Hey everyone! We hold our hands up, we made a mistake by not talking about the TeKu.... the reason was two fold: one, we didn't have one to hand. Two.... we didn't actually think people still used them. Not that they are bad glasses - they meet the important criteria - just that they were fussy, easy to break and not great for session styles as a result. But if YOU like them, all power to you! In other news, buy our glass here: www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/craft-beer-channel-beer-school-glass/?v=79cba1185463 ALso, here's this week's podcast to give you the behind the scenes of this shoot: ua-cam.com/video/RL6_OPg6vRk/v-deo.htmlsi=akUa-cgB6tJtZ9nS
The teku is still my favorite when in a beer geek setting, it's like the fancy wine glass for beer ! But I agree it's fragile and not practical compared to your CBC glass (and similar equivalents)
Before I watch the video, this channel's tastings convinced me to drink out of a similar vessel and I've enjoyed that simple change in addition to the Czech pouring for lagers and pilsners.
Three Tulips for the Hop heads under the vines. Seven Steins for the Dwarves, in their halls made of stone. Nine Chalices for Orval men, doomed to die. One for the Beer Geek on his dank throne. One Glass to rule them all, one Glass to drink yourself clever. One Glass to shape their foam heads, and in the aroma bind them. In the Land of CBC where the craft beer lies.
As a person who drinks both beer and whisky (and armagnac, cognac, etc.) I find that the most important thing for a glass is to be thin. Thick glass changes and kills the taste. Shape is secondary. Even for water, I use ultra-thin glass. Spiegelau for example have thin glasses for Pilsner.
Great video guys! I immediately objected the mix-up of the Spiegelau glasses. Imho the stout glass helps warm up the beer and is great to keep the head. The wheat beer glass is my absolute favorite: I use it for a lot of beers that don't need or get a huge head but will because you can swirl it like a m#f#; it has enormous headspace for aroma; and can carry 500ml if necessary; and has good grip. I use it for quadrupels, barleywines, wee heavy, doppelbocks, (dunkel)weizen, weizenbock, Belgian (strong) dark ale, winter/Xmas ales, pumpkin ales, rauchbier, tripels, brown ales. And so on. Cheers from the Netherlands!
I had to stop kegging, pull myself a pint from the zwickel, and sit down to watch when I saw this video pop up. The appearance of a beer is certainly an important aspect, and it actually tells you a lot about the beer. I also agree that certain beers require a glass that holds in the aroma, and a "Beer Clean" glass is very important! Another thing is simply expectation and perception. If I order an English pale ale and it's served to me in a Rastal Teku glass I'm thrown off. That's a great glass, but in my mind I'm thinking Imperial pint Nonic or maybe even a dimpled mug (I know you guys don't like those). In the end, however, it really is just about the liquid in the glass and however you want to enjoy it.
I was told by a Belgium friend, the darker the beer the larger the diameter of the rim. The wide Westmalle glass I have is immense for Guinness Export.
To each their own. In my opinion, this advice is just not good advice. You want the aromatics to really hit your nose for those more complex, heavier abv, darker beers. I would never drink a nice barrel aged, heavy stout out of a super wide rim glass. These type of big beers are meant to be sipped. The big bowl, narrow rim glass is the quintessential glassware for the bigger, darker, (often times barrel aged) beers. You will be missing out on so much of the nuanced flavors otherwise. Large rims (for me) are strictly for highly quaffable beers. Coincidently, many Belgian style beers fit right into that category. Guinness Export would also fit nicely into that category, I suppose.
Love the video! It could just be me, but I tend to find that a lot of lagers, especially the clean and crisp ones like pilsners and helles, tend to warm too quickly and lose carbonation and head retention quickly in a belgian chalice, Teku, and similar wine shaped glasses. I tend to use the Samuel Adams glass for these beers and easy drinking ales and lagers like porter, brown ales, Vienna lagers, etc. Curious if anyone else likes the Samuel Adams glass for these types of styles? Cheers!
The German mugs with lids are called Humpen, the word for mug is Krug, so a glass liter mug without a lid is a Masskrug--"measuremug." None of the above should be called steins. In any language. We have our own words in English. A lidded mug is called a tankard in English. And a liter mug is just that.
