Beverages and Blades - Traditional of Course

We are now at Day 10!

Today, I am enjoying another one from pFriem Family Brewers, out of Hood River, OR. This is a Belgian Style Christmas Ale and it is rather decadent at 8% ABV. One of the things that I enjoy about pFriem (I know other brewers do it too) is that they put the ideal temp range on their bottles. This one is to be enjoyed at anywhere between 45 and 50 degrees so I placed it outside, where it has been about 45 degrees and then I poured a few hours later. Once you get past the typical Belgian yeast funk at the front (this dissipates a bit as it rises in temp), it opens up to coriander, orange and spice, and some toasty toffee at the finish.

It is really good for a Belgian style and a quality Christmas offering.

Qk9qzsh.jpg
 
Pàdruig said:
We are now at Day 10!

Today, I am enjoying another one from pFriem Family Brewers, out of Hood River, OR. This is a Belgian Style Christmas Ale and it is rather decadent at 8% ABV. One of the things that I enjoy about pFriem (I know other brewers do it too) is that they put the ideal temp range on their bottles. This one is to be enjoyed at anywhere between 45 and 50 degrees so I placed it outside, where it has been about 45 degrees and then I poured a few hours later. Once you get past the typical Belgian yeast funk at the front (this dissipates a bit as it rises in temp), it opens up to coriander, orange and spice, and some toasty toffee at the finish.

It is really good for a Belgian style and a quality Christmas offering.

Qk9qzsh.jpg
Click to expand...
GREAT photo!!
 
Pàdruig said:
We are now at Day 10!

Today, I am enjoying another one from pFriem Family Brewers, out of Hood River, OR. This is a Belgian Style Christmas Ale and it is rather decadent at 8% ABV. One of the things that I enjoy about pFriem (I know other brewers do it too) is that they put the ideal temp range on their bottles. This one is to be enjoyed at anywhere between 45 and 50 degrees so I placed it outside, where it has been about 45 degrees and then I poured a few hours later. Once you get past the typical Belgian yeast funk at the front (this dissipates a bit as it rises in temp), it opens up to coriander, orange and spice, and some toasty toffee at the finish.

It is really good for a Belgian style and a quality Christmas offering.

Qk9qzsh.jpg
Click to expand...

Dylan, in addition to being envious of the excellent-sounding beers in your curated advent calendar, I’m also a bit jealous of your nice collection of glassware. One thing that posting a beer photo every day has helped me realize is that I should probably step up my game in that respect. In particular, with regards to the German advent calendar, I quickly realized that I don’t really have a proper Helles/Pilsner glass.

Well, except for this one… but it’s a bit on the small side at around 200 ml. 😁

qbfQdSy.jpg


Day 10 for me is this Käuzle German Pilsner brewed by Kauzen Bräu. It’s a crisp, bright Pilsner (to be expected) with a nice bit of spice and good hops flavors. Refreshing, if not particularly interesting, though I will say I think this might be the best looking can I’ve pulled out of this advent calendar so far, and I just had to pair it with the White Owl.
 
tmd_87 said:
My best attempt at a Pàdruig Pàdruig picture. Minus the great lighting and great prop set up! Cheers folks. This is a nice red. Cigar is from my brother in law.

q7Kzk3i.jpg
Click to expand...
Love the Ball jar. I've been known to use one as a wine glass myself. Is that an Australian wine?
 
I didn’t even notice when posting yesterday that we were on page 500 of the Beverages and Blades thread. That’s certainly something worth raising a glass to! 🍻

For December 11th, the German Brewer’s Advent Calendar has… oh look, another Helles lager. 😉 Marie Hausbrendel Hell from Familienbrauerei Schwarzbräu. Color, clarity? Ich habe keine Ahnung, because I poured it into this Bierkrug that used to belong to my grandpa. The beer is good, another solid Helles.

mWfcYbT.jpg


Maybe I should drink one of these German advent calendar beers out of this stein that my mom brought me back from a trip she took to Germany several years ago? 😁 (It actually sits on the corner of the desk where I’ve been taking these photos, not too far out of frame.)

eJ78Nhp.jpg
 
I forgot to mention, tonight’s beer also had a stick-on label, and after the curious mystery the last one revealed, I had to peel this one off, too.

hl8iZz5.jpg


The can under the label this time was actually the Weißbier that I had on day 3, and I think this might actually clear things up a bit. For one thing, beer I drank tonight was definitely not that Weißbier, so I don’t think there’s anything suspicious going on in the terms of beer not being what’s advertised. I’ve also noticed, now that I’m almost halfway through the calendar, that the back of the cans are all formatted/laid out in generally the same way; they have the ingredients listed in an almost identical manner, they all list the same US importer, they even all have the same QR code to download an app for more information on the beers.

