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Herb, Export, etc.

Posted by Nick B. on 2009-11-24 23:26:12

Dein Englisch ist toll; ich wollte das oben auf Deutsch schreiben, nur zu üben. I suppose we should revert to English, since this is an English board... I don't know why I had thought the Aichinger is an "Export", perhaps I read it somewhere, but I don't think it's because I had confused it with the Ott. OTOH, I don't see why Aichinger couldn't call it an Export if they wanted to, since it doesn't strike me as being very different from other beers that ARE called "Export". ("strike" hier bedeutet "anmuten, vorkommen, erscheinen"; nicht "schlagen";)) But anyway, it was much, much better than my recollection from a couple of years ago. It's a great beer, and the landlady is great too. You wrote: "I'm an absolute fan of the Achinger beer, because of the water used. Cottonny, soft as velvet." and "The hardness and CO2 content of the water at Ott is a bit too strong for me." I'm surprised to think that there could be that much of a difference between the water used at the two places, unless Aichinger treats his water to soften it. The breweries are only 4 km apart, in the same valley. The water ought to be equally hard at both. You again: "In my estimate, the Aichinger is more a classic Märzen than an export." "Märzen" didn't "fall into mind" whilst enjoying it yesterday, rather, just rich, flavourful Helles. A Märzen leicht, okay. ;) You: "Ott is a classic Export brewer. The Dunkel (Obaladara) is a modern 'fashionable product', a bit too much licorice for me. In any case, it's simply not a beer our grandfathers would've known." I find Obaladara hit-or-miss in the bottle, the beer just doesn't stay fresh well. Yesterday vom Fass, it was kind of boring. I didn't know it's a new invention. Licorice? Okay, sometimes I notice licorice in it. I do like their Export. You: "Which Franconian beers do you mean are Germany's 'herbest'?" Wenn Ami Bierkenner (Hobbybrauer, u.a.) von Bier reden, sprechen wir von Bitterkeit, Trockenheit, Hopfigkeit(?), Hopfengeschmack, und Hopfenaroma, während der Deutsche von "herb" redet. Jever ist ja "Friesisch herb". Mir ist Jever trocken und bitter, aber nicht wirklich Hopfen betont--es gibt kaum Hopfengeschmack oder Hopfenaroma darin, beim heutigen Industrieprodukt zumindest. When Yankee beergeeks (homebrewers, etc.) talk about beer, we refer to bitterness, dryness, hoppiness, hop flavour, and hop aroma, while Germans simply talk about "herb". Jever is "Friesisch herb". To me, Jever is dry and bitter, but not really hoppy--there's almost no hop flavour or aroma, at least in today's megabrewery Jever. Pils allgemein sollte trocken, bitter, und hopfig sein--mit Hopfengeschmack und -Aroma. Der Deutsche würde sagen, es sollte bloß "herb" sein. Aber die Beschreibungen dieser verschiedenen Komponenten der "Herbigkeit" stellen eine Herausforderung beim Übersetzen dar. Pils, generally, should be dry, bitter, and hoppy--with hop flavour and aroma. Germans would say it should be "herb". But Enlish speakers' descriptions of these different components of "herbness" make the translation a challenge. I mean Doppelhopfen from Schloßbrauerei in Fattigau (okay, that's pretty far north!), Griess Kellerbier and Roppelt (Stiebarlimbach) Kellerbier. These are bitter (remember, this is not a negative description in this case), hoppy, and dry. Aside from Jever, I can't think of a hoppier, more bitter German beer than these. Okay, the Roppelt is not so bitter, nor so dry, since it is also maltier than the other two, but it is quite hoppy in flavour and aroma.

OT: "Northern German Pils" by Nick B. on 2009-11-25 00:18:36

OT: by A Harvey on 2009-11-25 11:56:09

OT: by Mark Andersen on 2009-11-25 20:16:22

OT: by Nick B. on 2009-11-25 23:30:48

Pils vs Pilsner by Uncle Jimbo on 2009-11-26 04:16:08

OT: by Mark Andersen on 2009-11-26 17:52:03

OT: by Mark Andersen on 2009-11-26 18:11:14

OT: by Nick B. on 2009-11-27 07:48:23