So why does it take two weeks to put up a review summary? Like the age old question from the Tootsie Pop commercials, the world may never know. Here are some other questions that, frankly are best left unanswered...
Mike asks where he can get his mullet highlighted?
Jim asks why do Germans love the smooth jazz genre so?
Jason asks what exactly does everybody see in the movie "Anchorman"?
And Gina asks who stole the kishka?
Oh, and some beer was consumed as well. And with it being Oktoberfest and we were at the Rathskeller, we obviously had to drink German beers. Like Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest, which averaged a 2.88 mugs rating. And Erdinger Hefe Weissbier Dark, which averaged a 1.25 mugs rating.
Showing posts with label Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest. Show all posts
27 September 2007
16 September 2007
Roundtable #28 - In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here...
I remember being in a lot of bars and legion hall type places with my family a lot when I was young. Though I am a bit cloudy about the specific details, I always remember a lot of drinking and a lot of dancing. My dad played drums and sometimes accompanied my Grandpa's polka band. Of course it was all very uncool when I was younger, I now feel nostalgic and a also little bit sad that I only have a few cloudy memories of it all.
That's also kind of what the Kellerbar at the Rathskeller reminded me a little bit of. I suspect that it was mainly due to the wide open and very dimly lit room (I know it wasn't the music), but the atmosphere reminded me of those places I grew up (but with a lot less smoke and a lot better beer selection).
Onto the beers...
Weinhenstephaner Oktoberfest - As Jason mentioned, it's not a traditional Oktoberfest beer, but I think I favor it the most out of the Oktoberfest brews I have tried so far. It's cloudy, copper appearance led to a smooth citrus flavor. While Mike though it was a vanilla flavor, I thought an orange flavor was more prevalent after eating a pretzel with spicy mustard. I thought 3.5 mugs for this one.
Erdinger Hefe-Weizen Dark - I don't have too much to say about this one, it tasted like a penny. My notes say "meh". 1.5 Mugs
14 September 2007
Roundtable #28: I'm slowly bugging the piss out of Jim and the others
First, it was my assertions that "The Breakfast Club" is a chick flick (the poll stated that 2/3's of you disagree with me, which is fine. Just remember, the majority of voters voted for W in the last election, and they were ALL WRONG!).
Then, it is because I like to sing along with the likes of Grover Washington Jr. and accompany myself on the air bass. And yes, for the record, I like Will Smith, the musician and the actor.
I topped it all off with my exclamation that I thought "Anchorman" was a stupid movie. To which all the other Knights gang tackled me and gave me purple nurples until I cried "uncle". By the way, guys, my left nipple is still bleeding a little, thank you very much.
To be honest, I think they are all trying to turn me into some zombie that worships all things they do. By this time next year, I fear I'll be saying things like:
*Molly Ringwald is the second coming of Katharine Hepburn.
*John Hughes is like a god. His movies are like video clips of my soul.
*Music isn't worth listening to unless it is difficult to find and it is only available on vinyl. A pox on FM radio! All hail CBGB!
*Richard Pryor? George Carlin? Lenny Bruce? Bill Cosby? Steve Martin? Cheap hacks, all of them. Will Ferrell is such an intelligent comedian that is very approachable to the common man.
Thankfully, despite our differences, we all can agree that drinking beer is a good thing. And drinking good beers is a great thing. So let's talk beer...
As mentioned by others, we first visited the office and warehouse of Cavalier Distributing, who represents many great beers including a ton of German beers. As Bob O. pointed out, that is probably a good thing for them, considering the number of German descended populations in southern Indiana. They served us Weihenstephaner Dunkel Weiss, which is a very pleasant beer. Very tasty. We'll have to do a further review at a later time.
After the visit, we headed to the Kellerbar at the Rathskeller to continue our German beer rampage. Next up: Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest. Now, Weihenstephaner is not one of the six breweries of Munich, so their Oktoberfest is not an official Oktoberfest beer. But it was worth drinking. One of the great things about O-fest beers is the variety (and I'll go into more detail in a later posting). This particular beer has many similarities to a Belgian. Yeasty in nose; citrusy in taste. Very cloudy to look at. Drinkable, at least to me. Not my favorite of the Oktoberfest beers, but worth ordering if you find yourself at the Rathskeller. I give it 3 mugs.
