Beer Man: Spoetzl Brewery’s Birthday Beer shines
Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.
This week: Shiner Hoppy Pilsner 107 Birthday Beer
Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, Texas
Spoetzl Brewery’s Shiner brand release to celebrate its 107th anniversary is a hoppy pilsner that draws on the brewery’s long tradition of German-style beers.
You won’t find the pine and grapefruit notes from American hops in this lager; instead it has the floral and grassy qualities of Hallertau and Saaz hops.
Pilsners are the hoppiest of the German lager beer styles to begin with, and the additional bitterness from the extra hops in the 5% ABV 107 do make it reminiscent of American hopped-up beers.
The difference is that it has more malt flavor and body crispness than a typical American pale ale or IPA.
The body of 107 was pale-straw colored and crystal clear, forming a bright white head on the pour. Nice layers of lacing striped the sides of the glass, concentrating the hop aromas and soft golden malts.
The bready malt flavor was solid without being overwhelming and was quickly tempered by the hops. The finish was slightly dry with a pleasant lingering bitterness, as opposed to the cloying, harsh bitterness found in so many hoppy beers.
The 107 had a very clean and bright character, helped by the crispness of the carbonation. It’s a good example of the big difference between European and American hops.
Spoetzl also introduced a new year-round ale — its first American India Pale Ale. Wicked Ram is a 6% ABV beer with an International Bitterness Unit of 55, compared to the 30 IBUs of the Hoppy Pilsner.
Wicked Ram has the pine and grapefruit notes of typical American IPAs, along with some lemon and a slight background of caramel malt. The bitterness is also typical, lingering with some harshness.
Some yeast aromas added character to the ale, but other than that, Wicked Ram did not stand out much from the pack of thousands of American IPAs on the market.
Shiner beers have widespread distribution throughout the U.S.; its Beer Finder link is here.
Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability by mail. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns, click here.