309. Gordon Biersch, San Jose – Märzen Draft

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m at the Gordon Biersch in the San Jose, California airport while traveling for work.  My flight was delayed, as there’s terrible weather in the Midwest, including around Dallas.  That gives me time to have another beer while they continue to announce more delays to our flight.  I just tried their Maïbock, which was good, so I thought I’d give their Märzen a shot.

Location: On tap at Gordon Biersch in the San Jose, California airport.

Numbers: 5.8% ABV, 18 IBUs, 2.8% residual sugar, Hallertau aroma hops, Weihenstephan 34/70 yeast, 174 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It was a clear amber color with a little more red in it than their Maïbock.  There was no head at all, but there seemed to be a little carbonation in it.  There was a nice caramel malty aroma, but, comparing it to the Maïbock I just had, it wasn’t as strong an aroma.

Taste & Feel: It had a light-medium body, and a crisp mouthfeel.  There was some caramel malt flavors in the middle, and it finished with a bit of a bready and cardboard box-like caramel malt flavor and slight bitterness.

Food Pairing: It was a good beer after the mushroom-swiss burger I had, as the caramel mixed well with the mushroom and beef flavors.  I think it would also go well with BBQ, such as a pulled pork sandwich or ribs.

Overall Impression: Since I had just had their Maïbock, it was hard not to compare the two.  While it was crisp, refreshing, and pretty drinkable, there seemed to be a bit of a cardboard-like flavor to it.  I wondered if this was left over from the Oktoberfest/Märzen season and had become oxygenated.  Overall, it was a decent beer, but didn’t seem as crisp and clean as the Maïbock.

My Rating:

Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]