Looking for Malt in All the Wrong Glasses....
Written: Jun 17 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Clean and crisp
Cons: Needs more malt, and a more fully developed malt character
The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a light, easy-to-drink amber lager, Gordon Biersch will do you fine. If you want the REAL malt depth of marzen, keep looking...
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Degroen's Marzen |
September and October are the months when my tastebuds usually tell my hands to grab a few six-packs of malty tasting marzen-style beers, but at the Gordon Biersch chain of brewpubs, the marzen is one of the staple brews that's usually on tap at all locations, no matter what month might be showing on the calendar.
These days, you can find Gordon Biersch brewpubs popping up in once unlikely places (even downtown Washington, D.C.), but historically it's been a California operation and the chain's stronghold continues to be the San Francisco market (they started life in Palo Alto), especially nowadays with their expanded mainline brewing and bottling operation in nearby San Jose. When I was in San Francisco a couple months ago, I made it a point to eat and drink in as many brewpubs as possible and to drink as many locally made beers as I could (and I can drink quite a bit). Naturally, that included one evening downtown at the Gordon Biersch brewpub on Harrison Street (a short walk from the Ferry docks).
I have quite a lot of thoughts on the different brews that I tasted that evening, but I thought I'd start off by talking about the marzen, mostly because so many people seem to love this brew, and because it bewilders me so much that it's got such a cadre of fanatics behind it. In my opinion, it was a decent enough light amber lager, but not an especially great one, and certainly not one that would ever get me jumping up and down to sing its praises. But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. First, let me share a few thoughts on what I think it takes to be a really, really good marzen beer...
Malt Is Key to a GREAT Marzen...
Most beers can be thought of as falling somewhere along a continuum of sweet-to-bitter, malt-to-hops character. Marzen is definitely towards the malt side of this spectrum, and while sweetness usually goes hand-in-hand with malt character, it's not a universal, and malt can manifest itself in very different ways.
Malt is key to a good maerzen beer. Absolutely key. What I look for though isn't just generic "maltiness", what I want is a very rounded character with a toast-like emphasis. Ideally, the beer will no sooner touch my tongue then the tongue tells me, "this is the character of Munich malt". Or Vienna malt --- but definitely one of these malts that I know will impart the right color, flavor, texture, and aromas of sugars that were gently heated enough to induce some light goldening, but not so much as to damage the malt's natural enzymes. Some brewers do "mock marzens" using basic pale malts with caramel malts and/or some coloring malts thrown in, but in my opinion, these beers don't usually stack up to a "great" marzen.
The malt character has to be clean too (and technically perfect) --- I expect that brewers took the time to do a real decoction mash, and to do reasonable lagering periods with slow temperature change schedules --- I don't expect to smell or taste so much as a trace of wort production flaws nor so much as a hint of fermentation by-products.
The malt has to be robust too -- big enough on the palate to stand up and be noticed. A thin or overattenuated marzen is, in my opinion, not a beer that I'm likely to want to order a second time, and that's a shame because at its best, marzen is a fest. (Sorry, couldn't resist the silly rhyme --- what I mean though is that this style is a great session beer and you should be able to pound down a few just like the good burgermeisters back in Bavaria). I exaggerate a bit --- the alcohol levels are normally a bit higher than typical session beers, but not by enough to get a guy stumbling (one of these days I'm going to start a big blowout festival, only everyone will be drinking barleywines and dopplebocks).
Okay, I'm getting too geeky. Sorry. Let's get back to the basics. Marzen is a copper-colored, or amber, beer. Despite the feeling of depth, it's not a heavy beer and not stronger in terms of alcohol than most of your typical lagers. The flavor should have some toast, or maybe some sweet lightly toasted pie crust or even a flavor that reminds you of a slightly browned scone or shortbread. It's a luscious flavor that should never hit you as being bitter or hoppy. Get the malt right, and you've got a great marzen.
Malt character is the key.
A Tall Cool Glass of Malt and Brownness...
There's a "right" glass for every beer, and the tall, smooth sided glasses that Gordon Biersch uses are ideal stages for showcasing the bright, crystal-clear lagers that are their specialty.
Appearance:
Capped off with a somewhat thinnish but creamy looking head, the color on this marzen is an amber-brown with a definite orange hue to it. It's a little more pale than some of my favorite marzens, but not inappropriate.
Aroma:
Hmmm. Not exactly what I was hoping to get. This beer has, in my opinion, a somewhat sharp character to it that hints at green apple with a definite piquant pepper spiciness. It's a signature that I've picked up before on other Gordon Biersch lagers, and I suspect it's a yeast trait, but unfortunately, I was really hoping that on the marzen, there'd be enough oomph on the malt to clobber the house scent --- but this beer hits me as Gordon Biersch first and marzen second...or maybe even third. It's a light nose, and that is probably its biggest shortcoming. Needs more malt right up front....
Flavor:
Initial malt sweetness with some soft toffee character promises smooth drinking on a first sip. As I come back and swirl it around in my mouth, I get some complexity of light toast with maybe even a hint of cocoa to round things out. The flavor is generally good, but it's also kept shackled with the chains of light body and "smooth refreshment" that keep it from being all that it could (and should) be. On the tongue, it's got some good facets, but that overall thin mouthfeel keeps me from feel truly satisfied. When I swirl the beer around in my mouth and swallow, there's a light lingering toffee sweetness that's checked by a lightly piquant hop bite. Not a bad tasting beer....not bad at all.
Overall Impression:
I'm on the fence. It's okay and it's refreshing on a purely hedonic "how's it go down?" kind of measure, but stylistically, I honestly can't bring myself to think too highly of it.
This beer is, quite simply, too light for the style --- it needs more malt intensity. It's a decent enough everyday drinking beer, and probably a good choice for someone who just wants a light, smooth lager with a little bit more malt to it than usual, but if you really want a good marzen, then Gordon Biersch will disappoint.
The Last Drop...
In my opinion, marzen is one style where if you really demand the best, you're generally best off buying the long-established brands from Germany: Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, Ayinger, although there are some outstanding marzens from U.S. craft breweries that do warrant some attention: I love the soft Fest brewed by Stoudts in Pennsylvania, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest is quite a reliably solid marzen, and I like Uncle Otto's from Portland Brewing on the left coast.
I'll keep trying every local brew I can lay lips on, but for my money, the Marzen is not the best brew in the house when you're visiting Gordon Biersch (though I've been told it's their best seller).
Until next time, see you in the pub!
Recommended:
Yes
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