My guess is that the importer who puts this calendar together either provides the cans to the breweries, or is canning the beer themselves, and at some point they ended up with a surplus of cans for various beers, and used those cans and a stick-on label to avoid wasting the extra cans. Of course, that’s just a guess.
 
Those drinking German beer out of Germany I would be interested in the ingredients listed.

Reinheitsgebot law​

It amazes me how may places selling beer have no idea what it is but just turn the can or better still the bottle and its easy to see.

The best beer I have had is in Germany particularly Bavaria,in the north the British army favoured Herforder Pils mainly because it was local about 12 miles from my camp.
We would have massive arguments about what tasted best Pils or Export,I couldn't tell the difference.
We called the pack a Yellow Handbag any misdemeanour and you would be fined the appropriate amount of them.
They are so part of folklore at least 2 Army museums have them on display.

Originally it was 10 to a pack after one exercise where we did well and no Russians invaded our officer wanted to reward us.
He came up to me and asked how many beers in a ten pack so he could work out the numbers,I said do you realy want me to answer that 😂

Herforder Pils box, 1995 | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London

collection.nam.ac.uk collection.nam.ac.uk






Last time in Munich I came in at dawn after drinking quite a bit,no hangover in the morning as the beer was so clear and pure.f my dodgy legs had enabled me I would have joined the dancing on the tables with the frauleins.
The first time I got drunk it was on German beer in Rhinedahlen at 14 years old before going to the youth club for us kids.There was a girl I fancied but was to shy to talk to her I had a bit to much liquid courage.
I collapsed outside and got thrown in the Army guardroom (in a sympathetic way I hope) my dad had to collect me,Janice and I where never to be,I like to think it made me look cool but somehow I doubt it.


According to the 1516 Bavarian law, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops.[2] The text does not mention yeast as an ingredient, although yeast was at the time knowingly used in the brewing process. It is likely that brewers of the time preferred to see yeast as a fixture of the brewing process. Yeast produced in one batch was commonly transferred to a subsequent batch, thus giving yeast a more permanent character in the brewing process. A full understanding of chemical basis of yeast and the fermentation process did not come until much later.​



www.bbc.co.uk

German beer: 500 years of 'Reinheitsgebot' rules

A look at Germany's "Reinheitsgebot" or beer purity law, introduced in 1516 by the Duke of Bavaria and still in place today.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
Last edited:
Day 12 of the German Brewer’s Advent Calendar is this Ladenburger Weizenbock Hell. I’m trying to remember if I’ve had a Weizenbock before. If I have, I don’t recall it specifically, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with this one. It definitely has some of those wheat beer characteristics that I’m not particular fond of, but on top of that are these malty Doppelbock characteristics, some interesting dark fruit flavors and aromas, and a creamy mouthfeel and carbonation that are almost reminiscent of something like a nitro stout. It’s also 7.4% ABV, though it’s not really noticeable. If I had one complaint, I’d say it’s a bit too sweet, but it’s certainly the most interesting beer I’ve had in this advent calendar so far.

ixB8FSS.jpg
 
Johnnythefox said:
Those drinking German beer out of Germany I would be interested in the ingredients listed.

Reinheitsgebot law​

It amazes me how may places selling beer have no idea what it is but just turn the can or better still the bottle and its easy to see.

The best beer I have had is in Germany particularly Bavaria,in the north the British army favoured Herforder Pils mainly because it was local about 12 miles from my camp.
We would have massive arguments about what tasted best Pils or Export,I couldn't tell the difference.
We called the pack a Yellow Handbag any misdemeanour and you would be fined the appropriate amount of them.
They are so part of folklore at least 2 Army museums have them on display.