As someone who doesn't have room for lots of specialized glassware, I settled on the Belgian style goblet. It works well for any beer and can double as a wine glass. The only things that don't go in it are champagne and martinis; those get their own glassware.
Love that quick little line "A Stein is made of stone, a Mass is made of glass". I have had lengthy discussions (mostly with Americans) about the names of these types of vessels... BTW: if it's not a liter (and even if it is), you can also call it Krug.
This is the most enjoyable infomercial I've seen in ages. I have a bunch of different glassware in the cupboard but will nearly always use the worst one. A shaker pint. But it's my favourite. Keep up the good work chaps.
It's very opportune that this video should appear today, I've just finished a Zoom call with my local brewing mates. We swap our beers and compare and evaluate our produce during our monthly calls. This evening I happened to mention that when drinking cask beer in a pub from a regular straight pint glass, I get a much greater sense of aroma when the glass is half full. I also detect when a beer is less than fresh at that point, even though it's not ideally proportioned for evaluation. It makes taking the beer back to the bar a tad awkward when you've drunk half of it😂. I have an Orval glass in my kitchen cabinet but it hasn't seen a drink since my last visit to Bruges. Another excellent and informative video chaps 👍
one of the reasons of the geuze glass's shape is that they used to crush a lump of sugar on the bottom when serving and they needed to be a lot stronger on the bottom and have a open top and lambic was a cheap drink for farmers and the working class ( quite a change now ) .
You are right but you are missing the point, serving a beer in a glass is a ceremony and that matters. Also your glasses would be good if it had a stem as they are your just warming up the beer.
I’m a proper glass geek I have way too many. My favourite general purpose is my Kozel. I had the spiegelau set but broke them looking at them, found a crystal ipa spiegelau which is robust and lovely. I use a original dimpled pint pot ( and it’s a original old one ) because it reminds me of my grandfather.I have 2 of your lovely glasses absolutely beautiful I love them cheers 👍🍻
You are mostly right about the mass/maß. Mass is the German word for a measure. It so happens that a measure of beer in Bavaria is 1 litre. You order "ein mass bier" or perhaps "ein halb mass bier". The glass is actually properly called the Maßkrug/masskrug lit. measured jug, but it is often abbreviated to mass, just like you used the term. Also a trick I learnt for cleaning glasses is to use washing soda/sodium carbonate. It cleans glasses crystal clear.
I got a couple of craft beer channel glasses at the love and beer fest last year and I think it's a brilliant glass to drink from. I've got so many glasses but I always come back to this one. I need to show my mates this video because they think all glasses are the same!
currently have over 60 different glasses (blames Belgium) I like to try and drink the right beer with right glass each time. Obsessed though with beer clean glass
@TheCraftBeerChannel would love to see a video on that! I always worry about head retention without nucleation but I recognise I'm probably missing something. Just ordered 2 of your glasses!
Good basic info about beer glasses!! 🍻 However two points: I think you mixed up the stout and wheat ale Spiegelau glasses with each other. And even though your tasting glass says no to sediment, I always like to pour also that into my glass and enjoy the whole beer 😇
We did indeed mix them up! Apologies. Pressure on a shoot day. But as for sediment, don't do it - I promise you'll have a better experience! Or at least try the beer before you dump the sediment in. It totally changes the texture and flavour of a beer in all styles except Hefeweizen.
I use craft master at my Belgian bar but mostly as they were marked at all levels and get good compliments on them, the Allegra (craft beer glass) is brilliant especially when you want to drink smaller quantities. Delirium Noel and duvel glasses are a personal favourite
I like the short stemmed tulip shaped glasses. Got a few from a local brewery. And several other more special glasses. I don't use detergents, but clean my glasses in hot (not boiling) water.