Erdinger Hefe Weissbier Dark came up as a disappointment to most everyone. From the looks and description, we should have been on cloud nine. I don't know if it is because it was served at such a cold temperature, but there was no taste or scent to the dark beer. I was just shocked. As it warmed up, some very very very very very very very very slight notes of roasted malts started to come out. But nothing too special. Again, I'm going to try this again sometime, only at home where I can control the starting temperature. And I'll make it the first beer I drink. Because I fear that perhaps with all the super strong super flavored beers that American craft breweries are coming out with, that perhaps my taste buds are numbed to more subtle flavors. Like Mike, I give it a 1.5 mug rating because it just didn't impress. But for the record, I'd take this over BudMillerCoors any day and twice on Sunday.
Post script: for the record, I don't dislike Will Ferrell. He has some very funny movies and characters. Also, I like the Clash. I also like Grover Washington Jr. Really, there isn't much musically that I dislike. And I enjoy many John Hughes movies. Just not the chick flick ones that star that red-headed devil Molly.
Then, it is because I like to sing along with the likes of Grover Washington Jr. and accompany myself on the air bass. And yes, for the record, I like Will Smith, the musician and the actor.
I topped it all off with my exclamation that I thought "Anchorman" was a stupid movie. To which all the other Knights gang tackled me and gave me purple nurples until I cried "uncle". By the way, guys, my left nipple is still bleeding a little, thank you very much.
To be honest, I think they are all trying to turn me into some zombie that worships all things they do. By this time next year, I fear I'll be saying things like:
*Molly Ringwald is the second coming of Katharine Hepburn.
*John Hughes is like a god. His movies are like video clips of my soul.
*Music isn't worth listening to unless it is difficult to find and it is only available on vinyl. A pox on FM radio! All hail CBGB!
*Richard Pryor? George Carlin? Lenny Bruce? Bill Cosby? Steve Martin? Cheap hacks, all of them. Will Ferrell is such an intelligent comedian that is very approachable to the common man.
Thankfully, despite our differences, we all can agree that drinking beer is a good thing. And drinking good beers is a great thing. So let's talk beer...
As mentioned by others, we first visited the office and warehouse of Cavalier Distributing, who represents many great beers including a ton of German beers. As Bob O. pointed out, that is probably a good thing for them, considering the number of German descended populations in southern Indiana. They served us Weihenstephaner Dunkel Weiss, which is a very pleasant beer. Very tasty. We'll have to do a further review at a later time.
After the visit, we headed to the Kellerbar at the Rathskeller to continue our German beer rampage. Next up: Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest. Now, Weihenstephaner is not one of the six breweries of Munich, so their Oktoberfest is not an official Oktoberfest beer. But it was worth drinking. One of the great things about O-fest beers is the variety (and I'll go into more detail in a later posting). This particular beer has many similarities to a Belgian. Yeasty in nose; citrusy in taste. Very cloudy to look at. Drinkable, at least to me. Not my favorite of the Oktoberfest beers, but worth ordering if you find yourself at the Rathskeller. I give it 3 mugs.
Erdinger Hefe Weissbier Dark came up as a disappointment to most everyone. From the looks and description, we should have been on cloud nine. I don't know if it is because it was served at such a cold temperature, but there was no taste or scent to the dark beer. I was just shocked. As it warmed up, some very very very very very very very very slight notes of roasted malts started to come out. But nothing too special. Again, I'm going to try this again sometime, only at home where I can control the starting temperature. And I'll make it the first beer I drink. Because I fear that perhaps with all the super strong super flavored beers that American craft breweries are coming out with, that perhaps my taste buds are numbed to more subtle flavors. Like Mike, I give it a 1.5 mug rating because it just didn't impress. But for the record, I'd take this over BudMillerCoors any day and twice on Sunday.
Post script: for the record, I don't dislike Will Ferrell. He has some very funny movies and characters. Also, I like the Clash. I also like Grover Washington Jr. Really, there isn't much musically that I dislike. And I enjoy many John Hughes movies. Just not the chick flick ones that star that red-headed devil Molly.
Roundtable #28 | Smooth Jazz Epidemic
"Grover Washington, Jr. (December 12, 1943 - December 17, 1999) was an American soul-jazz musician. Along with John Klemmer, George Benson, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of the smooth jazz genre."This is the Wikipedia entry for Grover Washington, Jr. If you're 35 or older, you might remember Grover's greatest hit, "Just the Two of Us." If you're younger than 35, you probably remember "Just the Two of Us" as a Will Smith song, in which he sampled Grover's original.
