Hirter - Privat Pils
Hirter - Privat Pils
Style: German Pilsner
ABV: 5.2%
Origin: Micheldorf, Austria
Brewed according to ancient Bohemian recipes and left to mature with a prolonged aging process, the Hirter Privat Pils has a different taste than a typical North German pils.
The soft mountain spring water used for brewing this GMO-free, non-pasteurized and purely natural specialty beer comes from the Hanslbauer spring in the water protection area directly opposite the brewery, underlining the beer’s pure, aromatic hop note and typical taste.
The Hirter Privat Pils is highly fermented, resulting in a naturally slender taste that beer connoisseurs often refer to as “semi-dry”. Slender on the palate, the beer has a harmonious, bittersweet finish. However, the delicately bitter note is never overpowering, but reveals its typically soft character as an integral flavor element. Another characteristic is the mild carbonic acid structure, which ensures optimum flavor.
Best enjoyed with: Carpaccio, Fisch, Backhendl, Kasnudeln
Awards:
2012 DLG-GOLD award
2014 DLG-GOLD award
Style description: German Pilsner
Link to product website: Hirter
Style: German Pilsner
ABV: 5.2%
Origin: Micheldorf, Austria
Brewed according to ancient Bohemian recipes and left to mature with a prolonged aging process, the Hirter Privat Pils has a different taste than a typical North German pils.
The soft mountain spring water used for brewing this GMO-free, non-pasteurized and purely natural specialty beer comes from the Hanslbauer spring in the water protection area directly opposite the brewery, underlining the beer’s pure, aromatic hop note and typical taste.
The Hirter Privat Pils is highly fermented, resulting in a naturally slender taste that beer connoisseurs often refer to as “semi-dry”. Slender on the palate, the beer has a harmonious, bittersweet finish. However, the delicately bitter note is never overpowering, but reveals its typically soft character as an integral flavor element. Another characteristic is the mild carbonic acid structure, which ensures optimum flavor.
Best enjoyed with: Carpaccio, Fisch, Backhendl, Kasnudeln
Awards:
2012 DLG-GOLD award
2014 DLG-GOLD award
Style description: German Pilsner
Link to product website: Hirter
Hirter - Morchl
Hirter - Morchl
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager
ABV: 5%
Origin: Micheldorf, Austria
Appearance:
Pours a semi-clear deep brown with a yellowish-tan head that dissipates quickly, leaving some lacing.
Aroma:
There's a lot going on here, especially as the beer warms a bit. Bready Munich malt, chocolate, molasses, nutty and a strong sweet smell. The smell begs you to hurry for a taste, but smells so good you have to pause to savor the aroma. Very unique!
Taste:
Wow! The first thing that comes to mind is that this is not a Munich Dunkel style. There's some rye malt character there with a weaker hop profile, much like a Euro Dark Lager style. Whether it fits the Munich Dunkel taste profile or not, this is an awesome beer, in my opinion! Grainy, malty, bready flavors with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, brown sugar and ripe dark fruit flavors. Yummy!
Mouthfeel:
Medium bodied with a light-to-medium carbonation level, making it silky smooth. No alcohol warmth detected.
Overall, this was a great beer for a great price! I paid $2.39 for a single 16.9 oz. (500ml) bottle.
I will definitely buy this one again.
Style description: Munich Dunkel Lager
Link to product website: Hirter
Photo credit: jasnepelne.blogspot.com
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager
ABV: 5%
Origin: Micheldorf, Austria
Appearance:
Pours a semi-clear deep brown with a yellowish-tan head that dissipates quickly, leaving some lacing.
Aroma:
There's a lot going on here, especially as the beer warms a bit. Bready Munich malt, chocolate, molasses, nutty and a strong sweet smell. The smell begs you to hurry for a taste, but smells so good you have to pause to savor the aroma. Very unique!
Taste:
Wow! The first thing that comes to mind is that this is not a Munich Dunkel style. There's some rye malt character there with a weaker hop profile, much like a Euro Dark Lager style. Whether it fits the Munich Dunkel taste profile or not, this is an awesome beer, in my opinion! Grainy, malty, bready flavors with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, brown sugar and ripe dark fruit flavors. Yummy!
