Moosbacher Lager

Moosbacher comes from Scheuerer Breweries located in Moosbach, Germany, located halfway between between Nuremburg and Pilsen. The brewery, founded in 1887, is dead center in the heart of beer country, just a mile or two from the Czech Republic. The same family that founded the brewery still works there, and the 83 year old owner still drinks his 4 bottles a day. I guess that is the secret to a long life.

I purchased this bottle from Total Wine & More for under $4. If you haven't been there, you must go, the selection is incredible and the variety amazing. I had never seen this beer prior to that, and I lived in Germany for 2 years.

Moosbacher Lager pours a light golden color, with a very thin head. It has a faint sweet malt smell, with only a hint of hops. The taste is bright on the front end, with a malt flavor that is tasty but fades away quickly. The hops are restrained and show up late to keep the bready finish from overwhelming. The final mouthtaste is wonderfully crisp and leaves you ready for the next sip. My wife noted it was "very clean", "drinkable" and "a beer she would want again". The folks at Beer Advocate give this beer generally good marks, but don't find it amazing.

Overall this is a great example of a Bavarian Lager. The balance between sweet bready malt and coppery hop finish is so smooth and well done that neither of these component parts are really noticeable, all you have is a wonderful beer taste. While you could try to accuse this beer of being too simple, I think the clean finish and perfect balance are goals not enough American brewers are focused on. In some ways it is hard to improve on perfection, even if it is on a simple beer. This beer is a "Try It".