Tried a new German Beer. [new for me]

[CaptainGreybeard]

I love a good hefeweizen! Franziskaner, Paulaner, and Weihenstephaner are excellent German ones that I can get around here.

As a German national (and beer drinker ) I can tell you that the differences between Paulaner, Franziskaner and Weihenstephaner are huge. Franziskaner is rich in flavour, has a full body and a quite noticeable smell and taste of banana juice, mixed with slight traces of citrus and a hint of clover. Franziskaner smells and tastes more streamlined and more restrained. Weihenstephaner, well, there are at least three versions of Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, the dark, the regular and the stout, that they've named "Vitus." I'm excluding the Kristall, which has been filtered, so all the goodness (the yeast, which gives Weizenbier its special taste) has been removed. The dark Hefeweizen is good, the regular Hefeweizen acceptable, and I must admit I haven't tried "Vitus" yet.

However, as a local of the Rhineland - more specifically the area between Cologne and Düsseldorf - I prefer our local beers, of which there are a huge variety, and most of them are at least acceptable, some are good to very good and a few are even excellent. You will have trouble, however, finding them abroad. Very popular with the locals in Düsseldorf are Schlüssel, Uerige and Schumacher whereas Päffgen, Malzmühle and Früh are the favourite beers in Cologne, at least with the natives. Tourists usually drink whatever they get served.

 

[The Knize]

Great notes. Thanks.

I'm excluding the Kristall, which has been filtered, so all the goodness (the yeast, which gives Weizenbier its special taste) has been removed.

Filtered hefeweizen seems like an oxymoron.

Do you or others know if these hefeweizens are pasteurized for the US export market? It has been a while since I was in Germany, but it seemed to me all the beer there was a least very good and that the pasteurizing for the US market really degraded the quality of the versions sold in the US.

 

[TexLaw]

As a German national (and beer drinker ) I can tell you that the differences between Paulaner, Franziskaner and Weihenstephaner are huge. Franziskaner is rich in flavour, has a full body and a quite noticeable smell and taste of banana juice, mixed with slight traces of citrus and a hint of clover. Franziskaner smells and tastes more streamlined and more restrained. Weihenstephaner, well, there are at least three versions of Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, the dark, the regular and the stout, that they've named "Vitus." I'm excluding the Kristall, which has been filtered, so all the goodness (the yeast, which gives Weizenbier its special taste) has been removed. The dark Hefeweizen is good, the regular Hefeweizen acceptable, and I must admit I haven't tried "Vitus" yet.

However, as a local of the Rhineland - more specifically the area between Cologne and Düsseldorf - I prefer our local beers, of which there are a huge variety, and most of them are at least acceptable, some are good to very good and a few are even excellent. You will have trouble, however, finding them abroad. Very popular with the locals in Düsseldorf are Schlüssel, Uerige and Schumacher whereas Päffgen, Malzmühle and Früh are the favourite beers in Cologne, at least with the natives. Tourists usually drink whatever they get served.

One watering hole that I frequent has Paulaner, Franziskaner, and Andechs hefeweizen on tap. They also have Weihenstephaner Vitus and kristallweizen. I bounce around between those (but, yeah, but the kristallweizen).

They also have Früh, for that matter.

Another that I frequent often has Weihenstephaner hefeweizen and also the Live Oak from Austin.

I love a dunkelweizen, too! I can find some fine beers around here, but I'm sorry to say that a dunkelweizen isn't among them. Bottled ones are rare, and I can't remember the last time I saw one on tap around here (that wasn't a homebrew).

 

[TexLaw]

Filtered hefeweizen seems like an oxymoron

It is. Hefeweizen is unfiltered. Kristallweizen is filtered.

That's a good question about whether any of those beers are pasteurized. It's like to think they stopped that in kegged product (if they ever did it in the first place), but I wouldn't be surprised if bottled exports still were. Live yeast, glass bottles, and lots of jostling often makes for trouble.

 

[CaptainGreybeard]

Franziskaner is rich in flavour, has a full body and a quite noticeable smell and taste of banana juice, mixed with slight traces of citrus and a hint of clover. Franziskaner smells and tastes more streamlined and more restrained.

It must be "Paulaner", of course.

Most large (= industrial) breweries in Germany pasteurise their products, not only those earmarked for export, but also those sold domestically. This is why I usually avoid beer from large brewery groups and prefer small independent brewers and bottlers who promise not to heat-treat their beer. On the other hand, doing without pasteurisation comes at the expense of a reduced shelf life.

 

[The Knize]

It's like to think they stopped that in kegged product (if they ever did it in the first place),

Good point My recollection is they did not pasteurize the kegged product. This is going back quite a ways. Let's says 1972. I do not know how often the kegged product made it to the States. In particular, Lowenbrau was at that time being sold in the States as an import from Germany. I could not believe how much better it was in Munich, where it was unpasteurized, I think even in bottles, but certainly on tap. Although I preferred Paulaner and, as I recall, Augustiner.

