Smart and Classy (Part 3)
Rarely seen and rarely experienced by the general public of the craft-beer universe, the beers of the Riegele Biermanufaktur immediately give the visual impression of coming from a precious and select small world. And, to tell the truth, that’s the case – and it’s far from being a weakness.
We have already met this brewery founded in 1884 in Augsburg (Bavaria, Germany) on the basis of a family anchoring which goes back to the end of the 14th Century – 1384 to be exact. We have already tasted two of its products: See “Smart and Classy (Part 1) and (Part 2).”
This time, we are dealing with a totally different beer, which takes us away from hops and brings us closer to malts.
This beer, Augustus 8, owes its name to the Roman emperor Augustus who founded the city in 15 BC, and its number to its alcohol content – which is 8%. To summarize it in three words, it’s a beer that’s strong, soft, and fruity. We can also explain it in two other words: neat and controlled.
On one side we have two hops: Perle and Opal; on the other we have a magnificent combination of malts: Pilsner, Steffi, Munich, and Vienna. Steffi is the one least known by the general public. It’s one of the older varieties that possess a key advantage given our current environmental concern: Its natural hardiness avoids the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides – a definite advantage these days.
Just like the two others we’ve already enjoyed tasting, this is a successful beer, more reminiscent of a Belgian specialty ale than a Weizen Bock. Well balanced, its aromas and its length leave a very positive memory if not served too cold.