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Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

(Large Brewery)

Last updated: August 23, 1998

Mars Strasse 46-48
D-80335 München
Bayern

Phone: +49 (089) 51221

Opened 1397.
Brewer: Georg Balk.
1,020,000 bbl annual capacity.

Acquired in 1858 by Gabriel Sedlmayr. The original brewery was founded nearly six hundred years ago, and it took the name Spaten 225 years later.

My Opinion Of The Beers That I've Tried:
16.5 points overall

• Club-Weiße (bottled)
  Style 19 - German-style Wheat Beer
  • 16.5 points - Beer #19-1528, Ryan's, Honolulu HI, June 27, 1996
    Golden, moderate carbonation, massive head. Fresh malt aroma. Good body, high carbonation. Generous hint of yeast. Clean finish.

• Export
  Style 14 - German Light Lager
  • 16 points - Beer #12-848, Empire Tap Room, Palo Alto CA, April 4, 1995
    Yellow and sparkling. Big head. Hallertauer aroma. Bitter with sweet finish. Nice balance. Hops come through late.

• Franziskaner Club-Weiss (bottled)
  Style 19 - German-style Wheat Beer
  • 16 points - Beer #22-1848, Willman's, Grand Island NE, October 1, 1996
    Golden, high carbonation, big head, some haze. Clove, banana aroma. Nice and thick, great mix of wheat, clove flavors. Note: This is not Spaten Club-Weiße...this bottle has the distinctive Franziskaner label.

• Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weizen (bottled)
  Style 19 - German-style Wheat Beer
  • 18.5 points - Beer #20-1569, Kona Wine Market, Kailua-Kona HI, September 12, 1996
    Brown opaque, big dense head, chunks of yeast. Blast of cloves up your nose! Tastes clovey, smoky, very high carbonation. Very smoky, lingering through finish.

• Franziskaner Weissbier (bottled)
  Style 19 - German-style Wheat Beer
  • 18 points - Beer #16-1241, Moloka`i Wines and Spirits Unlimited, Kaunakakai HI, January 12, 1996
    Dark yellow, lots of yeast, huge head. Clove, wheat aroma. Clove, wheat flavor. Big tingly clove finish lasts forever. High carbonation bites a little hard. Mighty fine beer, even from the bottle. Hawaii beer prices: Cost plus 10% equals $36.50 per case!

• Franziskaner Weissbier
  Style 19 - German-style Wheat Beer
  • 20 points - Beer #12-846, Empire Tap Room, Palo Alto CA, April 4, 1995
    Dark yellow, very hazy. Big head. Aroma is FULL of cloves! Pretty big body and an EXPLOSION of flavor! Spot-on!

• Oktoberfest
  Style 17 - Vienna / Märzen / Oktoberfest
  • 14 points - Beer #12-849, Empire Tap Room, Palo Alto CA, April 4, 1995
    Very nice amber, big head, pretty flat. Subtle Hallertauer nose. Caramel flavor, some chocolate, and a hint of coffee. Carbonation should be higher. Creamy.

  • 13.5 points - Beer #7-429, Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA, September 12, 1994
    Light amber. Transparent. Good carbonation. Thin head. Lots o'malt aroma! Some fruitiness also. Heavy. Malty and bitter, with long sweet finish. Alcohol flavor not noticeable.

  • Beer #31-2524, Lyon's Brewery, Dublin CA, October 2, 1993
    Deep amber, no head, lots of bubbles. Great dark malt aroma and flavor.

  • 18 points - Beer #1-42, Gasthaus zum Goldner Adler, Milpitas CA, May 20, 1993
    Beautiful deep red, very nice head. Smoky aroma! (Just a little.) Very smooth. Nice alcohol bite. Bitter pleasant finish. Outstanding. Frisch vom Faß!

• Oktoberfest Ur-Märzen (bottled)
  Style 17 - Vienna / Märzen / Oktoberfest
  • 17.5 points - Beer #17-1322, Moloka`i Wines and Spirits Unlimited, Kaunakakai HI, February 23, 1996
    Brilliant red, good head, low carbonation. Pretty fresh nose, lots of crystal, some alcohol. Very chewy. Outstanding balance, with a finish tending very slightly to the sweet side. Great mix of malt flavor and hop bitterness all the way through.

  • 14.5 points - Beer #31-2536, Gordon Biersch Brewer's Lunch #1, Palo Alto CA, Date unknown
    Beautiful amber, beautiful head. Malty aroma. Good flavor and finish.

• Optimator (bottled)
  Style 12 - Bock
  • 20 points - Beer #17-1331, Moloka`i Wines and Spirits Unlimited, Kaunakakai HI, February 28, 1996
    Deep ruby red, moderate carbonation, big head. Caramel and alcohol aroma from three feet away. Coffee and a hint of hops up close. Thick and chewy and smooth and warming. Allan sure gets the fresh beer!

  • 13 points - Beer #31-2537, Gordon Biersch Brewer's Lunch #1, Palo Alto CA, Date unknown
    Red. Heavy (?!?) aroma. Good...heavy but sweet.

• Optimator
  Style 12 - Bock
  • 15.5 points - Beer #12-850, Empire Tap Room, Palo Alto CA, April 4, 1995
    Red, looks flat. Clear. Great head. Sharp aroma, maybe even a sour note, but not offensive. Thick. Definite mild sour note. Reminds me of Franziskaner Weissbier, but just for a second. Sherry and chocolate flavors too. Extremely complex beer!

  • Beer #31-2527, Lyon's Brewery, Dublin CA, December 18, 1993
    Red. Thick head. MOLASSES aroma. Full but not heavy...sweet, perfect.

• Pils (bottled)
  Style 15 - Classic Pilsener
  • 15 points - Beer #26-2076, Kona Wine Market, Kailua-Kona HI, May 15, 1997
    Golden, a little pale, dense white head, OK carbonation. Malty aroma, sweet, maybe a hint of hops. Real good body, sweet, with lots of malt flavor. A proper Pils would be quite a bit more bitter. Malty sweet finish.

• Premium Bock (bottled)
  Style 12 - Bock
  • 18 points - Beer #16-1248, Moloka`i Wines and Spirits Unlimited, Kaunakakai HI, January 27, 1996
    Golden-amber, fairly low carbonation, big white head. Malty-sweet aroma...big and alcoholic! Malty-sweet start, malty-bitter finish. Warming...you can feel it hit your stomach. Big and tasty and fresh!

• Premium Bock
  Style 12 - Bock
  • 14 points - Beer #6-321, Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA, May 7, 1994
    Much more yellow than Sierra Nevada Pale Bock. Not a big aroma. Some alcohol. Bitter to the point of being metallic. Residual sweetness. Disappointing! Am I missing something?

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