Beer Advent Calendar - December 19th

Today presents a beer not often thought of when discussing German brews. Honestly, now that it’s not necessary for preserving beer on long voyages, I don’t see why loading it with hops is still a thing. The style was even abandoned with the dawn of refrigeration, but American brewers revived it. Maybe an IPA (India Pale Ale) tastes better if aged in oak barrels for half a year like back in the age of sail, but I digress.

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Rieder IPA

This IPA is more vivid in color than I expected, showing a cloudy, deep copper color. A huge head built on the pour with persistent retention. Trying to get through the head to taste the liquid, my mouth was overpowered with hop bitterness. It’s like chewing a handful of petals off a fresh hop flower.

I found it hard to detect any malt flavors through the astringent, resinous hop profile. There may be a hint of citrus through the bitterness, but it’s more like chewing a peel rather than eating the fruit. Something gives me the impression of sawdust, and the acidic finish doesn’t go away.

Unlike the design on this import can, the original German bottle calls to IPA's origins with the image of a tall ship.

I don’t particularly enjoy this beer style, but I’m sure there’s an IPA out there that might satisfy. This isn’t it. Even compared to American IPAs I’ve sampled, this beer is intense! Today marks a first in the advent calendar series: I chose not to finish the glass. It felt wrong, but no matter how many second chances, I couldn’t find one ounce of enjoyment.

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Ried im Innkreis, Austria

Rieder Bier began in 1908 as a collaborative of innkeepers who were unsatisfied with local beer suppliers. They decided the best solution would be to make their own.

Bordering Bavaria, Ried was a struggling point for centuries between Austria and Bavaria. The city changed rulership between the countries several times through the 1700s and early 1800s. Ried became Austrian at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1816 and remained so until annexed by Nazis in 1938.

The biggest tale in Ried lore is symbolized by a boot on their crest and memorialized with a statue in market square. The settlement was gifted by Roman Emperor Frederick I to Dietmar der Anhanger in 1191 for his service to the Emperor in Turkey during the Third Crusade. In the fierce Battle of Iconium in 1190, the crusaders were ousted and Dietmer placed his boot on the end of his lance, rallying the troops under his makeshift standard to retake the city.

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_{Beer photographs by me. Pictures of Germany sources: 1}

_{Previous Advent Calendar entries: Intro - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18}