We got a big ol' dose of Grover at the Rathskeller last night, continuing the grievous aural assault of that most heinous musical genre which began during my visit to Florida. I don't know what was more frightening--the fact that a beloved beer hall was foisting this stuff upon me and my fellow knights (after previously playing the Only Band That Ever Mattered, no less) or the fact that Jason seemed to know the lyrics and bass-line to every single Grover song. I don't know whether it was my imagination, but I seem to recall that blood was trickling out of Kelly's left ear...
Actually, I think I know what our bartender was up to with his musical selection--we were getting close to closing time, and he was simply using Grover as a hint to us to settle up and leave. He was, however, kind enough to switch to something more musically palatable upon request. Thus ended Jason's air guitar routine.
Anyway, I've paid many a visit to the Rathskeller, and most Indy dwellers are already familiar with the place, so I won't bother you with a lengthy recounting of my impressions of our physical surroundings. Suffice it for me to say that I love the place and you should visit it if you haven't been there yet.
The beers reviewed:
Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest - Cloudy golden color with no lacing. Sweet, yeasty nose, sort of Belgian in character. A pleasant, slightly hoppy flavor. High drinkability. A decent but not outstanding offering. 2.5 Mugs.
Erdinger Hefe Weissbier Dark - As Mike noted, served with an orange slice. Thick tan head, dark brown in color. I expected a chewy beer, but alas, was mistaken. Tasted like water infused with copper and zinc. So unimpressive that I couldn't finish it. I handed it over to Jason. I think that this was the only beer I've not been able to finish at a roundtable. 0.5 Mugs.
A note on our visit to Cavalier Distributing. Thanks to Bob Ostrander of Indiana Beer for inviting us and to Mat Gerdenich of Cavalier Distributing for the enlightening tour and the excellent beer. Mat gave us some Weihenstephaner Dunkel Weiss. A really unique and tasty offering. Reddish-gold coloring with an ample golden head. Had a sweet, yeasty nose and a flavor that followed suit. Definitely the best of our German beers on the night. I'm not going to give this one a mug rating in hopes that we'll review it in the future. Trust me when I say that this beer is uber pleasing (that's my feeble attempt at speaking German).
Roundtable #28 - The Rathskeller Kellerbar - Wo kann ich mir meine VokuHila Frisur blondieren lassen?
A sudden rescheduling meant that we had to officially cancel the Rathskeller roundtable. We had a late invite to visit Cavalier Distributing with Bob Ostrander from Indiana Beer and members of the Foam Blowers of Indiana. We're always anxious to meet the people behind the beer, so we took Bob up on the offer, thinking that we might not make it to the Rathskeller.
But we did make it to the Rathskeller, just a little bit later than our previous plans. Having never been to the Rathskeller myself, it was quite an experience. The interior is dimly lit, spacious, and just feels like a place where a person should be drunk. From where I was sitting, I could see into the adjacent room, where a group of banquet tables reminded me a bit of a VFW hall. I don't mean that as a slight - the place had a very homey, comfortable sort of feel. There are also a ton of moose heads on display in the Kellerbar - so many that I started to wonder if perhaps the Rathskeller was personally responsible for my lack of previous moose sightings.
As the night wore on and we discussed our vast knowledge of all things German (ie. I know that Moritz Volz is funny and one of my favorite Germans), I got more and more comfortable with the Kellerbar - so much so that I said and wrote a few thing in my notes that I probably normally wouldn't have. After repeatedly insulting children (in jest, but nevertheless...), I went on to note that the Rathskeller seemed to be the sort of place with 5 attractive women and 100 guys in cargo shorts and button up shirts - though I suspect that was just the biergarten on the Thursday night. As an added bonus, In my notes I wrote "Fuck off, Germany*" Of course I don't mean that - it was just that sort of night I guess - aided by the beer, which unfortunately wasn't that good.
Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest - This one appeared to have a cloudy golden color (it was pretty dark in the room, so I might be off a bit) with thin lacing. Jason and I had beer from the new keg; and the difference between kegs seemed to have some effect on the head on the beer. The beer had a sweet though very slight nose, and a slightly watery front. The taste really hit the middle of the tongue - I picked up a hint of plum, but overall this was a very light, watery, and drinkable beer. After eating a bit of pretzel with spicy mustard, I picked up some vanilla notes, which also hit right in the middle of the tongue. Everything was a bit middle about this beer - middle of the road. 2.5 Mugs.
