10 Oktoberfest beers

[GA Russell]

Here's an interesting list that might make you thirsty!

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/09/16/top-10-oktoberfest-beers/

[Jerry_L]

Even though Hofbrau is one of the Munich six, it wouldn't make my top ten. Neither would the Leinenkugel. Nothing Leinenkugel makes is outstanding. Their O'fest beer is good, but there are many better choices.

The Ayinger, Hacker-Pschorr, and Paulaner easily belong in the top ten, and maybe the Widmer Bros Okto. The rest I have yet to sample, and may not be available in my area.

But thanks for sharing, GA. I will look for the Weihenstephaner and Flying Dog, which i should be able to find here.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Jerry_L

[Big Beat Steve]

Are you sure these German beers you taste in the US taste like the ones they dispense in Munich? Or is it just wishful thinking?

Am no expert on the matter but have heard very often (from seasoned beer drinkers) that US "Lowenbrau", for example, nowhere resembles the "LÖWENBRÄU" real thing from Bavaria. So would things be guaranteed to be all that different for other Bavarian brands?

Where is Weizy, BTW?

Edited September 16, 2013 by Big Beat Steve

[Jerry_L]

Are you sure these German beers you taste in the US taste like the ones they dispense in Munich? Or is it just wishful thinking?

Am no expert on the matter but have heard very often (from seasoned beer drinkers) that US "Lowenbrau", for example, nowhere resembles the "LÖWENBRÄU" real thing from Bavaria. So would things be guaranteed to be all that different for other Bavarian brands?

Where is Weizy, BTW?

Beer shipped in a keg should not deteriorate from light exposure, so it could taste the same as in Germany. However, I have not yet sampled any of the German brews on draft.

U.S. Lowenbrau, which I haven't seen here in many years, was a Miller product mass produced here. It wasn't bad, but certainly not the same as the imported German product.

No bottled beer is exactly the same as a draft experience, but the other Germans I've tried were brewed and bottled in Germany and imported here. It is unfortunate that brews like Hofbrau are in green glass, which is more prone to deterioration from light exposure than brown glass or cans.

Physics and Green Beer Bottles: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/03/physics-and-green-beer-bottles/

Despite the glass, Hofbrau doesn't compare well to other Oktoberfests, at least to my taste. It may be quite popular in Germany, but to me it tastes like a typical German lager, not a true Marzen recipe.

But it is true that the bottled domestics are usually fresher than bottled imports, so judgement is somewhat biased by proximity.

As long as I enjoy what I am drinking, I won't worry too much about it.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Jerry_L

[Jerry_L]

Why Beer Bottles are Green, Brown or Clear

http://brokensecrets.com/2010/03/23/why-beer-bottles-are-green-brown-or-clear/

Brown bottles filter out visible and ultraviolet light that causes this reaction. Clear and green bottles don’t do much for filtering out the harmful light, clear and green bottles are often a marketing decision more than a practical one.

Clear bottles look great, showing off the color and texture of the beer while green bottles were once a status symbol for beer. After World War II, there was a shortage of brown glass, so European brewers exported their beer in green bottles. Because many of those beers were extremely high quality and others were just priced to seem that way, the green bottle became a status symbol for great beer.

Beers with little or no hops aren’t as susceptible to damage from light, so clear and green bottles are widely accepted for those beers.

BeerSci: Why You Should Never Drink Beer From A Clear Glass Bottle

In the end, if you want to avoid the skunk entirely, just buy a beer that has been packaged in a keg, cask or can. Those beers can (and do) develop bad flavors, but you'll never get one that has been skunked.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Jerry_L

[Kevin Bresnahan]

U.S. Lowenbrau, which I haven't seen here in many years, was a Miller product mass produced here. It wasn't bad, but certainly not the same as the imported German product.

US Lowenbrau has been brewed in Germany for many years now. It's not as good as the stuff you get in Germany but it's miles ahead better than the stuff that Miller produced for decades.

Despite the glass, Hofbrau doesn't compare well to other Oktoberfests, at least to my taste. It may be quite popular in Germany, but to me it tastes like a typical German lager, not a true Marzen recipe.

I agree that Hofbrau's beers in general are some of the weakest German beers shipped to the US.

Generally, I drink German Oktoberfest biers. Most American brewers seem to miss. I'll have to see if I can find a couple of the ones listed here to see if they've gotten better. Right now, all the stores around here are filled with various pumpkin flavored brews. Not my cuppa tea (or beer).

FWIW, I think Hacker-Pschorr got bought by Paulaner years ago and I seem to have tasted a difference. I don't usually buy Hacker-Pschorr any more and I've never been a big Paulaner fan.. Now Ayinger. Erdinger & Weihenstephaner - now you're talking!