It's Oktoberfest time at The Porterhouse once again. To kick things off Head Honcho Oliver and Head Brewer Peter held a free tasting gig at the Nassau Street branch last Thursday and I went along. They usually turn out few interesting beers on tap each year, and it was no exception this time: the subtle smoky charm of Schlenkerla Helles is right on the money for me.
Generally Peter brews something appropriately Teutonic for the occasion: it was a Kölsch for a few years, then a rather crisp and tasty Alt, but this year it's a new one. Well, new-ish. He's taken the standard Hersbrucker Pilsner and Oktoberfestified it by rolling back on the bittering hops and upping the malt levels to hit 6.4% ABV. The result -- Hersbrucker Oktoberfestbier -- is still a lot more bitter than you'd expect an Oktoberfestbier to be, but it's much less bitter than standard Hersbrucker, a beer I usually find hard to take. You get all the filling biscuity sweetness of Märzen topped with the palate-pounding grassy hoppiness of a heavyweight pilsner. Surprisingly, they manage to balance each other out. I don't know if I'd recommend a whole Maßkrug of it, but a pint really wakes up the palate.
Oktoberfest continues across the Porterhouse estate until Sunday.
Porterhouse Barrel Aged Celebration Stout
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*Origin: Ireland | Date: 2011 | ABV: 11% | On The Beer Nut: *February 2012
This is the third version of Porterhouse Celebration Stout to feature on
the blo...
2 months ago
Love Marzen as a style -I don't get enough of it. And I am constantly in awe of your punning titles, dude. Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI should really admit that this is primarily a stupid puns blog, and that the beer is merely a sideshow.
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