Mouthfeel:
Medium bodied with a light-to-medium carbonation level, making it silky smooth. No alcohol warmth detected.
Overall, this was a great beer for a great price! I paid $2.39 for a single 16.9 oz. (500ml) bottle.
I will definitely buy this one again.
Style description: Munich Dunkel Lager
Link to product website: Hirter
Photo credit: jasnepelne.blogspot.com
Samichlaus (Classic)
Schloss Eggenberg - Samichlaus (Classic)
Style: Specialty/Undefined
ABV: 14%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
Note: Bottle cellared for one year after ten months of ageing prior to bottling. Poured into a 12 oz. goblet.
Dark brown, slightly red and crystal clear. No head to speak of. Oaky smell of tawny port, fruit cake and alcohol. The taste tells me my nose was right; this is very much like a tawny port or a creamed sherry. Also a similar warming alcohol sensation after the swallow. There are some hops in there, but they’re dominated by a wonderful sweetness. Mouth-feel is thick and almost oily with no detectable carbonation at all. Many have pushed this beer into the doppelbock category, but I'm not so sure this beer can be classed into any known style. (Schloss Eggenberg calls it a "specialty beer" and has another doppelbock in their lineup.) This is such a complex brew; it has the traits of a doppelbock, a barleywine and port wine. OK, who cares? This is one awesome brew and one of my all-time favorites!
Original text from the Schloss Eggenberg website:
Samichlause Bier is brewed only once a year on December 6th, and is aged for ten months before bottling. Samichlause is one of the rarest beer specialties in the world and with 14% alcohol by volume, it is the strongest of its kind.
Samichlaus may be aged in the bottle for many years to come, as older vintages become more complex with a creamy warming finish. This beer can be served with hearty robust dishes and desserts, particularly with chocolates, or as an after dinner drink by itself.
Samichlaus vintage 2004 was chosen "Best Beer in the World" in the category of "Aged Strong Beers" at the
World Beer Cup in 2012.
Style: Specialty/Undefined
ABV: 14%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
Note: Bottle cellared for one year after ten months of ageing prior to bottling. Poured into a 12 oz. goblet.
Dark brown, slightly red and crystal clear. No head to speak of. Oaky smell of tawny port, fruit cake and alcohol. The taste tells me my nose was right; this is very much like a tawny port or a creamed sherry. Also a similar warming alcohol sensation after the swallow. There are some hops in there, but they’re dominated by a wonderful sweetness. Mouth-feel is thick and almost oily with no detectable carbonation at all. Many have pushed this beer into the doppelbock category, but I'm not so sure this beer can be classed into any known style. (Schloss Eggenberg calls it a "specialty beer" and has another doppelbock in their lineup.) This is such a complex brew; it has the traits of a doppelbock, a barleywine and port wine. OK, who cares? This is one awesome brew and one of my all-time favorites!
Original text from the Schloss Eggenberg website:
Samichlause Bier is brewed only once a year on December 6th, and is aged for ten months before bottling. Samichlause is one of the rarest beer specialties in the world and with 14% alcohol by volume, it is the strongest of its kind.
Samichlaus may be aged in the bottle for many years to come, as older vintages become more complex with a creamy warming finish. This beer can be served with hearty robust dishes and desserts, particularly with chocolates, or as an after dinner drink by itself.
Samichlaus vintage 2004 was chosen "Best Beer in the World" in the category of "Aged Strong Beers" at the
World Beer Cup in 2012.
Castle Eggenberg is one of Europe's oldest breweries. Its history dates back to the 10th century and it is located in the region known as Salzkammergut, north of the Alps. With commercial activities starting in 1681, Eggenberg plays an important role in the beer-tradition of Austria. Since 1803 the castle/brewery has been in the hands of the Stöhr family (at present, the seventh generation) and guarantees the highest quality of the Eggenberger beers, which have been awarded numerous gold medals at trade fairs and exhibitions. Nowadays, beer-specialties from Eggenberg are being exported to 40 countries worldwide.
