Franconian Beer Message Board

Forchheim update 5

Posted by barry on 2012-09-14 00:50:03

Monday: maybe last visit to Roppelt? Met Nick's friends, Gerhard & Uschi; very good company and excellent beer – I think perhaps the best kellerbier experienced on this visit. Decided to walk up Kreuzberg after one seidla, first visiting Rittmeyer, where a chatty man on our table got us a handful of beer mats as 'souvenirs' – these to add to last year's and the ever-growing pile from this year! Rittmeyer beer nearly as good as Roppelt, certainly better than Lieberth's next door, which was very disappointing. Thought the keller was closed as no one about but was eventually served. Had nostalgic portion of chips but no butty (for Nick this one). Gave McDonald's/Disneyworld a miss and strolled down the hill to Lieberth's Dorfkeller in Hallerndorf. Beautiful evening, with sun setting in a rosy glow over the hills. Beer in Dorfkeller as disppointing as on hill, as Nick ably put it 'bland, bland, bland!' Tuesday: Spent afternoon wandering around Forchheim. Found Grief Brauerei, which is a real hodge-podge of buildings adjacent to some apartment blocks. About the least attractive brewery and setting imaginable and, even worse, the stube wasn't open! Made our way back up Bamburgerstr stopping at Gasthof Schloessla. A real curiosity this one, for all the world like a pub on an English housing estate dropped into Forchheim, with a public bar, a room with a fruit machine and table football, and an 'interesting' clientele. No matter, ordered two seidlas of Hebendanz and sat outside. Friendly landlord delivered same and we were surprised to find that the beer was not chilled but at room temperature, which made it even more like drinking in England. However, the beer was really excellent; the moderate temperature allowed us to really taste its malty flavour, quite surprising for such a plate colour, but with a good hoppy feel. Really excellent. Wandered back up to Eichorn, which should have been closed but found the shutters and front door open. We asked whether it was open and (I think) were told that it was really shut but the inside was open for a reservation but that we could have a drink in the garden. The couple who run Eichorn are very friendly and helpful and I really like the place and it's malty (but not too hoppy) vollbier. Finally ended up in one of the late John White's 'discoveries', Lohmuehle. A really nice old building, small inside timbered bar and an outside area in the lane at the rear. Really friendly service and excellent Huppendorfer vollbier, which I know isn't to some people's tastes but which we like. After a few minutes, the promised rain came, so we moved inside. After a while, it stopped and a local assured us that it wouldn't really rain until later, so we set off for the ZOB. Halfway there, the heavens opened but we made it home ok. Wednesday: a decidedly different and non-Franken drinking experience! As everyone will know from his posts, Nick is an enthusiastic homebrewer and had promised to bring over some samples of his efforts for us to taste. Wow, some samples, a veritable getrinktmarkt on wheels! He had everything beautifully organised, proper glasses to drink from and samples of the hops he had used for us to savour their aroma – what a service. I can't go through every different type because there were so many but, in short, Nick has focussed on producing a very hoppy, low gravity, pale, top-fermented beer – something after the fashion of the US and British modern IPA's but even more hoppy and low strength. I think this type of beer is sometimes described as 'summer beer' – good for hot summer days in the garden. That said, the first tried were two versions of his half-PNW porter' – i.e. a low strength Pacific Northwest-type very hoppy brew. He even brought a bottle of a Scottish mild from the Orkneys (can't remember the name of the brewery) as a comparison. Both of Nick's beers were good – I liked the hoppier version and J. the less hoppy type and both compared favourably with the proprietary beer. Then we went on to the summer beers. Nick always uses two (or more?) hops and has experimented with many of the US-types and some more exotic like Galaxy from Australia. As a summary, all the beers were extremely well made, probably at least as good as the current UK micro's. For my tastes, I think I would generally prefer a little more malty body and probably a little stronger. But, as Nick (and, later, Becki) explained, these are the beers that they like and that's fair enough. I guess that, if anyone wants more details, Nick will be happy to supply. So, thanks a lot Nick, it was a most enjoyable afternoon.

Forchheim update 5 by Nick B. on 2012-09-14 02:34:08

Forchheim update 5 by barry on 2012-09-14 03:49:04

Forchheim update 5 by mike004 on 2012-09-14 06:30:05

OT: Lambic and sours (was Forchheim update 5) by DonS on 2012-09-14 08:07:31

Forchheim update 5 by Nick B. on 2012-09-14 10:14:41

Forchheim update 5 by barry on 2012-09-15 00:06:15

Forchheim update 5 by Nick B. on 2012-09-15 03:21:27

OT: Lambic and sours (was Forchheim update 5) by Nick B. on 2012-09-15 03:28:51

Forchheim update 5 by Nick B. on 2012-09-15 07:23:33