Shiner Beer (Spoetzl Brewery)

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beer snobs? I don't know, I love it. i've found there is a very distinct line for that beer online. love it or hate it. I think people in Texas who live in April-October summers can more appreciate it's refreshing qualities than northerners or ale nerds.

true, true... its even more refreshing as beer slushies! (i think the fruit juice helps it to freeze to just the right consistency...)
 
So I'm confused....

How is it a Spring Ale & a Dortmunder?????

-dortmunder is a lager....

It's possible, but very doubtful, it's a dortmunder style beer but top fermented. My guess is that this is due to Texas and our stupid beer laws. Prior to the Jester King suit decided a month or two ago, a beer had to be given a particular title based upon alcohol by weight, regardless of how accurate it is to the beer's style. So an "ale" was anything over a certain threshold (maybe 5% ABW?) and above "ale" is "malt liquor". It's the same reason New Belgium 1554 is labeled a "black ale" even though it is a lager (according to the brewery tour guide). NB had to conform it's product to Texas because we're such a big market. Shiner, being in Texas, obviously did the same.

Under the court decision Shiner may not have to call it an ale anymore (we'll see if the decision is appealed and overturned) but since the marketing is already years in it may not make sense to change it.
 
My guess is that this is due to Texas and our stupid beer laws. Prior to the Jester King suit decided a month or two ago, a beer had to be given a particular title based upon alcohol by weight, regardless of how accurate it is to the beer's style. So an "ale" was anything over a certain threshold (maybe 5% ABW?) and above "ale" is "malt liquor".

WHHHaaaaaaaa??? So in Texas anything over 5% HAD to be called an "Ale"?? :confused:
Did this only apply to beer brewed in Texas, or anything sold in Texas?
So beer under 5% could been called a lager or ale depending on top or bottom yeast?

:off:Are these types of stupid laws what kept Stella from giving Texans free beer chalices???
 
WHHHaaaaaaaa??? So in Texas anything over 5% HAD to be called an "Ale"?? :confused:
Did this only apply to beer brewed in Texas, or anything sold in Texas?
So beer under 5% could been called a lager or ale depending on top or bottom yeast?

:off:Are these types of stupid laws what kept Stella from giving Texans free beer chalices???

4%, actually.

anything under 4 was beer, and anything over was ale or malt beverage. There weren't any provisions for lager.

December showed Jester King brewery (from Austin) and a few other companies winning their court case against the TABC for unconstitutional legislation.

one of the things was that, the inability to put percentages on labels, and the gag order that kept brewers from telling consumers where to purchase their beer.
 
I love Shiner Cheer, and enjoy smokehaus with bbq but I can't drink more than 2 or 3 in one sitting. The kosmos reserve is pretty good, and I used to really like their kolsh and dunkelweizen seasonals they no longer make. I just tried their newest offering, wild hare pale ale, was excited to try it, less excited to drink it. It defenitly leans more to being an english style pale ale. I get almost zero citrus from it, but it did pair well with the buffalo wings we had at the super bowl party. Shiner 98, 99, 100, and 101 were all good, I can't stand the 102. As for the rest I will drink them but I don't buy any of them, I am very picky about lagers and don't find to many I truely enjoy.
 
The 103 is "Wild Hare" Pale Ale this year and It is pretty good, but still has a bit of a Shiner taste to it. :)
 
rearview said:
The 103 is "Wild Hare" Pale Ale this year and It is pretty good, but still has a bit of a Shiner taste to it. :)

Wild Hare is not 103, that hasn't come out yet, and 102 is still on the shelves. My oppinion of wild hare is that it's a decent english style pale ale, little to no citrus flavor, even though they say it has some, bravo and us goldings are the hops used. I was a little dissapointed in it as I was hoping for an APA, but in typical shiner fashion they made another drinkable but unremarkable beer.
 
Wild Hare is not 103, that hasn't come out yet, and 102 is still on the shelves.

"103" is printed right on the bottle.

Wild Hare IS the 2012 Centennial brew.

And I think it tastes great. Perfect blend of Shiner Lager and Pale Ale, right in the middle, ever so slight citrus notes.
 
I had to fish a bottle out of the recycle bin to take a look lol. 103 is on the neck in small print, very different lable design from the last +5 years if it is the 103 anniversary beer .
 
Wild Hare us NOT their 103. It's the first Ale they've made in 103 years of brewing, thus the number. The actual 103 beer will he out later this year
 
XtremeBrew said:
Wild Hare us NOT their 103. It's the first Ale they've made in 103 years of brewing, thus the number. The actual 103 beer will he out later this year

Their hefewiezen is an ale, and they have made that for years.
 
Wild Hare us NOT their 103. It's the first Ale they've made in 103 years of brewing, thus the number. The actual 103 beer will he out later this year

Seriously????:drunk:

Shiner Hefeweizen -ALE
Shiner Winter Ale (Dunkelweizen) -ALE
Shiner 96 Marzen-style Oktoberfest -ALE
Shiner 102 Double-Wheat ALE
Shiner Dortmunder Spring ALE
Shiner 103 WildHare Pale ALE

They put 103 on the bottle because its Anniversary Celebration brew for 2012, thus 103.
 
I believe the 103 on the pale ale label is merely a recognition of the brewery's age. I highly doubt they are releasing 103 with no recognition. Too many people seek out the anniversary brews to miss the marketing opportunity.
 
Ya'll can argue all you want, it doesn't change the fact that Wild Hare IS the 103 Anniversary Celebration Brew.

If you don't believe it, call Spoetzl Brewery and ask for godsakes! 361.594.4294

Edit: Just called, and they confirmed it.
 
I thought the dortmunder had an mellow light sweet appleyness to it,and is a good theme for a spring release.Sessionable with mild sweet fruit tones-remindes me of spring.
 
I thought the dortmunder had an mellow light sweet appleyness to it,and is a good theme for a spring release.Sessionable with mild sweet fruit tones-remindes me of spring.

Picked up a 6 pack of it today and just tossed one back. I like it, it has a subtle fruitiness that tastes kind of like Perle hops to me.
 
We loved the Dortmunder and went to great lengths to track it down here (not a lot of places carried it). And Bock is a standby at our house - it's a really good everyday beer, and everyone seems to like it.
 
They use to have a kolsch that was great, probably what got me into good beer

And their 99 was a helles that was awesome, still one of my favorite beers

I was disappointed by wild hare though, but they don't do much hop forward stuff so I guess I just hoped it would be better...
 
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