Käuzle Helles Lager
 

Review Date 12/1/2019  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. I have managed to get my hands on one of these calendars each year since, and have never been disappointed. Overall, this is an amazing way to sample 24 German beers over 24 days, and I look forward to it every year. For the first three years, I've found these at Costco in Georgia and paid $59.95 for the box. Last year, though, we were in Spring Hill Tennessee and I saw these on a pallet at the local Costco in mid-October. I grabbed one there to make sure I didn't miss out. They were up $5 to $64.95 (and indeed, when I did see them at the new Costco in Woodstock, Georgia a month later they were the same price). This year, I found them earlier than ever (September 26th) and bought one at Costco here in Georgia for $63.95, though curiously they were down to $59.95 on my next visit.

That might sound steep, but when you distribute that price over 24 different half liter cans, it only works out to $2.66 per can. Not a bad deal at all looked at that way. It certainly does not stop these from selling; a follow up trip to my local Woodstock Costco a few weeks after I saw them and there they were: gone!

For 2019, there are six new beers in the mix and 18 returning favorites. I do like this, because there are a lot of the beers that I really enjoy, and want to enjoy again. It's like 18 old friends and 6 news ones in the same box. What's better than that?

Day 1 arrived, December 1st, and I gingerly opened the door to a can of Käuzle Helles Lager from Käuzen-Brau GMBH of Ochsenfurt. This beer was first introduced to the calendar last year, and although I took tasting notes on March 3rd of this year, I never formulated them into a review.The can says that the beer is brewed by Käuzen-Brau, and not contracted out to Egerer as some in the calendar are. The name of the beer translates to owl or owls, and that ornery bird is featured on the label. The motto "ein Käuzle unters Schnäuzle" translates to "a Käuzle (beer) under your snout!".

In Germany, this beer is sold as Käuzle Urhell, although it is listed on the brewery website as 5.4% alcohol by volume. They say about the beer:

Unser Käuzle Hell ist ein original bayerisches Hell, würzig und frisch. Ein überzeugender Schluck bayerische Lebensart.

My can from the Beer Advent Calendar is listed as 5.2% by volume. My can is stamped EXP 05/2021.

My notes from March, on the 2018 can:

Käuzle Helles Lager pours to a pale golden color with a thick pillowy white head of foam and a soft bready malt nose laced with herbal tea notes. Taking a sip, the beer is bready and biscuity with soft fluffy malt and finishes herbal and grassy with hints of tea-like leafy hop aroma. A gentle bitterness balances the beer nicely.

And my notes today popping the 2019 can:

Käuzle Helles Lager again pours to a pale golden color with a thick head of foam and a soft bready malt nose. The hops seem more bitter in aroma and grassy herbal, but not so much tea like as they struck me last time. The malt is bready too in the palate, and the beer finishes just a bit more bitter than a Helles should. I'm not complaining though; they said it would be wurzig (spicy).

I’m greatly enjoying my Beer Advent Calendar 2019 with the day 1 beer. Here’s looking forward to the remaining 23, and another assortment of 24 in 2020. We’ll be on the lookout next year at Costco once again! Follow them on their Facebook page.

The beers of the 2019 Beer Advent Calendar:

Day 1 Kauzle Helles Lager

Day 2 Hohenthanner Blau Weisse

Day 3 Schnaitl Brau

Day 4 Memminger Gold Marzen

Day 5 Kress Bayrisch Zwickel

Day 6 Erlkonig Hell

Day 7 Perlernzauber German Pale Ale

Day 8 Ladenburger Weizenbock Hell

Day 9 Burgerliches Brauhaus Altbairisch Hell

Day 10 Hosl Marzenbier

Day 11 Ankerbrau Nordlingen Grandl Helles Lagerbier

Day 12 Graminger Kirta Dunkles Weissbier

Day 13 Herrnbrau Jubilaums Sud

Day 14 Zwonitzer Rauchbier

Day 15 Edel Bayer Urtyp Hell

Day 16 Herrngiersdorf Hallertauer Hop Cuvee

Day 17 Schwarze Tinte Collab Stout

Day 18 Kurpfalz Bräu Helles

Day 19 Loncium Vienna Style Lager

Day 20 Propeller Bier Turbo Prop Pilsner

Day 21 Egerer Baren Weisse

Day 22 Schlossbrau Rheder Original Pils

Day 23 Wittmann Urhell

Day 24 Kartauser Doppelbock Dunkel

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





 

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