it isn't glittering, though

More than halfway through the month, and I need to pick up a few more "samples".  This time I stop by Labirratorium, where I know there will be plenty of unusual choices.  I kind of feel like something a little more traditional, though, so one of my purchases was a German lager.  Now it's a special lager, obviously, but this time I'm not sifting through a dozen flavorings.  This time.  I don't believe I've come across St. Georgen Bräu before, but I'm curious about this Goldmärzen of theirs.  (Oh, wait, here's the last time - also from Labirratorium!)  I don't know if it was one of their original recipes - on the label it says since 1624 - but I'm sure the Bavarian tradition of quality beer will make itself known. 

It has that very classic German beer look, with the translucent gold and frothy, abundant head.  Grains and vegetation are evident in the aroma.  It smells like a full-flavored beer, so I'm expecting something with some weight to it.  I'm a little surprised at the touch of sourness in the taste, although there's plenty of meaty lager almost corn in there too.  It's a nice balance of flavors, making it more interesting than the majority of German lagers in my opinion.  It certainly does have some weight behind it, it drags a little in the throat, almost fighting the swallow.  That robustness is another point of interest for the beer, but I don't think it's strong to the point of distraction.  It does share the feeling of a nice märzen, despite being a blond version, no forgettable beer at all.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €2.40

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)