The solidly Bavarian Traunstein beers have been available in these parts for a while, though I don’t make much use of them. When UnderDog had a pair on tap simultaneously I had two thoughts: that I’ll get a blog post out of that, and I wonder what they taste like?
First came Traunstein Zwickl, which looked somewhat Zwicklish, with it’s slight haze on an otherwise clear and golden body. There wasn’t enough to give it the crunchy and wholesome bread-and-grain taste that these should have, if they’re to conjure a sense of lager brewed and served in the same keller. There’s a little bit of white loaf here, but not much else, and it’s really indistinguishable from any Helles you like. I expected a bit more character, especially at over €7 for the pint. If we’re making the effort to drag the keg all the way from southern Germany then at least we should check it has something of interest inside it. There’s a lager brewery around the corner from UnderDog that serves this niche perfectly well.
I took a gamble on the second one, which is a bock named Josef. Pale bocks can be a bit too sickly and/or vegetal to me, so this time I wasn’t looking for a big and distinctive taste. While this was broadly to style, being 7.2% ABV and appropriately heavy, it has a toned-down flavour, though still pleasingly complex. The malt side is warming and chewy, with freshly baked cookies and a smear of honey. From the noble hops, a gently fresh salad greenness which is just enough to balance it: seasoning the sweetness. I’m not sure if the fruity bubblegum in the finish counts as an error in the fermentation process, but I didn’t mind it being there, removing the possibility of crispness. This is plainly meant to be a cosy jumper of a beer, not a tight-fitting angular one, so crispness is irrelevant.
I’m not booking my trip to Traunstein just yet, but I will try more of these. Probably bottled rather than in the pub, however.
