Oktober Reise, Day 3: Niederaula

Yesterday: Day 2 in Düsseldorf

Tuesday, October 4. We took a train from Düsseldorf to Frankfurt — topping out at 186 mph! — and another from Frankfurt to Fulda, where our friend Matthias was waiting to pick us up. Before heading to his place, we stopped at Getränkefachmarkt Peter Koch to pick up a few of their 300+ beers. A case of assorted twenty half-liter bottles set us back a whole $25. Unfortunately, pretty much all of their stock is sitting out on the floor, unrefrigerated, and I think that showed up in the flavor of a lot of the beers.

I hadn't been feeling too well on the train, especially the second one which was packed full and we had to stand the whole way. But once we got to Matthias' house in the small Hessian town of Niederaula, we had to wait for the beers to chill. Matthias fired up the karaoke machine, and he and Mareike and the boys Paris and I sang, my thirst returned, and we started opening bottles.

First up was Land Premium, a clean, bready Vienna-style lager from Rhönbrauerei Dittmar in Kaltennordheim, Thüringen.

Closer to home, or at least to Niederaula, the Auerhahn Schöppchen is brewed by Vogelsberger Landbrauereien in Lauterbach, Hesse. It's a good clean Helles-style beer.

It was getting to be dinnertime, so we walked down the hill to zum Alten Forsthaus, which is said to have some of the best Schnitzel around, only to find they were closed for some inexplicable reason. We tried Central Grill & Pizza, but they were closed too. So we trudged back up the hill, ordered a couple pizzas, and got back to the beer.

So here's a Dortmunder-style Export from Bavaria. Rother Bräu Export seemed a bit too clean.

Here's another one from Rother Bräu. Öko Ur-Pils is smooth and floral with a mild bitterness. Öko means "organic", and while I find many organic beers to have an almost-offensive earthy character, this one was nicely clean.

Right around this time is when the exhibition game between the San Jose Sharks and the Eisbären Berlin started, so we got to experience televised European beernhockey for the first time.

Will-Bräu Hefe Weizen is from Hochstiftliches Brauhaus Fulda. Sweet wheat, mild banana, like the wheat beers we enjoyed in Baden-Württemberg some years ago.

The Eisbären scored early to take a 1-0 lead.

Back to Vogelsberger for an Auerhahn Pils. Medium body, smooth, mild hops.

And back to Bavaria, this time for a Zwickl from Strecks Brauhaus in Ostheim. It's a vegan beer, according to the label, and it's smooth and sweet, and that's about it.

Tomáŝ Hertl scored for the Sharks in the second period to tie the game.

Fuldaer Stadtbräu Helles was grainy and unfortunately mildly metallic.

Another one from Rhöner, their Pils was light and smooth and grainy, and not all that bitter.

The Sharks pick up a goal from Steven Lorentz to end the second period with a 2-1 lead.

By far the best beer of the day, Will Brau Maria Ehrenberger Pilgerstoff is a great Vienna-style lager. Toasty, nutty, and floral.

Former Nashville Predator Luke Kunin scores for the Sharks in the third period to give them a 3-1 lead and the win. The next game we see will be the Sharks vs the Predators, live in Prague.

Tomorrow, more beers with Matthias & Family!