I must admit I have a large selection of glassware, acquired from bars around the world. But for my go-to glass it all depends on the liquid in it. The dimple for bitters, Duval for heavy beers and the sleaver for most other things. Great video though and yes, the dimple is iconic. I remember the old boys sat around the bar with the 1/2 pint dimple with whisky chasers. Ahh Nostalgia 😀
This may be beer geek heresy but my go-to glass for all 440ml cans is a Cruzcampo glass that 'somehow' found it's way into my glass cupboard! Almost like a chunkier pint version of the Rodenbach. Plenty of room to swirl and sturdy enough that I never worry about it breaking. Years of searching or the perfect beer glass have led me to....'Spanish' macro lager hahaha
I was given one of those tasting sets for a Christmas present (although mine has a 4th "imperial stout glass"). I occasionally use the imperial stout one just for the sake of it. The stout one almost never and don't think I've ever used the wit beer one. But I actually really enjoy drinking from that IPA one. Maybe that's partly BECAUSE it was a present but it looks good and is nice to hold.
For me the right branded glass for the beer helps, whatever the shape. I've got to give a shout out for the Duvel glass; it's as iconic as Levi's red label, or Lacoste's crocodile, and a pleasure to drink from - should have been on the video presentation table alongside the Orval glass.
12:00 one major advantage to this shape of glass - it doesn't slide down your grip when held. when very drunk this is especially important, those glasses that get narrower towards the neck need a constant grip applied to keep them from dropping (assuming you are not holding it by the stem), whereas the ones that get wider at the top will rest in your hand even if you don't squeeze, provided you don't loosen your grip any more. i have no evidence to back this up but im sure this is why the traditional "red party cup" and clear plastic pint glass are shaped in this way. i think this (i.e. the comfort/practicality of holding) as well as other factors could have been explored in this video. for example, it would be interesting to consider the differences between glass vs plastic vs cans. what about freezing the glassware, which i have seen in some bars? hopefully it wasn't just an advert for your glasses instead of a real deep dive into the best glasses to drink from.
@@TheCraftBeerChannelthought you might say that. what can i say, other than that i've learned this lesson the hard way once or twice and its enough to make me factor that into any discussion on glasses. each to their own, cheers mate!
I use a large stemless wine glass for most of my beers at home (holds the volume of most cans and then some). The exceptions are that I have a Weihenstephan hefeweizen glass I use for my hefeweizens and I also have a St Bernardus goblet I use for most of my Belgian doubles, triples etc. I do also have an actual stein (not a mass) somewhere that I think I maybe have used twice ever. In the case of my hefeweizen glass for instance, does the glass actually make a difference? probably not, but if feels special and I think that counts for a lot.
I was just thinking about this topic today. You guys are excellent mind readers. Also, isn't that the pilsner urquell mug from the Czech republic that yur referred as the first beer experience glass?
I have a couple of glasses very similar to yours that I've acquired from local breweries, I tend to use those mostly for stouts and other heavier beers. IPAs I drink almost exclusively from nonic pint glasses though, dunny why, those just feel right for them. Of course I do have a ton of other glasses as well, but only other ones I use somewhat regularly are a couple of belgian goblets and a wheat beer glass
I would love to add your glass to my already immense collection. I'm going to chat my friend who is over in London right now to see if he can somehow get me a couple glasses and some merch!
Thank you for this Video! I think that also one important thing is that the glassware fits to the Beerstyle and brings out the best Aroma of the Style of Beer. I really love small glasses to share Beer with friends :)
Our point was that "beer style" glasses are mostly irrelevant. The size of the bowl and size of the aperature are the only things that make a difference to the aroma/flavour of a beer
Weirdly I prefer ceramic then glass it self in my beer vessel. Feels better in my hand and holds temp better if pre chilled . Plus it looks better on the shelf to me.
A few years back my wife and I were at a Brewdog and they bought some tasters out in 1/3 size glasses with around a 1/3 in each. We decided which beers we liked but when my wife turned up it tasted nothing like the beer we tried. After a bit of discussion we poured some into a 1/3 size glass and the favour / armour was as we first tasted. Since that day I have tried 100s of beers in different size glasses(same shape) and find a huge difference in flavour and aroma based on the size of the glass. The glasses are the same shape but 1/3 1/2 scooter etc. Give it a go, I can only guess it has something todo with the oxygenation. I am a beer geek but we've done the same test with no geeks and the beer always taste different. I thought I was making up how much difference a glass could make.