Erdinger Hefe Weissbier Dark - The menu describes this one as follows: A refreshingly rich, smooth weissbier with a full-bodied flavor. Fine hops and dark malts contribute to its spicy flavor. Yeah.... not so much. This beer was served with an orange slice (removed immediately), which probably should have been a good indicator that it didn't have much going on. A think white head on a black/brown Guinness-like body had to be worked out of the glass by our server. A sweet, fruity Belgian-like nose gave way to the most alkaline tasting beer I've ever had. This beer basically tasted like putting your tongue on a battery. We thought that perhaps the beer just needed time to warm, but further drinking proved that it just wasn't that good. Sort of like a Belgian sour, minus the sour. 1.5 Mugs.
Despite the poor showing from the beers, I'm sure I'll be back to the Rathskeller - it's just a really comfortable, enjoyable environment. And the beer selection is pretty top notch as well. As an added bonus, I think the tax on our bill was off, which lead to me undertipping our server. I'm sure he's not a HBG reader, but I'd like to offer up my apologies anyway. I'll get you next time.
*Translated: Where can I get my mullet highlighted?
*Added Note: Give us back our bicycles
But we did make it to the Rathskeller, just a little bit later than our previous plans. Having never been to the Rathskeller myself, it was quite an experience. The interior is dimly lit, spacious, and just feels like a place where a person should be drunk. From where I was sitting, I could see into the adjacent room, where a group of banquet tables reminded me a bit of a VFW hall. I don't mean that as a slight - the place had a very homey, comfortable sort of feel. There are also a ton of moose heads on display in the Kellerbar - so many that I started to wonder if perhaps the Rathskeller was personally responsible for my lack of previous moose sightings.
As the night wore on and we discussed our vast knowledge of all things German (ie. I know that Moritz Volz is funny and one of my favorite Germans), I got more and more comfortable with the Kellerbar - so much so that I said and wrote a few thing in my notes that I probably normally wouldn't have. After repeatedly insulting children (in jest, but nevertheless...), I went on to note that the Rathskeller seemed to be the sort of place with 5 attractive women and 100 guys in cargo shorts and button up shirts - though I suspect that was just the biergarten on the Thursday night. As an added bonus, In my notes I wrote "Fuck off, Germany*" Of course I don't mean that - it was just that sort of night I guess - aided by the beer, which unfortunately wasn't that good.
Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest - This one appeared to have a cloudy golden color (it was pretty dark in the room, so I might be off a bit) with thin lacing. Jason and I had beer from the new keg; and the difference between kegs seemed to have some effect on the head on the beer. The beer had a sweet though very slight nose, and a slightly watery front. The taste really hit the middle of the tongue - I picked up a hint of plum, but overall this was a very light, watery, and drinkable beer. After eating a bit of pretzel with spicy mustard, I picked up some vanilla notes, which also hit right in the middle of the tongue. Everything was a bit middle about this beer - middle of the road. 2.5 Mugs.
Erdinger Hefe Weissbier Dark - The menu describes this one as follows: A refreshingly rich, smooth weissbier with a full-bodied flavor. Fine hops and dark malts contribute to its spicy flavor. Yeah.... not so much. This beer was served with an orange slice (removed immediately), which probably should have been a good indicator that it didn't have much going on. A think white head on a black/brown Guinness-like body had to be worked out of the glass by our server. A sweet, fruity Belgian-like nose gave way to the most alkaline tasting beer I've ever had. This beer basically tasted like putting your tongue on a battery. We thought that perhaps the beer just needed time to warm, but further drinking proved that it just wasn't that good. Sort of like a Belgian sour, minus the sour. 1.5 Mugs.
Despite the poor showing from the beers, I'm sure I'll be back to the Rathskeller - it's just a really comfortable, enjoyable environment. And the beer selection is pretty top notch as well. As an added bonus, I think the tax on our bill was off, which lead to me undertipping our server. I'm sure he's not a HBG reader, but I'd like to offer up my apologies anyway. I'll get you next time.
*Translated: Where can I get my mullet highlighted?
*Added Note: Give us back our bicycles
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