Alpenkönig Gold Märzen
Even more than the December 4th Bergbräu can design, this one strums a happy string for me by using a black and gold contrast. Once I'm done admiring the cylindrical treasure, I crack it open and pour. The beer is bright gold; a more saturated shade of pale straw, like a liquid version of the can's accents. The carbonation is slow and gentle.
Märzen comes from the German word for the month of March. Back when brewing wasn't possible during the heat of summer months, there was one last brew in the Spring before brewing would commence again in the fall. It was a beer with more body and a slightly higher alcohol content to help it survive storage over the summer.
The flavor profile is bright, just like the color. The pour built a big head with long retention. Grain malts and a mild alcohol taste are accented with hints of citrus. The hops have a subtle bitterness that round out the palate. The beer has an understated sweetness and comes across overall like a heavier hefeweizen.
I enjoyed this just about as much as the December 1st pilsner. Where pils is sweeter and lighter beer, this märzen has more body and a rounded out fully by some gentle hops; just as expected for the style.
… another Egerer. Maybe?
Unfortunately, no fun brewery info for today. There is no brewery or German town Alpenkönig, and it translates to English as 'King of the Alps.' It seems this is another brew claimed solely by Privatbrauerei H. Egerer.
Researching this beer did shed some more light on Egerer as a brewer/distributor. It seems they may contract other breweries to produce a beer for them, then they come up with a can design for distribution. I don't know if they do this for other purposes than the advent calendar, but I do find it odd.
This beer can't be found on their website, but Egerer does have a "gold märzen" in their selection. That makes me wonder if this is the same beer, just rebranded into a cooler can.
I guess I'll chalk this one up as another Egerer mystery brew, but [sneak peek] tomorrow's brewer profile will make up for it!
Beer photographs by me.
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