Link to product website: Schloss Egggenberg
Link to product website: Schloss Egggenberg
Samichlaus - Helles
Schloss Eggenberg - Samichlaus Helles
Style: Specialty/Undefined
ABV: 14%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
Castle Eggenberg is the oldest, family owned brewery in Austria. It dates back at least to the year 999 A.D. At this time the beer was brewed only for the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. Since 1681 the Castle Brewery Eggenberg has been brewing on a commercial basis. About 200 years ago the ancestors of the present owner bought the castle. Since this time the brewery has now a capacity of around 160,000 Hl per year. The specialty beers are brewed according to the purity law of 1516.
Samichlaus Helles
This Helles is pure intensity in beer form. From its forceful aroma of the fruity essences of pears apples and grapes to a character hinting at anise, pepper, vanilla and fruits gilded in a powdered sugary glaze, it seems only natural that this hard hitter’s alcohol by volume is a hearty 14%. Its taste is slightly hoppy, lightly fizzy with a luxuriant and velvety texture – a beer for your cellar, if you can manage to resist its cognac-like dry finish and welcoming zest for long enough to allow it to age. Not that you have to – brewed only once a year on December 6, Helles is aged for a full 10 months before bottling. It may be hard to imagine doing much better than this golden, robustly toothsome brew, with few more years under its belt, it grows in complexity and nuance – proving that not only wine can age magnificently and gracefully.
Link to product website: Schloss Egggenberg
Style: Specialty/Undefined
ABV: 14%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
Castle Eggenberg is the oldest, family owned brewery in Austria. It dates back at least to the year 999 A.D. At this time the beer was brewed only for the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. Since 1681 the Castle Brewery Eggenberg has been brewing on a commercial basis. About 200 years ago the ancestors of the present owner bought the castle. Since this time the brewery has now a capacity of around 160,000 Hl per year. The specialty beers are brewed according to the purity law of 1516.
Samichlaus Helles
This Helles is pure intensity in beer form. From its forceful aroma of the fruity essences of pears apples and grapes to a character hinting at anise, pepper, vanilla and fruits gilded in a powdered sugary glaze, it seems only natural that this hard hitter’s alcohol by volume is a hearty 14%. Its taste is slightly hoppy, lightly fizzy with a luxuriant and velvety texture – a beer for your cellar, if you can manage to resist its cognac-like dry finish and welcoming zest for long enough to allow it to age. Not that you have to – brewed only once a year on December 6, Helles is aged for a full 10 months before bottling. It may be hard to imagine doing much better than this golden, robustly toothsome brew, with few more years under its belt, it grows in complexity and nuance – proving that not only wine can age magnificently and gracefully.
Link to product website: Schloss Egggenberg
Schloss Eggenberg - Urbock 23°
Schloss Eggenberg - Urbock 23°
Style: MaiBock
ABV: 9.6%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
Original text from the product website:
Our Urbock 23° is one of the strongest beers of its kind in the world, with 23° plato attaining 9.6% alcohol by volume. It matures in our ancient cellars for nine months, until it is fully fermented and turns amber in colour. Urbock 23° is full-bodied with a creamy flavour, well balanced with a nobel hop bitterness. Urbock 23° is known in many countries as the cognac of beers.
Style description: Maibock
Link to product website: Schloss Eggenberg
Photo credit: moribeer.exblog.jp
Style: MaiBock
ABV: 9.6%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
Original text from the product website:
Our Urbock 23° is one of the strongest beers of its kind in the world, with 23° plato attaining 9.6% alcohol by volume. It matures in our ancient cellars for nine months, until it is fully fermented and turns amber in colour. Urbock 23° is full-bodied with a creamy flavour, well balanced with a nobel hop bitterness. Urbock 23° is known in many countries as the cognac of beers.
