Judge's Review: 98 Rating - Privat by Brauhaus Riegele

Privat by Brauhaus Riegele is being evaluated as a Festbier (2015 BJCP Category 4B).

At first glance, the effervescent bubbles rapidly climb through this brilliantly clear, light golden beer and help to support a stand of white foam. The appearance of this beer is just the tip of the near-perfect iceberg however. The clean lager fermentation allows the hops, but especially the malt, to shine through. Moderately-low light toasted malt with a soft doughiness mingles with the characteristic qualities of noble hops: floral and spice. 

Sip after sip, you’ll be greeted with lightly toasted malt, notes of graham cracker, honey and a subtle doughiness. Medium-low floral hops with a restrained spiciness and a similar level of bitterness perfectly balances the malt. You’ll find no faults in the fermentation, which includes proper attentuation and no off-flavors. Like all great beers, the flavor continues well into the aftertaste where toast, bread crusts and floral hops with a hint of grassiness will welcome you with open arms. 

You won’t be disappointed in the very least with Brauhaus Riegele’s Privat. It’s a nigh-perfect interpretation of a Festbier that demands to be imbibed  by the boot or the liter.  The clean fermentation allows both the malt and hops to shine. Slight grassiness from hops and a very low carbonic bite appear in the end, but these are only minor quibbles in what is a beer masterpiece. You’ll be disappointed if you only picked up a 6-pack, since you'll want many, many more. This highly flavorful yet easy-to-drink beer can be appreciated by the beer connoisseur and the less devoted beer drinker alike. Prost!