The Beer Junkies We finally got the chance to visit our bottle shop and try some new beer! For this beer tasting, we had the following.
- London Pride from Fullers
- Spotted Cow from New Glarus Brewing Co
- Aventinus from Schneider Weisse
- Dunkel from Erdinger
- Premium Lager from Spaten
Spoiler alert – they are all wonderful.
London Pride – Fuller’s
First up for our beer tasting is London Pride. This is a wonderful English bitter from Fuller’s. Fuller’s uses Target, Northdown, Challenger, and Goldings hops to achieve a fresh piney and herbal aroma. The aroma also has notes of malty sweetness and caramel. The flavor is well-rounded with a rich, smooth maltiness up front and a balancing bitterness in the finish. None of the flavors are overpowering, resulting in a highly refreshing and drinkable beer. London Pride is a wonderful beer that we would recommend to anyone.
Taste: ★★★★.25
Appearance: ★★★★★
Aroma: ★★★★.25
Overall: 4.5 / 5
Spotted Cow – New Glarus
Unfortunately, this beer is unavailable outside the state of Wisconsin, so we cheated and got it from a friend! Spotted Cow is a farmhouse ale with pilsner, white wheat, and caramel malts. There was a slight cloudiness to it but not enough to be described as hazy. There is a grainy sweetness in the aroma and a very slight noble hop character. The flavor follows the nose with a very light sweetness. It has a soft finish and is very refreshing. If you manage to come across Spotted Cow, we highly recommend trying it.
Taste: ★★★★
Appearance: ★★★★
Aroma: ★★★★
Overall: 4 / 5
Aventinus – Schneider Weisse
Next up we have Aventinus. Aventinus is a wonderful Weizenbock that is very highly rated. It had a cloudy, ruby appearance with a tan head. The aroma has notes of sweet malt, caramel, and clove. The flavor follows the aroma with sweet malt, clove, and some banana coming through. There is noticeable warming alcohol but it manages to keep a smooth mouthfeel. This is a great Weizenbock that we will have again.
Taste: ★★★★.25
Appearance: ★★★★
Aroma: ★★★★.25
Overall: 4.17 / 5
Dunkel – Erdinger
This dunkelweizen is from Erdinger and as you can see, it was cloudy with a deep, dark brown color with a lasting off-white head. The aroma was filled with notes of malty sweetness, bread, toast, and hints of spice from the yeast and noble hops. The flavor followed the nose with malty sweetness, biscuity, and toasty flavors coming through. The spiciness was subdued in the taste, which we preferred. We will definitely try this again if we see it.
Taste: ★★★★
Appearance: ★★★★
Aroma: ★★★★
Overall: 4 / 5
Premium Lager – Spaten
Last, but not least, of our beer tasting is the premium lager from Spaten. It was golden and crystal clear with a white head. It had the skunky aroma from the green bottle, but it was not quite as strong as similar green-bottled beers. There was also a slight malty sweetness and noble hop character in the aroma. The flavor was light and crisp with a slight grainy sweetness. The pleasant grainy flavor lingered into the aftertaste. Overall it was a very refreshing beer that we would have again.
Taste: ★★★★
Appearance: ★★★★
Aroma: ★★.5
Overall: 3.5 / 5
Closing
These were all wonderful beers that we would love to have again. We always forget how much fun these tastings are. For more beer reviews, check out our Beer Review tab. Let us know what beer we should try next! Leave a comment below, or send us a message at brady@thebeerjunkies.com. Cheers!
