Tasting

What does a beer from Tyrol or Vorarlberg taste like? Mostly soft, malt-forward, and smooth, with little bitterness and a clean, dry finish. A Zillertal Bier, a Mohrenbräu, or a Fohrenburger comes across as mild rather than sharp on the first sip, with the hops only showing in the aftertaste.

Four breweries serve well as examples of this flavor profile. Zillertal Bier from Zell am Ziller represents Tyrol's oldest private brewery, Mohrenbräu from Dornbirn represents the Vorarlberg family brewery. Fohrenburger Jubiläum is a special beer with an original gravity of 12.8 degrees, and Starkenberger from Tarrenz is, according to the brewery, Austria's most award-winning beer.

In Austria, beer is served in Krügel and Seidel glasses—handled mugs holding 0.5 and 0.3 liters—or in a tall, slim glass. A Märzen or special beer looks best in a glass with a gentle curve, since the aroma collects in the upper part. A plain handled mug, on the other hand, keeps the beer cooler in hand for longer.

The ideal drinking temperature for a Helles is six to eight degrees. Any colder and it numbs the malt; any warmer and the beer tastes sweet and heavy. When pouring, tilt the glass slightly, let the beer run down the inner wall, and straighten it toward the end so a fine-bubbled head of foam forms.

A fixed sequence helps when tasting: first look to see if the beer is clear and golden, then smell it, then take a small sip and roll it around the mouth. Comparing a Helles with a Märzen, you quickly notice that the latter has more body.