A World of Beer
As experienced by Jim Liberty
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Woohoo! Celis is back Also see Celis.com
Here's some random links to be sorted out later on Real Ale Brewing company's fine beers...
- San Antonio Biz Journal: New brewery in the works for Real Ale Brewing in Blanco
- Eric's Beer page --- reviews of Real Ale Beers
- Real Ale Brewing labels designed by Anymoria
As you can see it has been some time since I last posted here. During the fall of 2001 I was living in Texas and went through my Belgian phase. I fell in love with Chimay Blue, and the many Belgian-style beers of the New Belguim Brewing Company.
Then in the spring & summer of 2002, I was back in OKlahoma. My favorite beers during that season included Boulevard Beers from Kansas City, MO (esp their Bully Porter) and Morrti dark beer from Italy. Lots of other good beers, including a few six packs of Real Ale (Brewhouse Brown, Full Moon Pale Rye Ale, and Blanco River Pale Ale) from Blanco, TX from a trip down that direction.
Now to the fall... due to a tight budget I've mostly been enjoying Shiner Bock, along with several Abita beers (esp. their Turbodog Brown ale reminds of Real Ale's brown).
More note to come...
Most summer tasting has been at The Library (near the OU campus). Their selections are all brewed nearby at Coach's in downtown Norman. (It can be a bit confusing though, because the beers have different names at the two bars.) The best selection is to be had at Coach's (try their sampler of 6 or 7 different beers, in little 5 oz. glasses for $3.50), but the best atmosphere is at The Library.
The Library's house beers are: Library Brown (good English style brown ale), an Amber (I forgot the name of it, it varied over the summer, but ussually very good. More hops than I expected), a wheat beer (I didn't like it, but I don't like un-heffe wheat beers.), and a very hoppy IPA. (too much hops for me, even for an IPA) I would recommend sticking with the Brown and the Amber.
Also, if you make it to OKC, visit the Bricktown Brewery. Their Copperhead Amber is quite good. (but not as good as Coach's/The Library) You can buy the Amber in a half-gallon take-home refillable glass jug as well as by the pint.
Just a quick update to make this thing publish to Blogspot. Not much beer drinking lately, but I have made a couple of expeditions to Tapwerks in Bricktown (Oklahoma City) to sample some Belgian and German brews. Also had Pyramid Apricot Ale on tap for the first time. Not that different than the bottle version.
A World of Beer
As experienced by Jim Liberty
This month’s featured styles: Octoberfest Marzenbiers, Dunkel Weizenbiers
Be sure to check out Jim’s Rating System & Beer Glossary - (link here)
Note: This column is intended for mature folks who understand that the key to enjoying good beer is quality and not quantity.
The Love of Beer
I love beer.
Ok, you might think this zine is a funny place to read that, but deal with it. Beer is a gift of God.
Good beer that is. Bad beer is like any other kind of art (i.e. music, literature, and painting) gone bad. It doesn’t bring glory to God. Such beer is but a pale sickly imitation of the real thing.
The first good beer was brewed by monks who saw that brewing good beer was a holy occupation, and to this day the styles they developed (i.e. Dopplebocks like Paulaner Salvator, the Trappists beers of Belguim) are some of the world’s finest.
Anyway, one night, I was sitting in my favorite pub in Austin, Texas with a fellow lover of the fruit of hops and malt, Treble. As we enjoyed some fine local Octoberfest beer, I began to expound on my love for beer and even to confess that I had written poetry about beer.
It was from that conversation that this column was born. My prime directive is to educate the masses of sucky beer drinking drones, with the knowledge they need to reject mass-produced pseudo-beer.
Secondarily I want to inspire the lover of beer to try some of my favorite beers that haven’t caught on with the masses yet, and hopefully to even fire you up to express your appreciation for God’s gift of beer through creative means.
Also before I begin, I gotta give credit to where credit is due. The King of Beers, Michael Jackson, was the first person I had ever heard who elevated the art of beer reviewing to that of (or rather beyond that of) wine and fine food critics (By the way, it’s not the Michael Jackson, but rather another slightly less well known M. Jackson who is famous among lovers of beer for his “Pocket Guide to Beer” and the beerhunter.com website).
