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canyonwalkerWhich round of my beer tasting 2022 competition am I on? I dunno, I kinda stopped counting a few rounds ago. And the last one I posted was almost 8 weeks ago now. Oh, I've been drinking beer since then, I just haven't spent time writing about it. Let's catch up, starting with two beers I compared this weekend.
Neither of the beers in this round are new to me. In fact they're the opposite. Each has participated in multiple rounds. Each has won every time. It's time for two top-rated beers to go head to head.
Estrella Galicia Reserva Especial 1906— that's a mouthful, especially if you say the whole thing in Spanish, including the date— is a German style hellerbock made in Spain. It has bested every beer I've paired it against, including a few respected German beers. I like its rich but not overpowering malty flavor that finishes with a swish of hops bitterness at the end to clean the palate.
Fat Tire is an American amber ale. It's a different style than hellerbock but I like it for the same flavor characteristics. It has a medium-rich flavor, not overpowering, with a bit of sourness on the finish that cleans the palate so to enhance the taste of the next bite of food. Fat Tire has also defeated all comers so far.
Obviously these two undefeated beers can't both continue their winning ways when put head to head. So which will it be?
In the past I've had several matchups that were much closer than I expected. This was the opposite: a comparison I thought would be close but wasn't. The 1906 won, hands-down.
Compared to the 1906 the Fat Tire tasted like it should be called Flat Tire. I was so surprised by the immediate difference that I tasted the beers multiple times to be sure: forward and back, with and without food. No matter how I arranged it, the 1906 was clearly better.
I'd consider making Estrella Galicia Reserva 1906 my house beer... if only a) it were easier to find and b) it were a bit cheaper. Those are merely the consequences of the 6,000 mile distance from the brewery to my table.
Neither of the beers in this round are new to me. In fact they're the opposite. Each has participated in multiple rounds. Each has won every time. It's time for two top-rated beers to go head to head.
Estrella Galicia Reserva Especial 1906— that's a mouthful, especially if you say the whole thing in Spanish, including the date— is a German style hellerbock made in Spain. It has bested every beer I've paired it against, including a few respected German beers. I like its rich but not overpowering malty flavor that finishes with a swish of hops bitterness at the end to clean the palate.
Fat Tire is an American amber ale. It's a different style than hellerbock but I like it for the same flavor characteristics. It has a medium-rich flavor, not overpowering, with a bit of sourness on the finish that cleans the palate so to enhance the taste of the next bite of food. Fat Tire has also defeated all comers so far.
Obviously these two undefeated beers can't both continue their winning ways when put head to head. So which will it be?
In the past I've had several matchups that were much closer than I expected. This was the opposite: a comparison I thought would be close but wasn't. The 1906 won, hands-down.
Compared to the 1906 the Fat Tire tasted like it should be called Flat Tire. I was so surprised by the immediate difference that I tasted the beers multiple times to be sure: forward and back, with and without food. No matter how I arranged it, the 1906 was clearly better.
I'd consider making Estrella Galicia Reserva 1906 my house beer... if only a) it were easier to find and b) it were a bit cheaper. Those are merely the consequences of the 6,000 mile distance from the brewery to my table.
