Spaten-Franziskaner Dunkel, Old Heathen, and Old Rasputin

Arthur and I went to the Peculiar Pub. Started with the Spaten-Franziskaner dunkel weiss which is typical of the style. Amoung its peers it is better than Erdinger, on par with Julius Echter, but falls short of Weihenstephaner and Schneider Weisse.

Second up was the Old Heathen Imperial Stout from Weyerbacher. While I enjoyed this one, it sweetness reminded me of the Dogfish Head Imp Stout against my will. Perhaps the alcohol content and subtlety of the sweetness made this one easier to handle.

Last up was the Old Rasputin from the North Shore Brewery(shown in the image). Different take on the style than I am used to. Tastes like the offspring of brown ale and imperial stout. Would try again, but perhaps my judgment was too clouded by that point in the night.

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden

Its been quite some time since I posted last, and I could not possibly post all the beers I have tried in the interim. I have made the move from Philly to NYC, so there will be a shift towards NYC beer, and to start off I am going to review the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria.

On an early summer saturday afternoon the large outside area is packed with long benches of people drinking a small selection of Czech and German beer(mostly Czech). We sat down to eat indoors which limited the selection of beer offered. You can't beat pitchers of good beer for $15 alongside some farely tasty/authentic food. I didn't mistake the garden for Prague, but I think its as close as you get in NYC. I would definitely recomend this place especially for large groups of people.

Take the N to the second to last stop and keep walking in the same direction as the train along 31st street until you reach 24th avenue. You should be able to see the beer garden from the intersection.

Erdinger Dunkel Weissbier

I have taken a few trips to the beer yard recently and on my most recent trip I picked up a case of Erdinger Dunkel Weissbier. I must admit I was looking for Weihenstephaner Dunkel, and this was my second choice. I also was tempted by the Brooklyn Brewery and Schneider and Son collaboration beer. Ultimately the $70 price tag and the fact that I had never tried it before dissuaded me.

This beer is one of my favorites. I have not yet done a side by side tasting with Weihenstephaner Dunkel and some of my other favorites, but I definitely would like to in the future. Drinkability is my number one concern and this one is at the top of my list. Wholesome and smooth this beer never disappoints. If you are looking for something different, look elsewhere. This is a good traditional dunkelweiss that I would definitely recommend.

Price: $53 for 24x500mL
Marked 03-2008
5.6% ABV

Ayinger Brau-Weisse

I am nearing the end of my beers from the foodery. I had high expectations for this German hefe and they were definitely met.

The head died down some by the time I took this picture. This one tasted like orange smooth wheat. I am definitely going to get this one again. Reminded me of Maisel's Weisse, but better.

500mL
5.1% ABV
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Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dark

This is beer 4 from the foodery and the only beer that I had had before that I purchased. I knew this one was going to be good. I drank it immediately after the Ayinger Dunkel, to compare.

While the Ayinger was good, I enjoyed the Weihenstephaner much more. This dunkelweiss has been my favorite beer for about 2 months now after I tried it side by side with my previous favorite, Sneider Weisse.

The taste is of incredibly smooth earthy malty chocolate deliciousness. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

5.3% Alcohol by Volume
Pint Bottle
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Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel

This is the third beer from my first trip to the foodery. This one is a German dunkel, and I naturally had high expectations for it.

I definitely was not disappointed. This one tasted like smooth malty coffee. I definitely am going to drink this one again.

500mL bottle
5% ABV
I lost the receipt to the foodery so there won't be any pricing info for awhile.
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