Most large (= industrial) breweries in Germany pasteurise their products, not only those earmarked for export, but also those sold domestically.

Oh, no, say it ain't so!

On the other hand, doing without pasteurisation comes at the expense of a reduced shelf life.

Is that ever really a problem in Germany? It would not be in the States if the beer was of the quality it is in Munich.

 

[CaptainGreybeard]

Is that ever really a problem in Germany? It would not be in the States if the beer was of the quality it is in Munich.

With most industrially produced German beers, you see a shelf life of about one year printed on the labels. Beers from small independent breweries usually have a shelf life of a six to eight, rarely 12 weeks, but that's it. The reason is that industrially processed beers contain only ingredients that were industrially processed themselves, and the result (= beer) is usually filtered (using a plastic by the unspeakable name of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP)) and pasteurised in a super clean and sterile environment. That's the explanation for that absurdly long shelf life. "Real beer" would go off within a month, and would only last that long if stored in a cold and dark place.

 

[TexLaw]

"Real beer" would go off within a month, and would only last that long if stored in a cold and dark place.

No, not at all. Such beer would have a good three or four month "shelf life," especially if kept cold, and that's after lagering.

Heck, even my homebrewed lagers got at least that, and I assure you that they were "real" and not brewed (much less pasteurized) in a sterile environment.

 

[FL shaver]

As a German national (and beer drinker ) I can tell you that the differences between Paulaner, Franziskaner and Weihenstephaner are huge. Franziskaner is rich in flavour, has a full body and a quite noticeable smell and taste of banana juice, mixed with slight traces of citrus and a hint of clover. Franziskaner smells and tastes more streamlined and more restrained. Weihenstephaner, well, there are at least three versions of Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, the dark, the regular and the stout, that they've named "Vitus." I'm excluding the Kristall, which has been filtered, so all the goodness (the yeast, which gives Weizenbier its special taste) has been removed. The dark Hefeweizen is good, the regular Hefeweizen acceptable, and I must admit I haven't tried "Vitus" yet.

However, as a local of the Rhineland - more specifically the area between Cologne and Düsseldorf - I prefer our local beers, of which there are a huge variety, and most of them are at least acceptable, some are good to very good and a few are even excellent. You will have trouble, however, finding them abroad. Very popular with the locals in Düsseldorf are Schlüssel, Uerige and Schumacher whereas Päffgen, Malzmühle and Früh are the favourite beers in Cologne, at least with the natives. Tourists usually drink whatever they get served.

Sure enjoyed trying the beers in NWR on a trip to Dusseldorf a couple years ago!

 

[The Knize]

Wow, I cannot tell you how bereft I am to hear that generally available bottled German beer is pasteurized!

Was this always true and folks back in 1972, when I was in Munich, were just ill-informed?

I do not even have to close my eyes to recall what a bottle of Paulaner lager tasted like in Munich in 1972! I find it hard to believe that quality came after pasteurization! But turns out a lot of what I know ain't true!

 

[FL shaver]

EDIT: NRW, of course. Knew I was going to do that wrong. :-(

 

[TexLaw]

I know I've already mentioned this one, but I feel the need to reiterate (since the tap is staring me square in the face).

This is an excellent hefeweizen. If you're in Texas (especially around Austin), I highly recommend you giving it a shot.

 

[TexLaw]

I thought I'd post the current lineup at one of the places I kept mentioning. If you're in the mood for German beer, you could do a lot worse.

 

[Bhugo]

My dad used to drink Stroh's beer. The new one is good, but nothing special. He would sometimes put cold tomato juice in it.

Anyone else try that? I've never had the guts! Why ruin a beer?

Not sorry for the thread derail! It's what I do; it's a gift!

Many times. It’s a hangover cure. If you are really adventurous, crack an egg in it before guzzling.

 

[Bhugo]

I really like sampling different Hefeweizen beers at one of our local establishments that stocks a lot of German beers. You can drink the all day and they taste great the whole time.

 

[FarmerTan]

Many times. It’s a hangover cure. If you are really adventurous, crack an egg in it before guzzling.

Lol, I saw him do that ONCE!

 

[Sneetch]

However, as a local of the Rhineland - more specifically the area between Cologne and Düsseldorf - I prefer our local beers, of which there are a huge variety, and most of them are at least acceptable, some are good to very good and a few are even excellent. You will have trouble, however, finding them abroad. Very popular with the locals in Düsseldorf are Schlüssel, Uerige and Schumacher whereas Päffgen, Malzmühle and Früh are the favourite beers in Cologne, at least with the natives. Tourists usually drink whatever they get served.

Love the Kölsch!