Craft Circa: 1996
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 25
Notables: Seasonal - July release.
Label: Classic 3 Floyds. Tremendous.
Overall: It’s that time of year. It’s in fact a marvelous time of year for us potbelly beer drinkers (like me). The weather is dropping, and the fall beers are in session. I came across this German Lager by accident while obtaining something else a couple months back. Well due to Gooner and myself taking part in some Oktoberfest festivities this week, I figured it would be appropriate to post a review to put us in the spirit of this fine season.
I admit I had to read about the Franconian style of beer to determine what the actual distinctions were. It’s basically a style of beer from the region hyperlinked above. This Helles, or Lagerbier is a bottom-fermenting style of beer that is much hoppier in relation to Bavarian or other eastern European beers. However upon tasting, I did not come across that, in fact I thought it lacked hops in comparison. Now what makes this brew a bottom-fermenting style is that it uses bottom-cropping yeasts which are typically used to produce cool fermented, lager-type beers. These yeasts ferment more sugar creating a dryer beer (per Wiki). Thus explaining some of my worst hangovers.
This particular lager seems fresh, and had an ideal fresh aroma to boot. This almost straw colored lager has a semi-decent pour, and attires the glass nicely, almost as if the mug was attending a stein ball in Munich. Nice golden color filled my new birthday stein from one of the best nieces in the world. Hopefully she’s not reading this shout out for another 14 years or so.
The beer really tries to clear the palate quickly, and it does a good job in doing so. Some toffee or syrup kicks in, creating this slightly sweet malt body. However, the flavors are not pleasant, and overall was not a beer that I enjoyed. The hop profile was quite lame, and there was no finish worthwhile. This style is too light for my liking, and is nowhere near good enough to want to drink. There’s really not much to write about other than it’s possible to assume that it’s really not the beer itself that’s to blame, but the style of beer instead. If 3 Floyds did not make it worthy, why would I want to explore elsewhere? For my intake it’s a tad pricey for what you get, and that’s a sub-par brew.
Unfortunately beer was wasted in the writing of this review. Pouring the brew in such a large stein, it was an awful thought putting down the entire thing, and sad to note, that some of it met its demise at the kitchen sink drain. I know… cue the Second Line for this beer, it was a rough one.
On second thought, it’s a time for drinking, singing, and dancing… it’s a marvelous time of year. Happy Oktoberfest!
The Pennsylvania Polka, an appropriate Oktoberfest tune, and the base melody for the team fight song you see on the stein above...
Acquisition: 22 oz. - $10
~gY
Tidbit: Boot of beer: Per wiki, German themed bars in America may have boot shaped glasses, often engraved with insignias or logos, which may be passed among drinkers as a drinking challenge. These glasses are supposedly based on German "Bierstiefels", used in drinking games; though the origins of the boot glass are unknown and subject to speculation; the Germans call them "Stiefel" or "Damenbein" ("Ladies Leg").
