Kress Bayrisch Zwickel
Review Date 9/27/2016 Updated By John Staradumsky
For Christmas of 2015, my wife bought me a really cool present: BeerAdvent Calendar 2015 from Kalea. In truth, my wife got me a lot of nice presents (she’s the best wife ever), but the nice thing about the Beer Advent Calendar is you get it early. You have to, since it’s comprised of 24 different imported German beers in a box with little doors that you open, one per day from December 1st through December 24th. All of the beers are listed on the side of the carton, however, so be careful not to look and spoil the daily surprises!
I love German beer more than beer from any other country on Earth, so this was definitely right up my alley. My one criticism of the calendar is there are no bocks or doppelbocks (not fair!), but otherwise it’s just an amazing way to sample 24 German beers I’ve never seen before. I got mine a Costco here in Georgia and paid $59.95 for the box. That might sound steep, but when you distribute that price over 24 different half liter cans, it only works out to $2.50 per can. Not a bad deal at all looked at that way.
Today is Day 16 of the German Beer Advent Calendar-only 8 more to go! Day 16 brings with it yet another beer from Brauerei Egerer: Kress Bayrisch Zwickel. Actually, this is just a rebranding of Egerer Bayrisch Zwickel for the Beer Advent Calendar, but as I can't get that beer here in Georgia, I'm happy to try it under the Kress name.
Here's what Egerer says about their Bayrisch Zwickel on their website:
Das Geschmackserlebnis wie anno dazumal. Naturtrüb und unfiltriert. Mit wertvollen natürlichen Vitaminen und Mineralstoffen. Gebraut nach dem bayerischen Reinheitsgebot von 1516.
Kress Bayrisch Zwickel is an unfiltered kellerbier aka zwickelbier, really an unfiltered lager, and has yeast in the can. This will help preserve the beer. Kress Bayrisch Zwickel has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume and is stamped as best by 09/01/2016. It was produced on 07/01/2015.
Kress Bayrisch Zwickel pours to a brilliant amber color (until the last third is swirled and decanted, clouding the beer) with a medium fluffy head of foam and a luscious fresh nutty malty nose. Taking a sip, the beer is thicker and maltier than I expected, with malty nutty and slightly toasty malty notes with a bit of caramel, too. It is, of course, yeasty to boot. The beer finishes dry with a slightly grassy herbal bitterness.
A Zwickel marzen? Sure tastes like it to me. A wonderful beer indeed with perfect balance between malt and hop and yeast.
I’m greatly enjoying my Beer Advent Calendar with the day 16 beer. Here’s looking forward to the remaining 8, and another assortment of 24 in 2016. We’ll be on the lookout next year at Costco, and following the beers on their Facebook page.
The beers of the 2015 Beer Advent Calendar:
Day 1 Alpinebrauerei Burgerbrau Alpen Stoff
Day 2 Ankerbrau Nordlingen Grandl Helles Lagerbier
Day 3 Herrnbrau Tradition Bayerisches Festbier
Day 4 Schlossbrauerei Herrngiersdorf Publiner
Day 5 Hofbrauhaus Friesing Huber Weisses
Day 6 Lowenbrauerei Passau Urtyp Hell
Day 7 Spath Brau Osser Osser Gold
Day 8 Hosl Marzenbier
Day 9 Wittmann Urhell
Day 10 Kloster Urstoff Marzen
Day 11 Egerer Eaglebrau Weizenbier Dunkel
Day 12 Egerer 1516 Schloss Weisse
Day 13 Barbarossa Pilsener
Day 14 Lausaria Romergold Export Hell
Day 15 Egerer Winter Weisse
Day 16 Kress Bayrisch Zwickel
Day 17 Egerer Winterfestbier
Day 18 Egerer Konig Wilhelm Ur-Weisse Dunkel
Day 19 Egerer Das Besondere Festbier
Day 20 Egerer Baren Weisse
Day 21 Bierkutscher Edel Pils
Day 22 Alpenkonig Gold
Day 23 Egerer Altbayrisch Dunkel
Day 24 Edel Bayer Urtyp Hell
Glad I tried it? T
Would I rebuy it??
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, Canned
(D)=Draft