I've been lacking in my beer review posts, of late. So, in keeping mit dem thema Deutsch...
As soosn as I walked through the doors at Oliver's I saw the wall of Wolters cases. Boxes of Fest-bier and Pilsner were piled high enough to obscure the guy behind the counter. I'll admit I was intrigued, but there's always one big caveat, when it comes to German imports — Das bottle. I've always been dumbfounded as to why breweries export, light-sensitive lager in green bottles. Temperature control in beer shipping is the X-factor, but brown bottles seem to be a no-brainer—why even risk onion beer? I continued my trek between the beverage center's tall shelves, loaded with beautiful brown bottles. Every time I rounded the corner of one of the aisles, my eyes were drawn to the brighlty colored blue and gold cartons of Wolters. Damn you green botttles! Be gone from my mind! Nope, it was in my destiny to buy a green-bottled import— a "best-in-September-Fest-bier," no less! I was a victim of point-of-purchase advertising. I consciously, said to myself, "It can't be any worse than any other skunky beer you've had." I didn't want to buy it, and I justified the purchase, because I am simple-minded and gullible.
You know what's coming next, right? Off pops the cap and —WHEW! But, no, that's not what happened. The cap came of with a hiss and I braced myself for the smell, but there was only a pleasant toasty aroma, with a slight metallic hint. Eyebrow raised, I stared skeptically at the mouth of the bottle. Pouring the brew into my mug, it shone a perfect amber—much lighter than the usual American made märzen biers. The bright white head held form and offered more of the toasty, tinny aroma. As I drank, the body was soft and slightly creamy on my tongue, with a weight to it. The lager was rich with caramel and had a mild spiciness, like cracked black pepper. The hops brought a grassy, hay-ness and a quick, sharp bite at the very end.
I learned a valuable lesson with this one. Don't judge a beer by it's label and leave your preconceived notions at the beverage center door. Having such good luck with the märzen, I went back for the pilsner... but that's a story for another review.
As soosn as I walked through the doors at Oliver's I saw the wall of Wolters cases. Boxes of Fest-bier and Pilsner were piled high enough to obscure the guy behind the counter. I'll admit I was intrigued, but there's always one big caveat, when it comes to German imports — Das bottle. I've always been dumbfounded as to why breweries export, light-sensitive lager in green bottles. Temperature control in beer shipping is the X-factor, but brown bottles seem to be a no-brainer—why even risk onion beer? I continued my trek between the beverage center's tall shelves, loaded with beautiful brown bottles. Every time I rounded the corner of one of the aisles, my eyes were drawn to the brighlty colored blue and gold cartons of Wolters. Damn you green botttles! Be gone from my mind! Nope, it was in my destiny to buy a green-bottled import— a "best-in-September-Fest-bier," no less! I was a victim of point-of-purchase advertising. I consciously, said to myself, "It can't be any worse than any other skunky beer you've had." I didn't want to buy it, and I justified the purchase, because I am simple-minded and gullible.
You know what's coming next, right? Off pops the cap and —WHEW! But, no, that's not what happened. The cap came of with a hiss and I braced myself for the smell, but there was only a pleasant toasty aroma, with a slight metallic hint. Eyebrow raised, I stared skeptically at the mouth of the bottle. Pouring the brew into my mug, it shone a perfect amber—much lighter than the usual American made märzen biers. The bright white head held form and offered more of the toasty, tinny aroma. As I drank, the body was soft and slightly creamy on my tongue, with a weight to it. The lager was rich with caramel and had a mild spiciness, like cracked black pepper. The hops brought a grassy, hay-ness and a quick, sharp bite at the very end.
I learned a valuable lesson with this one. Don't judge a beer by it's label and leave your preconceived notions at the beverage center door. Having such good luck with the märzen, I went back for the pilsner... but that's a story for another review.
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