Style description: Maibock
Link to product website: Schloss Eggenberg
Photo credit: moribeer.exblog.jp
Schloss Eggenberg - Doppelbock Dunkel
Schloss Eggenberg - Doppelbock Dunkel
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 8.5%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
My notes:
Pours a dark-brown, cola colour. Head fades away fairly quickly, leaving some sticky lacing behind. Smells of toffee/molasses and a note of real liquorice. Taste is semi-sweet molasses, with a mild hop bitter, along with a coffee-ish bitter flavour in the finish. Picking up up some notes of fig preserves in there as it warms up. Body is between medium and full; carbonation is barely detectable. As I expected, another finely crafted beer from Schloss Eggenberg.
From the Scloss Eggenberg website:
Doppelbock Dunkel has a pleasant, full and creamy body with a coffee-ish aroma. Nicely warming with a toffee-like malty sweetness, balanced by a hoppy bitterness in the finish. Doppelbock Dunkel won the Silver Medal at the World Beer Cup in 2007.
Style description: Doppelbock
Link to product website: Schloss Eggenberg
Photo credit: aartedabebida.blogspot.com
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 8.5%
Origin: Vorchdorf, Austria
My notes:
Pours a dark-brown, cola colour. Head fades away fairly quickly, leaving some sticky lacing behind. Smells of toffee/molasses and a note of real liquorice. Taste is semi-sweet molasses, with a mild hop bitter, along with a coffee-ish bitter flavour in the finish. Picking up up some notes of fig preserves in there as it warms up. Body is between medium and full; carbonation is barely detectable. As I expected, another finely crafted beer from Schloss Eggenberg.
From the Scloss Eggenberg website:
Doppelbock Dunkel has a pleasant, full and creamy body with a coffee-ish aroma. Nicely warming with a toffee-like malty sweetness, balanced by a hoppy bitterness in the finish. Doppelbock Dunkel won the Silver Medal at the World Beer Cup in 2007.
Style description: Doppelbock
Link to product website: Schloss Eggenberg
Photo credit: aartedabebida.blogspot.com
Stiegl - Pils
Stiegl - Pils
Style: German Pilsner
ABV: 4.9%
Origin: Salzburg, Austria
My review:
Pours a slightly hazy, straw-yellow with a white, foamy head and lots of sticky lacing . Smells of cereal grain, spicy hops and fresh cut flowers. Tastes of clean and sweet, malty flavors followed by a subtle, but unmistakable dose of Saaz hop bittering. Mouthfeel was surprisingly full-bodied and low carbonation with a nice buttery feel after swallowing. Long bitter-sweet aftertaste. Sweet, malty flavours are even more pronounced after it warms up a little. Overall, one of the best German-style Pilsners I've ever had.
From the Stiegl website:
An elegant, refined beer with a pleasant hoppy bitterness.
The lighter, gently kiln-dried malt gives Stiegl Pils its light golden colour. The marvelous bouquet of the finest Saaz hops, a characteristic bitterness and liveliness make it a favourite of beer connoisseurs that love a delicate hoppy note and a fine, aromatic flavour.
We have been brewing beer here at our own brewery in Salzburg since 1492, always using the best spring water from the local Untersberg mountain. As the largest privately owned brewery in Austria, we have succeeded as an independent and self-sufficient family business. We wish to continue to produce Austria's favourite beer, which is why we are dedicated to consistent quality and in turn to the art of brewing at the highest level!
We use only the best raw ingredients for our Stiegl, and they come from Austria. Hops, water, malt, yeast, and nothing else! In order to maintain the high quality of our ingredients as they are, they are inspected by the boss himself, Heinrich Dieter Kiener, on-site.
Water:
Our pure, untreated spring water comes from a deep well at the foot of the nearby Unterberg, whose peak is nearly 2000 metres above sea level. The taste of Untersberg water was appreciated as far back as the 15th century by Salzburg's archbishops who had carried every day by water bearers and served at the princely table.
Barley:
High quality two-row summer barley is the basis for our malt and comes from the Lower Austrian wine region.