My dad had a wooden cabinet that left a peculiar smell in all the glasses kept in there, a rinse or a wash would not get that smell away. So take good care of where you keep your glasses aswell and always have them standing up not turned upside down.
I had an Orval goblet once. I used it once. I was cleaning it and it tapped the corner of my sink, less than a 1 inch slip out of my hand. It fully committed suicide. There was not a single piece you could recognise as having been part of glassware. Even the stem shattered. It was like a budget 90s action movie. I was pretty peeved I'm not gonna lie, and I haven't bought an expensive chalice glass since in spite of my love of Trappist beer. Meanwhile, the "generic craft beer glasses" I was buying from Wilkos? They could take a nose dive into the sink and just skate around having a whale of a time. I don't buy branded brewery glassware for drinking from anymore, albeit I do like a TeKu, brandy style glass and one of those stemless wine glasses you use for the CBC own branded glasses. As for the stemmed goblet... I do have a couple and do use them for small bottles or when I split! As for the wheat beer glass, there already is a wheat beer glass... it's called a weizen, why did they need to make a new one? I will say that whilst wheat beers are amongst my favourite beers, weizen glasses are obnoxious to clean. Possibly the worst to wash by hand. A question though. I have already been using the method you mentioned, I have a sponge set aside just for my beer glasses and use a detergent, however I still get water spots. Like, when I rinse, it doesn't come off entirely in sheets, it leaves droplets behind. And head doesn't last long. Unless I buy expensive glass cleaner, I'm at a loss as to how to ensure the water rolls off in sheets when draining, to show the glass is completely clear. From what I understand, normal washing up detergents can leave surfactants behind which are just as bad as foam negative compounds as grease. Wondering what your thoughts are on this.
Nice to see you're both glass half full kind of people. For the best advice - back to George Orwell and the Moon Under Water - "never make the mistake of serving a pint of beer in a handleless glass ... beer tastes better out of china" my favourite beer mugs are ceramic - donated by my father in law, but most often I drink the stuff out of a can. That's just the kind of heathen I am 🤣
I believe the Spiegelau IPA glass was a collaboration between Spiegelau/Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada. I love mine and use them all the time for any IPAs. I'm 100% a believer that the glassware makes a difference, and does matter to some extent.
Honestly, the Teku stemmed glass reigns supreme for most beers for me, but it ain't my favorite. From the beer geek perspective, it just makes sense that the Teku and the "stemless wine glass" are THE beer glasses. I do love a nice mason jar though... Quaffable or not. Something about the mason jar just does it for me. A decent sized mason will also fit my bomber with some head room pretty nicely.
What about the Teku? The glass every beer bar and drinker wanted for at least 6 months. A wine glass with a slight overturned lip, to improve washing over the tongue. Apparently.
Haha it definitely had a phase but they are VERY unpractical in a bar setting, and I think only really good for big strong beers you want to savour. Otherwise they are a bit fussy.
What I tend to do is serving the beer in Its proper glass as much as possible and if I don’t have the glass I serve it in a Teku shaped glass or in a Belgian goblet
Spilegau ipa glass i have.. I think it is too thin for a bar.. They will record losses every day :) My earlier favourite glass was my Flute with Batman print on it.. You got me at the beginning of the video.. But it broke.. Now I use mostly my Bohemia crystal stemless wine glass.. Similar to yours.. It is too thin as well, easy to break :)
I have a couple of the last glasses you released (same shape as new one) which have lasted really well and are my go to! Along with a couple of the others of the same style
I have a few rules about glassware, but if I'm at someone's house as a guest and they serve me beer then at least let them have a beer mug. Otherwise, I prefer to drink straight from the bottle, and if we have cans it's ass.
