Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Fresh off the Champions League, we enter into the European contests to see which country is the best in Europe.
Round 1 is done and now, I find myself looking for beers to drink with games or the highlights of goals and other than a proper pub bitter, a simple German beer sounds good and if I could find this Fussball Edition from Bitburger, that would be perfect…
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First Bitburger collaborated with Sierra Nevada and now another heritage brewery meets up with them for so freshies…
Here are the beer details…
“Chasin’ Freshies Fresh Hop IPA A fresh hop collaboration with Bitburger, September release (based on timing of hop harvest) in 12-ounce cans. Deschutes’ #1 fresh hop beer goes international with this Bitbuger collab! A celebration of 2 iconic, independent, family owned breweries exchanging brewing expertise and comradery. This collaboration incorporates the Bitburger influenced German hop “Callista” with Triumph and Cashmere American hops selected during the 2020 hop harvest.”
Here is your handy link spot to read what I covered in Brew & You in September….
September 5th – Project Barley, A Velvet Glow from Russian River + a state gathering at Long Beach Beer Lab.
September 19th – California Craft Beer Summit in Long Beach plus plenty of Oktoberfest fun.
Now that we are in September, it is seasonally appropriate to talk Oktofest beers. Today, I will compare and contrast the gold standard (since the German collaborations have started) Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest and a local marzen from Chapman Crafted in Orange.
Starting with the latter. This is really quite biscuit rich. That creates a backbone for other flavors to play off of. I get a little citrus note as well as a bit of nutty. Good sparkle to this. May not have the mineral tinge that a classic may have but this is a beer that reminds what happens when malt is in the fore.
The Bitburger 2019 version of the Okto pours a red/brown color. Another malt forward beer but this is a notch or two lighter in both malt character and heft. There is a nice hop character here but the beer overall still tilts to the German side. Searching my memory, this seems like the lightest version so far. Part dunkel and bigger part lager.