Malt is brewer’s barley that has been transformed by steeping, germination and kilning, giving our beer its body and fullness of flavour. In our region barley is used almost exclusively for brewing and the quality and variety can vary depending on the location, climate and time of harvest. Two-row summer barley is most suitable for brewing due to its low protein content. Its quality is determined by aroma, size and the shape of the grains, and by the quality of the spelt and the inner grain.
Hops:
The hops for our beers come primarily from the Mühlviertel of Austria. Only our Stiegl Pilsner uses additional premium quality Saaz hops gives our pilsner its characteristic fine bitterness. Hops have been used in agriculture for a long time. Hops have been cultivated in the Upper Austrian Mühlviertel since the 12th century and were grown in Bohemia as far back as the 8th century - and even earlier in some cases. The hops are harvested between the end of August and mid-September. Subsequently they are kiln dried at a temperature of 62 to 65°C. To ensure the quality of the essential oils produced is maintained, the hops are stored in a cooling room at the Stiegl brewery at 4 - 6°C and only opened just before they are to be used.
Yeast:
We breed our own yeast strains in order to ensure that the taste of our beers remains unchanged. Quality is especially important when it comes to yeast. The brewers proverb is true: “The brewer makes the wort - the yeast makes the beer.” Yeast is a single-celled fungus that is responsible for fermenting the wort, transforming malt sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The yeast also produces flavouring compounds as bi-products, which contribute to the taste structure of the beer. There are two types of beer yeasts: Top-fermenting yeasts collect at the top of the wort vat during the fermentation process, bottom-fermenting yeasts at the bottom. Depending on the yeast selected, beers are classified as top-fermented or bottom-fermented. The bottom-fermented beers include Stiegl Goldbräu and Stiegl Pilsner. The most prominent top-fermented beer is wheat beer (Stiegl Weizengold), but rye and spelt beer are also top-fermented, as are the regional brews Kölsch and Altbier.
Style description: German Pilsner
Link to product website: Stiegl
Style: German Pilsner
ABV: 4.9%
Origin: Salzburg, Austria
My review:
Pours a slightly hazy, straw-yellow with a white, foamy head and lots of sticky lacing . Smells of cereal grain, spicy hops and fresh cut flowers. Tastes of clean and sweet, malty flavors followed by a subtle, but unmistakable dose of Saaz hop bittering. Mouthfeel was surprisingly full-bodied and low carbonation with a nice buttery feel after swallowing. Long bitter-sweet aftertaste. Sweet, malty flavours are even more pronounced after it warms up a little. Overall, one of the best German-style Pilsners I've ever had.
From the Stiegl website:
An elegant, refined beer with a pleasant hoppy bitterness.
The lighter, gently kiln-dried malt gives Stiegl Pils its light golden colour. The marvelous bouquet of the finest Saaz hops, a characteristic bitterness and liveliness make it a favourite of beer connoisseurs that love a delicate hoppy note and a fine, aromatic flavour.
We have been brewing beer here at our own brewery in Salzburg since 1492, always using the best spring water from the local Untersberg mountain. As the largest privately owned brewery in Austria, we have succeeded as an independent and self-sufficient family business. We wish to continue to produce Austria's favourite beer, which is why we are dedicated to consistent quality and in turn to the art of brewing at the highest level!
We use only the best raw ingredients for our Stiegl, and they come from Austria. Hops, water, malt, yeast, and nothing else! In order to maintain the high quality of our ingredients as they are, they are inspected by the boss himself, Heinrich Dieter Kiener, on-site.
Water:
Our pure, untreated spring water comes from a deep well at the foot of the nearby Unterberg, whose peak is nearly 2000 metres above sea level. The taste of Untersberg water was appreciated as far back as the 15th century by Salzburg's archbishops who had carried every day by water bearers and served at the princely table.
Barley:
High quality two-row summer barley is the basis for our malt and comes from the Lower Austrian wine region.
Malt is brewer’s barley that has been transformed by steeping, germination and kilning, giving our beer its body and fullness of flavour. In our region barley is used almost exclusively for brewing and the quality and variety can vary depending on the location, climate and time of harvest. Two-row summer barley is most suitable for brewing due to its low protein content. Its quality is determined by aroma, size and the shape of the grains, and by the quality of the spelt and the inner grain.