I also need to thank the bartenders at the Dog & Duck Pub in Austin who answer my incessant questions, and also two very fine publications, Celebrator Magazine and Southwest Brewing News, that discuss my favorite beverage with a compelling passion.
OK, on to the beers…
Octoberfest Märzenbiers
As of late, my beer drinking has revolved around the delightful Octoberfest or Märzenbiers. Traditionally these are fairly strong malty beers with at least 5.5% ABV. Their name in German, Märzenbier, means “March Beer,” and was used to describe a style of beer brewed in March back in the days before refrigeration. (March was the last month you could brew before the hot summer months.) These beers would be stored in cold and dark caves, and would be drank from spring until the annual Octoberfest. (Basically Octoberfest is a party to finish off the last of the Märzenbier.)
Germany, and particularly Munich are the source of many of the most famous Octoberfest beers:
Paulaner Octoberfest Marzen – I had this one at the Flying Saucer Pub (www.beerknurd.com) in Ft. Worth, Texas. I’m hoping they open one in Austin so I can get my name on the wall. (They inscribe your name on a brass plate on the wall once you drink 200 different pints.) It reminds me a lot of Paulaner’s Salvator, and has a bit of maple in the finish. Very rich and satisfying. – 4.0 stars (on tap)
Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest – Pretty typical for Octoberfest, but not extraordinary. – 2.0 stars (pint bottle)
Spaten Oktoberfest – I didn’t get to drink it this year, but last year I remembered it being a good representation of the style. – 2.0 stars (tap)
Among American beers, a few outstanding examples of the style include:
Live Oak Oaktoberfest – Live Oak is a small Microbrewer in my favorite city (Austin) that brews well-crafted and memorable beers. This one is one of my favorites. It reminds me a lot of the Paulaner beer of the style, but not quite as rich. Sadly, it is only available in the Austin area, but keep your eyes open because I’ve heard that Live Oak is trying to get the ATF license to sell bottles out of state.
This beer has one of the more endearing of the cheesy names microbrewers give their recipes. Also, I should note that this year’s version of Oaktoberfest is better than last year’s. Normally, inconsistency for a brewer is a bad thing, but not if the beer gets better. – 3.9 stars (tap)
Sam Adams Octoberfest – A good classic Marzenbier with more of hops kick. Very complex. – 3.7 stars (12 oz. bottle)
Dunkelweizenbiers
The German term means “Dark Wheat Beers.” As a rule, this style is known for being very complex, and more tart than barley beers. They are a favorite of Southern Bavaria.
Wheat beers in general could be broken down into three categories: dunkelweizenbiers, heffeweizen (lighter than dunkelweizen, normally hazy and unfiltered), and Weisse (a “white” wheat beer that is not hazy). In general, wheat beers are some of the most difficult beers to brew and are one of the best tests of a brewers abilities.
With wheatbeers there are some who enjoy them with a slice of lemon. Normally, I do not take lemon with the dunkelweizens as they are very complex on their own (in particular Aventinus wouldn’t work well with lemon), but I do enjoy lemon with the lighter-natured Heffeweisens, especially on hot summer days.
The first two beers I want to look at both come from the Schneider brewer in Kelheim, in Bavaria.
Schneider Aventinus – This beer is a classic and defines the style. I have drank many an Aventinus, and I have not tired of it yet.
Its characteristics are its complexity, its massive head. What does it taste like? Every time I taste it, I notice different things. There is a slight tartness to it but it is tempered by the malty richness of the beer. Overall, this is a very, very rich beer. Maybe extravagant luxury would be the word to describe it.
Its finish has a bit of spiciness to it, some cloves, but also something else that I can’t figure out.
Aventinus is best enjoyed from a tall glass that concentrates the aroma and shows off the beautiful color and head of this beer. I stole my Aventinus glass from the Dog & Duck (Don’t worry, I put some extra money in the tip jar that night.), but I’m sure you can find a similar glass at any good liquor store that specializes in beer. I know I probably sound like one of those wine snobs who pontificate on the shape of wineglasses, but I must confess that I am a snob when it comes to beer. Believe me, the tall glass really does enhance the total Aventinus experience.) Also it is essential if you want to pour it with a flourish like skilled bartenders do (a skill I have not mastered yet).
