Paulaner Original Munich Helles Lager

The circle closes, ever tighter. A new sample can from the sample man, bringing me a German beer I took notes on back on 9/19/05. I posted them on BeerAdvocate.com, and as I drink this fresh can, I share them with you:

Paulaner Munich Helles Lager. 4.9 % ABV. 20 IBU.
Paulaner Brauerei, Münchner, Deutschland.

A dazzling tornado of carbonation is an appealing part of this pour, spinning and whirling from bottom to top of the glass. The show's over soon, though, and then we consider the paleness of the yellow, and admire the long-lasting frothycloud nestled on top.

As for aroma, it's soft and pleasant, grainy, lightly honeyish, a little floral...not bad. On par or better for a typical lager.

Taste it, already!
Clean and solid, on and off the tongue. Crisp and zippy, delicate, but well-appreciated hops, minimal malt. But I don't think a lager can get more classic than this. Hops are more pronounced on the tongue the more I drink, and I like it like that.

Light bodied, tidy, hop-inflected finish. Perfectly palatable, excellently designed and executed.

I'm thumping myself to think that I've never tried this before. If ever I'm in the mood for a good, smooth, utterly untroubling lager, this would be my choice.

Fourteen years later, I still like it. Am I becoming a lager liker? Amazing!

Our Original Munich Lager is a true classic with its clear and bright gold sparkling hue, crowned by a pure white head. A beer which always goes down well: mild, elegant malts, with a hint of sweetness and a soft hint of hops in the background. This Munich beer is ideal to accompany spare ribs and spicy dishes. Just try it!

Paulaner Salvator Double Bock

Each time it happens, I still can't believe it. A classic beer is found to not be in the Nib. After seven years of this blog, there's still a few that haven't made it in. A lot of work to do. And this week, the Sample Man gave me some Paulaner beers, one of which has been covered here, the Hefe Weizen, but the doppelbock? The doppelbock, Salvator, hasn't made it in?

Time to correct that, and I'm going back and using notes from October of 2003:

Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock (Double Bock), 7.9% ABV, Paulaner Brewery, Munich, Germany.

Appearance: clear, gorgeous, deep garnet hue, with a fine, fuzzy cream-colored head.

Aroma: bready, yeasty, but soft, slightly hoppy and spicy, with some traces of fruit.

Taste: smooth flavor, but soon chocolate-y, caramel-y flavors, derived from malt, dominate the palate. Tasty, rich and malty, improving exponentially as we go.

Bright, shiny, delicious, with alcohol content eventually rearing it's powerful head. Flavor feels burnished, roasted, still fruity, and let us never forget, delicious. A world class beer, a champion doppelbock, and surprisingly approachable.

This unfiltered bottom fermented double bock beer has been brewed for over 375 years--always adhering to the original recipe. The taste is unmistakable, with its smooth chocolate flavor, robust dark caramel maltiness and a light note of hops--providing a nice intensity on the palate.

Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier Naturtrüb

Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier Naturtrüb, Paulaner Brauerei, München, Deutschland. 5.5% ABV.

As I said in my recent post about the Paulaner Oktoberfest, I was shocked--shocked!--that their beers haven't appeared here yet. I just so happened to have the Hefe Weizen on tap at Acadia, poured a glass, took a pic, and will now share my old notes on a bottle, from June of 2003:

Appearance: perfectly cloudy straw yellow, with a majestic white head atop.

Aroma: everything you want in a hefe weizen, fresh, citric, fruity, but still somehow dry, straw-like, so very lemony, and that element of yeast fills the nostrils as well.

Excellent texture, great play on the tongue, spicy, but smooth. Fresh, fruity, delicious. Medium bodied, tasty, longish finish, very memorable flavor. The yeast and citrusy taste dominate and create a most adequate beverage for any occasion.

Drinkability? I could toss down a million of them!
I still rank Schneider and Weihenstephaner up above, just slightly, but there's not a thing wrong with Paulaner's offering, not a thing at all.

Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen

Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen, München, since 1634. 5.8% ABV.

Last week, I was paid a visit from a representative of the importer of this beer, and was given this sample. I thanked him, and assured him that I would try to get at least one keg on the lines at Acadia during Oktoberfest season (which I don't believe should begin until September). Last year, I think we only did one German Oktoberfest, and it wasn't from this brewery. I pointed out to him that we had the hefe weizen on tap currently, and it's been popular. Then, later, I was surprised by a fact revealed to me on the internet. The internet of this blog, which told me that no beers from Paulaner have ever appeared here.

What? Can it be true? Yes, in fact, I haven't covered a lot of German beers, because I spend so much time on the American and the local scene, like everyone else. Surely, I've had plenty of them before I began this blog, right? Looking on BeerAdvocate.com, I see reviews of: Helles Lager, Premium Pils, Hefe Weissbier, Salvator Doppelbock, and this one. But, no, I did not return to any of them in the past almost six years. Or at least, if I did, I never thought to use the opportunity to reproduce those old notes here (as is my custom). Well, I'm going to take care of this one right now, drink this sample bottle, and look back at notes from March, 2003:

Distinctly amber color, clear, with creamy, frothy head.
Rich aromas abound, with spicy, herbal, vegetal notes, some floral hints, too.
Great, even perfect balance here, malt and hops are evenly matched. Sweet toffee notes on the palate, terrific tasting, and smooth drinking.
I recall a print ad where a cartoon duck embraces a bottle to declare "we go great together". This probably matches any meal well. Quite nice.