Hops:
The hops for our beers come primarily from the Mühlviertel of Austria. Only our Stiegl Pilsner uses additional premium quality Saaz hops gives our pilsner its characteristic fine bitterness. Hops have been used in agriculture for a long time. Hops have been cultivated in the Upper Austrian Mühlviertel since the 12th century and were grown in Bohemia as far back as the 8th century - and even earlier in some cases. The hops are harvested between the end of August and mid-September. Subsequently they are kiln dried at a temperature of 62 to 65°C. To ensure the quality of the essential oils produced is maintained, the hops are stored in a cooling room at the Stiegl brewery at 4 - 6°C and only opened just before they are to be used.
Yeast:
We breed our own yeast strains in order to ensure that the taste of our beers remains unchanged. Quality is especially important when it comes to yeast. The brewers proverb is true: “The brewer makes the wort - the yeast makes the beer.” Yeast is a single-celled fungus that is responsible for fermenting the wort, transforming malt sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The yeast also produces flavouring compounds as bi-products, which contribute to the taste structure of the beer. There are two types of beer yeasts: Top-fermenting yeasts collect at the top of the wort vat during the fermentation process, bottom-fermenting yeasts at the bottom. Depending on the yeast selected, beers are classified as top-fermented or bottom-fermented. The bottom-fermented beers include Stiegl Goldbräu and Stiegl Pilsner. The most prominent top-fermented beer is wheat beer (Stiegl Weizengold), but rye and spelt beer are also top-fermented, as are the regional brews Kölsch and Altbier.
Style description: German Pilsner
Link to product website: Stiegl
Stiegl - Original Stieglbock
Stiegl - Original Stieglbock
Style: Bock
ABV: 7.0%
Origin: Salzburg, Austria
“A powerful original from Stiegl, rich in content and multi-faceted. Velvety on the palate, full-bodied with a warming, long-lasting finish. Months of cold maturation make this specialty beer a truly authentic pleasure.” - Stiegl website
Style description: Bock
Website: Stiegl
Facebook: Stiegl
Twitter: Stiegl
Style: Bock
ABV: 7.0%
Origin: Salzburg, Austria
“A powerful original from Stiegl, rich in content and multi-faceted. Velvety on the palate, full-bodied with a warming, long-lasting finish. Months of cold maturation make this specialty beer a truly authentic pleasure.” - Stiegl website
Style description: Bock
Website: Stiegl
Facebook: Stiegl
Twitter: Stiegl
Grieskirchner - Pils
Grieskirchner - Pils
Style: German Pilsner ABV: 4.8% Origin: Grieskirchen, Austria "The Grieskirchner Pils is the figurehead of the Grieskirchen brewery. Anyone who has tasted the delicately tart hop aroma once, will not easily be persuaded to an alternative. Bright in color, refreshing and lightly sparkling with a delicate hop note. The Grieskirchner brewers affectionately call it their "Zechbier." - Grieskirchner website Style description: German Pilsner Link to product website: Grieskirchen |
Grieskirchner - Dunkel
Grieskirchner - Dunkel
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager
ABV: 5.0%
Origin: Grieskirchen, Austria
"Anyone who thinks beer must always be bitter and is not for those with a sweet tooth, is not quite right. Grieskirchner Dunkel - our sweet malty temptation is just right for the delicate palate. The extraordinary taste is based on a round composition of dark malt and hops. Always worth a glass!" - Grieskirchner website
Style description: Munich Dunkel Lager
Link to product website: Grieskirchen
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager
ABV: 5.0%
Origin: Grieskirchen, Austria
"Anyone who thinks beer must always be bitter and is not for those with a sweet tooth, is not quite right. Grieskirchner Dunkel - our sweet malty temptation is just right for the delicate palate. The extraordinary taste is based on a round composition of dark malt and hops. Always worth a glass!" - Grieskirchner website
Style description: Munich Dunkel Lager
Link to product website: Grieskirchen