Last year around this time I posed the question on Twitter (a service I find I lack time for these days):  "Would you rather go to #GABF or Oktoberfest?"  I rarely ask questions like this on Twitter, as it seems like pandering for standing on the social networking site, but I really was interested.  Only a few responded, maybe 4 or 5.  I am hardly a presence.  But, I was surprised that not one person preferred Bavaria over Colorado. I know that hands down, the greater beer selection would be had at the Great American Beer Fest.  Beyond my wildest dreams, I'm sure, there would monster IPAs, sour ales, and obscure beer-blogger-bragging-rights brews just waiting to be quaffed, were I able to pony up the cash for enough tickets.  I'm sure the scene would be cool...lot's of beer enthusiasts swishing their glasses and sharing stories, beer authors and beer greats chatting it up, and so on.  But how would the culture fare?  Could it move beyond JUST the craft beer culture?  Colorado's cool and all...I've been there and found it interesting. Oktoberfest would be a different story.  For the most part, the beers would be similar and selection would be whittled down ...

The name of this beer is anything but subtle.  Aecht means genuine.  Schlenkerla refers to a hobble/not walking straight, which was ostensibly a reference to a former brewer of Bamberg, who had a strange way of walking.  Very apt for such an eccentric beer.  Rauchbier, of course, means smoked beer.  Bamberg is an area name, and Marzen is a style name.  Okay, so that's a lot to think about before even taking a sip.  But if you think the name is a mouthful, wait until you taste the beer.  This is a genuine smoked lager, indeed.  Beechwood is the tree of choice over which the grains are smoked before the brewing process. This is the touchstone version of a smoked beer. The Pour: The beer pours with a somewhat darker, marzen beer color.  Perhaps light chestnut or maple syrup would be a fitting color description.  A soft-looking, stable, two-finger-high head graced the top of the body.  Schlenkerla looks pretty clean and straightforward in the glass.  But that's the end of it. The Nose: Smoke is the first quality noted when smelling this beer.  It's a campfire clothes aroma with a touch of the typically powdery German yeast strains.  A touch of sweetness ...

That's a mouthful.  I imagine when we all drink this beer we will feel the same about its taste.  This a smoked beer, so if you haven't had one prepare yourself for it.  I'm drinking it alone and with some grilled food.  I say fight smoke with smoke.  At any rate, I think this will be an interesting beer for all of us to talk about drinking together (so to speak).  Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.

Some beers are purchased on impulse, others out of fond appreciation, some because they are a Thank Heaven for Beer - Sip With Us Saturday beer, and others out of nostalgia.  As for Warsteiner Dunkel, the latter two hold true in my case. Back in college as I started  straying from cheap macro beers, Warsteiner Dunkel was a beer I frequently purchased at the local Brown Derby for a few misguided reasons.  First off, I had this notion that imported beers were far better than domestic.  I had not yet discovered the American craft beer scene.  Second, I had this weird (but common to newbies) idea that dark brown/black beers contained more flavor and were of a higher quality than beers of a paler complexion.  Lastly, it was cheap.  I paid for college out of my own pocket, worked at least 50 hours a week on top of a full course load at both the undergrad and graduate level.  Thrift was a necessary virtue at the time. This past Saturday, years later, I couldn't begin to recall the flavor of Warsteiner Dunkel, the memory of which was as faded as the memory of amniotic fluid.  What did I think? The Purchase: It felt great ...

Another lovely weekend has passed here in Southern California.  Another "Sip with us Saturday" is under our belts.  One more shift in the weather patterns has occurred for many of us.  If you'll remember, I mentioned that this beer was something of a season bridging beer.  The lager part says summer; the darker, drier malts say fall.  It's been a long time since I'd had this particular beer.  Actually, I last tried it at a place called Cousins when I lived in Springfield, MO, many moons ago (6 or 7 years).  Unfortunately, the place is now closed.  But Warsteiner Dunkel was one of the beers that moved me out of the American macros, thus it holds a special place in my heart. Most of my nostalgic moments these days are beer memories.  At any rate, I sipped this beer on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  Here are my thoughts. The Pour: As I poured this beer, I reflected on the pitiful lack of dark and black lagers out there.  Luckily, there has been somewhat of a resurgence when it comes to black lagers specifically.  Warsteiner Dunkel poured with a very brown color and revealed some slight hints of red in the body. ...

