flashy

In preparation for stout month, I get something to kind of dip my toe into.  Something that won't weigh me down when I go deep and dark.  Still ought to give me a little tasty treat, though.  Won't you, Licher 1854 Kellerbier?  A quick search shows that the kellerbier was not Licher's 1854 original, that was a steam beer, the name is just a reminder of the brewery's age.

It's a very light straw color, lighter than I expected for some reason.  The head is a good consistency with very fine bubbles.  It smells a lot like a German beer, slightly bready, slightly grainy, but there's an interesting peppery bit on top.  Does it carry over into the taste?  Well, no.  It's a clean lagery beer, although the feel is a little heavier than usual.  It almost feels like melted Jello, but without the stickiness.  The flavor remains subdued, subtly sweet but nothing overwhelming.  It's almost a pre-pilsner, but not as bitter as those would become.  It develops a little woodiness over the course of the bottle, but still little aftertaste or excess weight.  I was expecting something more robust from a kellerbier, but as a last drink of the night it's not bad at all.

Supplier: La Mundial

Price: €3

wandering now

Kind of a '60s reminiscent style on the label, but it sounds like a more traditional leaning beer - kellerpils.  I guess it's a reminder of the goal of any brewer, to make a product that people long to have in their glasses, but there are lots of ways to get there.  Normally similar, only a few have significant differences of make-up or difficulty.  Everyone heading the same way to the same place of happiness, not with Santiago, but with Sanfrutos.  Time to mark out some Caminos Paralelos.

Very light in color and not a hint of cloudiness, also very classic head.  The aroma is pure German lager, lots of grain, a little grass, practically honey sweetness.  Flavor is surprisingly light as well.  I was expecting either a striking bitter or a rounded breadiness, but the beer is almost difficult to even feel in the mouth and the taste is really subdued.  It is more bitter than anything else, but there's a tad bit of corn and cucumber sneaking around too.

underground

Ok, not an IPA or APA, but still not a stout.  A Kellerbier does seem like an appropriate choice for the moment though.  La Quince and Queens will show us the way.

It's a perfect beer appearance, the right color, clarity, bubbly and white foam on top.  There's a little tanginess in the aroma, something of a tomato juice kind of smell, a little fruity and a little salty.  It's surprisingly fruity in taste, and that fruit is apple.  It's like a fizzy apple juice in practically all senses, just a little bit less sweet.  There's a lightness and a bubbliness, and the vaguely bitter taste gives the drink a little celebratory feel, something closer to a champagne than a simple juice.  It's still a light and easily drinkable beverage, without any noticeable aftertaste, very clean and simple.  I would argue that it's more of a transitional season beer than a near winter beer, with the little weight that it has, but it's not a bad thing for the moment.  After a while a sort of woody taste comes up in the beer, giving it a traditional feel, like a beer that has actually been stored in some cool basement for months, until it's deemed ready for the world.

the recommended

When I picked up the Oktoberfestbier last week, the clerk recommended this other German lager style.  He swore it was more flavorful and a better drink for those who like lagers.  I'm not actually the biggest fan of lagers, but I do want to keep my options open and my choices varied.  It's not like I don't like them.  So, into the bag went St. Georgen Kellerbier.

da-da!

Not a lot of aroma here either, but it's a more robust tannish color.  Not too heady.  Oddly sour-grassy taste, incorporating that grainy flavor of many German beers, but with a bitter chaser.  The Oktoberfestbier was content to sit back and relax, but the kellerbier demands your attention.  The surprise of the sourness wears off after a couple of sips, but it remains a stronger tasting beer for sure than last week's selection.  It's not one of my recent favorites, a little too sharp.  It would be good on a warmer day, actually, but now we're in the fall and it's the rainy season here.  Some people might be perked up by the strong, sour taste on a gray, wet day, but I prefer a good smoky stout.  Who am I kidding, I prefer that any time.

Nothing personal, Georg

Supplier: La Birratorium
Price: €2.25-2.45 (somewhere in there)