Jackson says Aventinus is 6.1 ABW and 7.7 ABV but the label says its 8.0 ABV. In either case, it is a pretty strong beer. – 5.0 stars (pint bottle)
Schneider Weisse – While this isn’t a dunkelweizen, it is darker than your typical Heffeweizen beer so I have included it. It is an amazing beer, but not as good as Aventinus. It is very tan in the glass with a very large head.
It has a complex palate with spicy and tart notes. I would describe it more as a lighter Aventinus, instead of a darker Heffeweizen. (It’s hard to explain, but drink it, then drink the Aventinus and a Heffeweizen, and you’ll see what I mean.) – 4.0 stars (pint bottle)
Paulaner Heffeweizen Dunkel – I had this at the The Scholz Beer Garten, a gathering place for thinkers in Austin since 1866. The beer was quite enjoyable and very true to the style. It is good with or without a lemon.– 3.9 stars (tap)
Franzikaner Dunkel Hefe-Weisse – It has less citrus than the Paulaner and is well balanced with notes of cloves and fresh whole wheat bread. Very full-bodied. – 4.0 stars (pint bottle)
Brooklyn Brewery Weisse (or maybe it was Dunkel Weisse, I forget) - Of dunkels in the good old US of A, I found one of note on my last trip to New York City. I found it in a little pub in Greenwich Village. (Sadly I forgot the name of the pub, but on my next time up in Yankeeland, I’ll try to find it, or better the Brooklyn Brewery itself.) The pub was very nice with descriptive notes in their beer menus, but it was far too dark for my tastes. I would have preferred a bit more ambient lighting.
Enough about the pub, the Dunkel from Brooklyn was an enchanting beer and its discovery was one of the highlights of my trip. It was very rich, and satisfying with a fragrant hops kick. It had lots of fruit flavors (maybe bananas and oranges), but remained delightfully dunkel. It was very filling.
I had it with lemon and it worked well. – 4.5 stars (tap)
Closing Shots
Thanks for your time, and be sure and try out some of the beers I reviewed this go around. Beer is meant to be enjoyed and if it inspires, poetry, prose or other artistic expression, email me at jim@jmbzine.com and I’ll include your submission at the end of my column next month.
Coming Next Month . . .
Mass-market beers - Are any of them worth the water they’re brewed with?
Stouts and Porters - a.k.a. beers that’ll put hair on your chest
Monks, & Beer - Do they let protestants in?
Jim’s Rating System & Beer Glossary – click here (link here)
A World of Beer
As Experienced by Jim
Glossary & Beer Ratings Guide
Note: This column is intended for mature folks who understand that the key to enjoying good beer is quality and not quantity.
Jim’s Beer Rating System
0.1 – Is it beer or hop flavored urine?
1.0 –Barely drinkable, at best a loose interpretation of the style
2.0 –A good average beer for the style
3.0 –Above average for beers of its style
4.0 –Worth seeking out, very special
5.0 – A World classic beer, the kind that inspires poetry
Beer Terminology
This will expand over time, as I will add new terms used in each month’s column.
ABW – alcohol by weight (scale most often used in the USA), used here unless noted. ABV, or alcohol by volume is the scale most often used in the EU.
Bottle or tap – I include this info because sometimes the same brand of beer may taste different on tap and bottle. For bottle conditioned beers (i.e. Aventinus), they are probably best (at least in the US) in bottle, but for others the tap may be better. (For tap, look for bars that have a fast rotation of beers. While I love beer colliseums like The Flying Saucer Pub with it’s 100+ beers in tap, you occasionally get skunky beers that have been there too long. Generally, beers with smaller numbers on tap will tend to have fresher beer.)
Dunkel – Ger. “dark”
Heffeweizen – Ger. “wheat beer brewed with yeast”
Hops – an herb added to beer to give it bitterness and aroma. Bavarian beers by law are only allowed to contain barley (or wheat), water, hops and yeast.
Märzenbier – Ger. “March beer”
Weizen – Ger. “wheat beer”
Most of this information has been gleaned from a variety of sources including Michael Jackson’s Pocket Guide to Beer, the Idiot’s Guide to Beer (don’t laugh, it’s a pretty decent guide), periodicals like The Celebrator and Southwest Brewing News, bartenders from many pubs, lots of websites, and most importantly tasting lots of different beers.
Questions, comments, suggestions, gripes… email me jim@jmbzine.com