Beer of the Weekend #507: Warsteiner Edition Oktoberfest
It’s October! Best month of the year! And I need to start it off with a fitting seasonal, at least in name: Warsteiner Edition Okotberfest, brewed by the Warsteiner Brauerei of Warstein, Germany.
Yes, we broke out our Halloween decorations.
The last time I had a Warsteiner (Premium Verum, that is) was the night the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series. (I suppose it is fitting that I am watching the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first playoff game since 1992.) I guess it is a little shameful, given how many German beers I have tried, that I had yet to review any Warsteiner beers until tonight. I guess I need to drink more German lager.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. The “BEST BEFORE” date printed on the back label is “31.MAY.14.”
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is light, rusty amber. Two fingers of fluffy, buttery, eggshell-colored head leaves an even skim, a thick ring around the edge, and lacing in spots.
Smell: Delicious grassiness, a little skunk (surprising for a brown bottle), musty, light, and toasted malts, and a little caramel.
Taste: Crisp, clean, and grassy, it mostly mirrors the smell. It is very pilsner-like. Light, musty, and toasted malts. A little caramel. The grassy hops predominate, though, and fruit tartness (light apple) and a hint of lemon emerge at the end.
Drinkability: Very light, tasty, and drinkable, as a beer fitting for Oktoberfest drinking should be. I could definitely drink a couple Maßfuls of these.
Fun facts about WEO:
-Style: Märzen.
-Price: $1.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5.9 percent ABV.
-Interesting info regarding the water used in the brewing process, courtesy of the beer’s webpage:
-Oktoberfest in Munich is still in full swing this week. The last day is October 6.
-And speaking of Oktoberfest, the Oktoberfest in Amana is this weekend, October 4–6. I hope to attend this year.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+/B-.
Yes, we broke out our Halloween decorations.
The last time I had a Warsteiner (Premium Verum, that is) was the night the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series. (I suppose it is fitting that I am watching the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first playoff game since 1992.) I guess it is a little shameful, given how many German beers I have tried, that I had yet to review any Warsteiner beers until tonight. I guess I need to drink more German lager.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. The “BEST BEFORE” date printed on the back label is “31.MAY.14.”
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is light, rusty amber. Two fingers of fluffy, buttery, eggshell-colored head leaves an even skim, a thick ring around the edge, and lacing in spots.
Smell: Delicious grassiness, a little skunk (surprising for a brown bottle), musty, light, and toasted malts, and a little caramel.
Taste: Crisp, clean, and grassy, it mostly mirrors the smell. It is very pilsner-like. Light, musty, and toasted malts. A little caramel. The grassy hops predominate, though, and fruit tartness (light apple) and a hint of lemon emerge at the end.
Drinkability: Very light, tasty, and drinkable, as a beer fitting for Oktoberfest drinking should be. I could definitely drink a couple Maßfuls of these.
Fun facts about WEO:
-Style: Märzen.
-Price: $1.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5.9 percent ABV.
-Interesting info regarding the water used in the brewing process, courtesy of the beer’s webpage:
Another top-quality attribute is the original and especially soft brewing water. This is obtained from the Kaiserquelle, among other sources.
Albert Cramer Senior discovered the Kaiserquelle (‘Kaiser’s Spring’) at the edge of the Arnsberg Forest, close to the Waldpark brewery of today. With a water hardness of only one to two degrees, the water is especially suitable for brewing beer and contributes to the beer’s wholesomeness. The Kaiserquelle’s soft water, which still to this day feeds the Warsteiner Brewery’s water tanks, was crucial for the huge success of Warsteiner Pilsener, which was brewed from 1927 following the registration of water rights.
-Oktoberfest in Munich is still in full swing this week. The last day is October 6.
-And speaking of Oktoberfest, the Oktoberfest in Amana is this weekend, October 4–6. I hope to attend this year.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+/B-.
