Franconian Beer Message Board
Michael James about the Seinsheimer Kellerbräu |
| Posted by Jason on 2016-03-09 04:52:02 |
| You're quite correct, I should go there - I'm not 'not convinced' merely a little world weary of the cult of 'craft' these days - small brewery so it must be good / big brewery it must me bad is a really very ignorant mantra which many seem to go by these days, especially in the light of recent high profile brewery buy outs. Just to clarify I'm not directing this at you personally. Not to go too far off topic, a good example of my stance on this is Prague and the Czech Republic. 10 years ago or so when I first visited there were a handful of brewpubs and one had to be an expert to find a pub with a beer from outside of Prague. Tankovna pubs were either new or not quite 'invented', I can't recall. I'm going to Prague in a few weeks and I will be able to try as many beers from as many breweries as my time will allow and I'll still have barely scratched the surface of the range of beers on offer in multi tap pubs. Ironically, on my first visit I would have lapped it all up and ended up permanently sozzled. On my next visit I will frequent these pubs but I will also drink Pilsner unquell and maybe the odd gambac (gambrinus - I do however draw the line at Staropramen). I will also probably end up sozzled. The flourishing mini Pivovar scene in the Czech Republic is a mixed bag (as in the UK and US and everywhere in fact). There are some awesome breweries out there, kocour, Antos, falcon, chyne etc etc but there are unfortunately many more that are producing beers that are simply not as good. And a well tapped Pilsner Urquell will knock the socks off most beers anywhere. And the places where they serve PU and Gambac are also some of the most interesting and typically Czech establishments you are likely to find (though certainly not exclusively). Too many modern 'craft' beer lovers eschew these beers out of sheer snobbery - their loss. I've been there, done that and missed out. I'm not any more. Long story short, a beer should be judged on how it tastes, where you're drinking it, who you're with and a number of other variables - and not where it comes from - again, a bone of contention I have with rating sites which strip a beer drinking experience down to such limited parameters, but each to their own. I'm sure the beer from Seinsheimer would be worth the journey but I'd only be tempted to go if i heard good reports - I have, I am tempted and I may try. But not because it's small or nano. Bamberg was full of breweries 150 years ago - we'd love to think they were all putting out great beer, but in reality they weren't and the bigger breweries with more knowledge, better equipment and greater consistency probably were. That's why the bigger breweries survive and that's why bigger isn't always worst. Or smaller isn't always better. ​Judge each on on its merits. That's what I say and I'm sure you agree with that. Now, if you'll excuse me the sun is out in Bamberg and I'm off to cycle to make my first of many visits to the Schmausenkeller this year. Prosit. |
| Followups: |
 Schmausenkeller by Nick B. on 2016-03-09 06:13:23 |
| Schmausenkeller by Mosquit on 2016-03-09 06:54:52 |
| Schmausenkeller by Jason on 2016-03-09 06:59:32 |
| Schmausenkeller by Nick B. on 2016-03-09 07:38:52 |
| Schmausenkeller by Jason on 2016-03-09 08:00:49 |
| Schmausenkeller by Barry on 2016-03-09 10:01:21 |
| Schmausenkeller by Mark Andersen on 2016-03-09 12:37:59 |