Another week is halfway in the books.  Another weekend is on the horizon.  Another "Sip with us Saturday" is here.  Before you know it, all the Christmas beers will be showing up: all the spiced, cranberried, and a plethora of others.  Unlike the ubiquitous pumpkin beers, there will actually be some things for which we can anticipate. We're not quite there, however.  In the meantime, I want to cling to the fading thoughts of summer but realize the fall is closing in all about us.  In this stage, Warsteiner Dunkel seems to be a good choice.  It's still a lager, which creates an indelible summer impression.  But it is also a darker lager, which gives the feel that the days are getting shorter and a dark winter beer will eventually be needed.  So, let's call this a summer to fall transition beer.  I think most people will be able to find this one.

The weather was certainly right for Spaten's Optimator:  Cold, dark and rainy.  With a fireplace being absent from the architecture of my home the 7.2% liquid warmth was a welcome sight as it filled my glass.  Optimator is a classic example of a Doppelbock, a bottom fermented (lager) beer that utilizes malts that produce toasted an nutty qualities and has a higher than normal (doppel/double) alcohol content.  Apparently this style of beer was developed by a German order of Minim monks (St. Francis of Paula, Italian in origin).  These Minimums are noted for having named their doppelbock "Salvator," which is utilized by the brewer, Paulaner.  The religious ties to beer never ceases to be a fascinating study! The Pour: Spaten's Optimator fills the glass with a dark brown mahogany deliquescent fluidity.  There is a reddish quality hidden in the darkness.  A ample malty head, dense and thick leaves awesome sticky lacing behind.  The beer itself is remarkably clear, a bonus from lagering. The Nose: The sweetness of Optimator dominates the aroma.  A strong whiff of caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and  slight fruitiness (cherry/berry) block out hop aromas.  The smell is simple, but pleasant.  The smell alone could convince a non beer drinker--partial to sweet mixed ...

Now that the warmth of summer has worn off, a few chilly days have hit.  I don't know about anyone else, but the change in weather has left me needing a little warm-up.  While many people are emphasizing Oktoberfest beers, we want to change gears just a little bit, so were going to have a double bock.  I think this one should be fairly easy to find.  Please pick up a Spaten Optimator or two to sip with us Saturday.

This week we will be drinking a Bavarian bombshell.  I've always liked and appreciated Ayinger's beers.  We have already reviewed one of their beers on the site, which I believe is a classic.  At any rate, this Bavarian wheat beer has scored very highly and is one of my favorite wheat beers.  We hope that you can join us Saturday for this delightful beer.

As Mike recently wrote, beer geeks and beer dabblers alike can get wrapped up in a vicious cycle of always seeking out the bigger and more extreme beer, and neglect the classics.  While it happens to the best of us, a little balance--beer feng shui--is in order.  Thus the choice of Bitburger as the Sip With Us Saturday beer.  For a little frame of reference on this beer, check out our post from a few days ago. Before reviewing this beer, let point out its price tag.  I picked up an eight pack of cans (16.0z) for $8.99.  That's roughly $.07 per ounce.  Before I left the store I priced a six pack (bottles) of Budweiser.  Six 12oz. bottles of Bud was $5.99.  That's roughly $.083 per ounce.  The Bitburger (imported from Germany) was less expensive than the American produced (Belgian owned) beer.  Interesting.  As my wife and I are geering up financially for the birht of our fifth child, I was elated at my savings.  This post is not intended to serve as a tasting comparison between the two beers, merely to illustrate that in some cases, venturing into unknown beer lands can be cost effective (though I'll admit this ...