael and molasses. A bit boozy, but it didn't detract from the drinkability.
Overall: Medium body, but syrupy and heavy on the palate. Good beer but it was a sipper.
Innstadt Neues Helles [Innstadt Brauerei]
Appearance: Light pour with a straw yellow color. Honey-like aroma.
Taste: Malty sweetness balanced by a light hop taste midway through. Very clean overall.
Overall: The smooth mouth taste gave this brew great drinkability. Could definitely have another one.
Uerige Sticke [Uerige Obergarige Hausbrauerei GmgH/Zum Uerige]
Appearance: Pours a rich coppery color with a two finger head.
Taste: Malty taste with a little hop. Some fruitiness also detected.
Overall: Very drinkable (more enjoyable overall than the Doppelsticke). Overall medium, thin body.
Hopf Weisser Bock [Uerige Obergarige Hausbrauerei GmgH/Zum Uerige]
Appearance: Pours a cloudy haze of yellow. Small whitish head.
Taste: Caramel with a hint of banana, spice and citrus. Not much of a kick or finish.
Overall: Drinkability was great and the well-rounded palate of flavors made this an excellent brew.
Organic Ur Pils [Brauerei Pinkus Muller]
Appearance: Pours very light and smells bad (this is a common trait in Marzens).
Taste: Clean, malty taste with a little banana and yeast. Not much carbonation or aftertaste.
Overall: Brew was a little flat on carbonation and the flavor was fairly dull when compared to other brews. Not the best.
Wiesen Edel-Weisse [Private Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH]
Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden amber color. Very citrus-like smell with a hint of banana.
Taste: Yeasty flavor with welcome spiciness. There was also some floral sweetness towards the end.
Overall: Great sipper beer to be enjoyed casually. Very rich and complex flavor.
Aventius Weizen-Eisbock [Private Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn]
Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with minimal head. Strong banana smell.
Taste: Very Belgian tasting (more carbonated than most). Syrupy thick feel in the mouth. Dark fruit and clove taste with spicy brown sugar.
Overall: The dark, rich flavors in this brew made it a very unique sipper, which is definitely true at 12% ABV. There is, however, no boozy taste, which helped drinkability.
Organic Ur Pils [Brauerei Pinkus Mueller]
Appearance: Pours very light and smells bad (common trait in Marzens).
Taste: Clean malty taste with a little banana and yeast. Not much carbonation or aftertaste.
Overall: Brew was a little flat on carbonation and the flavor was fairly dull when compared to other brews. Not the best.
VERDICT:
For week 2, there were quite a few favorites. Among the notable were:
For the most part, all eleven German beers tasted during week 2 were good, but a few were particularly unique. Since there were so many favorites, the most notable have been categorized below based on their distinctive qualities:
Best Crisp/Light Beer: Augustiner Brau Edelstoff
Best Rich/Complex Flavors: Wiesen Edel-Weisse and Aventius Weizen-Eisbock
Best Balancing of Flavors: Weihenstephaner Vitus
Best Hoppiness: Uerige Sticke [Uerige Obergarige Hausbrauerei GmgH/Zum Uerige]