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www.cheersonline.com 32 • October 2016 GERMAN FEST (97) Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest/Oktoberfest Märzen (Munich, Germany). Warm honey on toasted bread, light toffee, earthy, spicy malt, herbal hops successfully balance. Light-to-medium bodied, with a dry toasty fi nish. This is one of the top 3 Marzen beers. 5.8% ABV. (95) Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock (Freising, Germany). Pours dark, murky brown with a fi rm tan head. Aroma of fresh, warm dark bread. Flavors are grainy wort, light raisin, honey and banana chips. A soft roast character with light smokiness appears as the beer warms. Light-to-medium bodied, with a dry mid-palate, then rounds out in the fi nish. A+ drinkability. An outstanding Doppelbock. 7.4% ABV, 32 IBU. (93) Brauerei Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock (Bamberg, Germany). This smoked beer pours dark brown with a light brown head. The smoky aroma bursts forward. Finishes very light for a beer that is perceived as being heavy. 6.6% ABV. (93) Weihenstephaner Festbier (Freising, Germany). Fresh grain, lightly toasted bread. Light Noble hop bitterness adds balance. Light bodied; carbonation is sharp and abrupt. Finish is dry yet round and clean. An all-day drinker. 5.8% ABV 26 IBU. (92) Augustiner-Brau Augustiner Maximator Dopplebock (Munich, Germany). Pours a deep mahogany with a light brown head. Sweet and malty aromas lead to a rich sticky toffee taste. Well balanced and smooth. Hard to ask for much more in a Dopplebock. 7.5% ABV. (92) Von Trapp Brewing Helles Lager (Stowe, VT). Pours an absolutely beautiful golden color. The beer is fl awlessly clear and leaves a big head like beaten egg white. This beer is very crisp and clean. Nice bready malt with refreshing lemony citrus tones from the hops. The lager yeast leaves a perfect refreshing drying effect on the tongue. 4.9% ABV, 20 IBU. (91) Garage Brewing Co. Golden Helles (Temecula, CA). Toasted white bread, honey, dust, fl oral and soapy hop character that balances well. Light-bodied. Dryness and minerality in the fi nish. Firm-yet-elegant fl avors that are extremely well balanced. Impressive. 5.2% ABV, 10 IBU. (91) Anderson Valley GT Gose (Boonville, CA). A Gose-style beer that's brewed with a host of herbs and spices to mimic the classic Gin and Tonic cocktail. Pours a pale yellow with a thin white head. Aroma is quite rem- iniscent of gin. Tart and well balanced, with lots of citrus, salt on the fi nish. 4.2% ABV. (91) Schlafl y Kolsch (St. Louis, MO). Pale yellow color with slight cloudy haze. An inch of white head that dissipated rather quickly. Fruity esters on the nose. Light fruitiness follows in the mouth, with mild hops present on the fi nish. Nice effervescence, with more body and mouthfeel than the appearance/ style might indicate. 4.8% ABV, 25 IBU. (91) Crux Pilz (Bend, OR). Noble hops and toasted cracker bread. Pils malt, light biscuit, light sweetness that adds weight on the palate. Softer mouthfeel than the style calls for; defi nitely more meat on the bone. Enjoyable and pleasant; crushable. 5.2% ABV, 32 IBU. (90) Omnipollo Bianca Raspberry Gose (Stockholm, Sweden). Pours a deep ruby red. The nose is of tart raspberry, while a slight hint of sour funk hangs around in the background. First sip is of very tart raspberry juice. The fi nish has a little hint of Brettanomyces funk and that signature Gose salinity. Tart and refreshing without being mouth-puckering sour, and shows good fruit. 6.6% ABV, 33 IBU. OUR BEER PANEL JOURNEYS THROUGH GERMAN STYLES For our latest round of beer reviews, we asked our national panel of experts to taste German-style beers. These reviews include brief tasting notes and a rating. If you're a retail or on-premise professional who would like to learn more about participating in our panel, please contact Kyle Swartz at 203-855-8499 ext. 2225 or kswartz@epgmediallc.com.