Augustiner Brau Edelstoff

I have so many, many beers to choose from that I feel mildly overwhelmed (in a good way).  I grabbed the Augustiner Brau Edelstoff next for a couple reasons: it was the only one with foil over the cap, so it caught my eye, the label is largely in German (which I can't read), and it's from a brewery I've never heard of before.  I love German beers, so I was looking forward to this one:

Vittles:

Munich Helles Lager

5.6% abv

Appearance: 9/10
It's a very pale straw color, clear and crisp, with a relatively small white head.  The head did persist fairly well, and it left mild lacing as it fell.  I could see a decent amount of effervescence rising steadily, and I love to see that in most beers.

Aroma: 23/25
The primary notes I smell are bready/biscuity, grainy, grassy, and floral, with just a bit of funk that quickly dissipates.  The aromas seem very well balanced, rounded, and subtle.

Taste: 38/40
Grainy, grassy, bready, and biscuity flavors dominate up front.  The grassy taste lingers into the finish and combines nicely with a slight earthy, lemony character.  There's also a mild bitterness that carries into the aftertaste.  It's crisp, clean, mild, and well-balanced overall.  This is exactly what I expect a Helles lager to taste like.

Mouthfeel: 9/10
It's crisp and light-bodied, which adds quite a bit to my enjoyment and helps make it a more refreshing beer. The carbonation brings a bit of a sting to your mouth, as well, which goes very well with the flavor profile.

Style: 5/5
Appearance, aroma, flavors, mouthfeel... everything is done just right with this beer.

Drinkability: 9/10
I could drink this beer all day, if it weren't for the 5.6% abv.  The flavors are mellow and subtle, and it leaves you feeling refreshed and wanting more.

Overall: 93/100
I'm incredibly glad this was one of the beers my parents picked out for me.  Not only did I get a chance to try a beer from a German brewery I hadn't sampled from in the past, but I also got to enjoy, truly enjoy, a style that American brewers can't seem to get down so well -- many of the American versions of Helles lagers seem astringent or acerbic, very harsh on the tongue, and are much less refreshing or enjoyable for it.  This is quite possibly the best Helles lager I've tried so far.

I have awesome parents.  Cheers!

Kirin Ichiban

My parents are awesome.  They came to visit this weekend for my birthday and for Mother's Day, and they brought me the best present(s) -- a mixed sixer of beers I've never had before.  I was in the mood for something light and mild, so I started with a Kirin Ichiban:

Vittles: 

5% abv

Appearance: 8/10

The light golden body, topped with about an inch or so of white foam, does look pretty refreshing.  Once it was poured, there seemed to be very little effervescence in the glass.

Aroma: 19/25

The aroma is mellow and mild.  It smells faintly of malt, a smooth graininess, but I don't smell much aside from that.

Taste: 25/40

The taste, like the aroma, is mellow and mild.  I went into tasting this beer expecting flavors similar to Budweiser and was pleasantly surprised -- where Bud has a sharp acrid character, Kirin Ichiban is very smooth and gentle.  The taste is, as you would expect from this style, very faint, but it's enjoyable for the style, and if given the choice, I would choose Kirin Ichiban over BMC.  There was, however, a slight flavor that detracted a little.  It had a stale grain flavor that was very mild, not overly noticeable, but worth mentioning.

Mouthfeel: 8/10

I was a little surprised -- I was expecting it to be very watery and thin, but it was actually a light-medium bodied beverage, which added a bit to my enjoyment of the beer.

Style: 4/5

While Kirin Ichiban tastes like an adjunct lager, it is apparently 100% malt.  And that comes through in the flavor and the mouthfeel.  However, I think I would consider it a premium American lager (despite coming from Japan --  hell, the BJCP lists Red Stripe as a premium American lager, and that's from Jamaica, so what the hell, right?)

Drinkability: 7/10

It's so easy to drink beers like this if you're not looking for bold flavor or a hop punch, which I wasn't when I grabbed this one.  It's a very good representation of its style, and it's a smooth beverage that doesn't interfere too much with your palate, so you can pair it with almost anything.  It's also very mild and refreshing, so it's a good beer for a hot, sunny day when you're looking for something with a touch of flavor, but isn't overbearing.

Overall: 71/100

I'm not generally a fan of this sort of lager, but I did enjoy this beer.  I wasn't looking for a thick, heavy, or boldly flavored beer, which is one of the reasons it hit the spot last night.  Like I said above, it's a good example of its style, not a great beer, but better than other similar beers I've tried in the past.

I can't believe how many beers I have on hand now, thanks to my very supportive parents and husband.  Can't wait to wade through all of them!!  Cheers!