Originally it was 10 to a pack after one exercise where we did well and no Russians invaded our officer wanted to reward us.
He came up to me and asked how many beers in a ten pack so he could work out the numbers,I said do you realy want me to answer that 😂

Herforder Pils box, 1995 | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London

collection.nam.ac.uk collection.nam.ac.uk






Last time in Munich I came in at dawn after drinking quite a bit,no hangover in the morning as the beer was so clear and pure.f my dodgy legs had enabled me I would have joined the dancing on the tables with the frauleins.
The first time I got drunk it was on German beer in Rhinedahlen at 14 years old before going to the youth club for us kids.There was a girl I fancied but was to shy to talk to her I had a bit to much liquid courage.
I collapsed outside and got thrown in the Army guardroom (in a sympathetic way I hope) my dad had to collect me,Janice and I where never to be,I like to think it made me look cool but somehow I doubt it.


According to the 1516 Bavarian law, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops.[2] The text does not mention yeast as an ingredient, although yeast was at the time knowingly used in the brewing process. It is likely that brewers of the time preferred to see yeast as a fixture of the brewing process. Yeast produced in one batch was commonly transferred to a subsequent batch, thus giving yeast a more permanent character in the brewing process. A full understanding of chemical basis of yeast and the fermentation process did not come until much later.​



www.bbc.co.uk

German beer: 500 years of 'Reinheitsgebot' rules

A look at Germany's "Reinheitsgebot" or beer purity law, introduced in 1516 by the Duke of Bavaria and still in place today.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...

I have been paying attention to the ingredients listed on the cans in the German advent calendar, and with the exceptions of the Weißbier and Weizenbock (which, of course, contain wheat malt), the ingredients of each beer consist only of Wasser, Gerstenmaltz and Hopfen — water, barley malt and hops.
 
Day 13 in my advent calendar is Landgang Pils from Landgang Brauerei in Hamburg. One thing I’ve noticed about a lot (most) of the beers in this calendar is that they tend towards the sweet, malty side of things, but that’s not the case with this pilsner. It’s hop forward, a bit spicy with some nice bitterness and a crisp, dry finish. I like it. Prost! 🍺

3IOEj18.jpg
 
I've fallen behind again - it's apt to happen over the weekends.

Saturday's beverage (Dec. 11th) - Hazelnut Boxcar Brown, made by Calapooia Brewing Co. in Albany, OR. I generally like Brown ales, despite them largely being uninteresting. This one is very drinkable and session-like at 5.5% but otherwise not a whole lot going on. Rogue makes a Hazelnut Brown that is considerably better, in my opinion. The can is cool looking - I suspect it's another one that got picked by my daughter ;).

cUOIVjD.jpg
 
Sunday's ale (Dec. 12th) - 2022 Winter Coat, a Winter Warmer Ale, brewed with Blackberries by Stormbreaker Brewing in Portland, OR. This one is very good, warm and malty, with notes of chocolate and honey, and you can definitely get a bit of that blackberry flavor on the finish. I'd definitely drink more of this.

uqUpCn1.jpg
 
December 14th, another Helles lager, Flötzringer Hell. I can’t tell if I’m at the point where I’m growing tired of Helles lagers, or if it’s just this one in particular that I’m finding a bit underwhelming. I think it’s actually the latter, as I really have enjoyed some of the other Helles lagers (although I do wish there was a bit more variety in the calendar). If I were to have tasted this one blind, I might have guessed it was really good American macro lager. 😉😁

OnLZpMM.jpg
 
I should be caught up after today.

Monday's beverage (Dec. 13th) - Kris Kringle, a Northwest Holiday Ale, made by McMenamins in Troutdale, OR. I am not certain if I have had this one before but if I hadn't, I was definitely missing out - it is really good! It is pretty hoppy for a winter ale but I think it is balanced well enough with some caramel notes and if you let it warm a bit, those malt properties really start to blossom.

S8HOSEe.jpg
 
Dec. 14th brings us an old and well trod favorite - Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout, made in Yorkshire and is the first import to show up in my 2021 Advent. I have not had this one in quite a long while and I am finding it to be quite sweet, sweeter than I recall. I have largely shunned sugary beverages though and if I sip a Coke or something these days, I find it infernally sweet and not at all like I remember it to be when I drank it more regularly. Still, this makes for an excellent dessert beverage and pairs nicely with a decadent smoke.

Lots of sensible British things in this picture ;).

Oe79vTE.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top