I think an important side to this has been missed: in which the wine , spirit/cocktail worlds , have already been exploiting for decades. The thickness , angle and diameter of the glasses rim dictates where the liquid first hits your tongue (ie salt , sweet, etc etc) and at what velocity (introduction of air). This has been proven to change flavour perception (acid, sweetness etc) and mouthfeel. Easy to try at home - stick an imperial stout in a champagne flute and then in a w.becher and tell me what instance provides a delicous stout and what presents as an acrid overly acidic sharp mess. You also didn't cover tasting (for sensory analysis) versus drinking (for enjoyment) - thats a whole can of worms ....
Well, seeing as the idea of the "tongue map" of having different receptors on different parts of your tongue has long since been debunked, I'd expect a lot of that research has been thrown out. Glass thickness has a textural and sensation impact, but not an aroma or flavour one. And again, we'd put that down to personal preference rather than one being better than the other. As for the difference between analysis or drinking - a good glass is good for both. Hence the design we chose to make ours with.
I have to operate a one in, one out policy on glassware as the cupboard is full. Agreed, a Willi Becher is great (why named so ?) with a personal dislike for ones made to look like cans.
A question I have always wanted an answer to is, does drinking beer straight from the bottle change the taste? I have found I don't enjoy beer from the bottle and will always try to find a receptacle to drink from.
It absolutely does because your nose won't get any aroma until you swallow and the "retronasal" kicks in - so basically there is no flavour til then. It is nowhere near as good as a glass.... but it is deeply satisfying sometimes!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel many thanks for confirming my suspicions, I don't wish to appear snobbish, and I have drunk from a bottle many times, but I did not enjoy it as much as from a glass.
I was very sad when my wife broke my favourite beer glass (old school wild beer Teku). She did make it up to me with a certain CBC glass at Christmas!!
The glass you start talking about @14:35, I've only seen that used in the US for milko pours and cask ales. Also, a little disappointed you didn't mention anything about the standard pint glass that many breweries use to server every beer they offer. Can I safely shame these breweries for their poor glassware decisions?
Oh here too - they are very specific glasses. Pilsner ones are usually a slightly thicker glass and straighter edge. As for shaker/nonics. They all suck but in bars they are the most practical. No shame on places using them, just don't use them at home.
What about the weissbier glass on the end? maybe it’s in our heads, but my friend and I both swear a weissbier tastes better from one compared to a generic pint glass. Maybe using a craft glass would be even better?
@@TheCraftBeerChannel It luckily wasn't one of the rare misalligned set but it gets washed with a lot of hot water and stays clear of the brush the pot gets used with so free from any oils from that. However it is abused by getting two perform double duty as my whiskey glass XD
I think the Orval glass is fairly typical of big Belgians - Rochefort, St Bernadus, etc are all the same. A quick Google shows they are deliberately designed that way rather than marketing. I prefer that shape to the narrow, wine glass shape or those modern ones that look like a bowl - some even look like jam jars!
I can assure you they are designed that way to look beautiful, not to be the best tasting glass they can be. Many were designed before the shape of glassware was even considered from a scientific point of view. The Orval glass for example is nearly 100 years old in shape!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Where do you draw the line between goblet and tulip? I swear I've stared at pictures in guides online forever and can't quite figure it out.
For me, a major factor in glassware is thickness - I really struggle with thick glass - fine glass I find a much more pleasurable experience (and I don't dribble - though that is definitely NOT the reason... definitely)
It's available here but currently sold out - back in a few weeks. www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product-category/brew-days-and-merchandise/merchandise/craft-beer-channel-shop/
Yeah but I can't fit an Arbor 568ml can into your glasses. OK that is being picky but seriously size is important - there are other breweries that do 500ml cans and bottles. I like to use a glass I can just dump the entire can/bottle in and not top it up later. Obviously I have a number of standard nonic pint glasses, and I have a stemmed pint glass (although that is branded for a cider producer). But the fancier glasses are just not big enough, or at least I haven't found one that is. Also you chose to not even consider the Kwak glass - very wise. One thing you could have added is nucleated vs non-nucleated glassware.
I'm not a big fan of the glass presented : main problem you don't have a stem and because of that when you hold the glass with your hand your beer is warming up. And yes my favorite type of glass is the TeKu.
My glassware is insanely out of control. I literally have an entire kitchen cabinet filled with various type of beer glasses. You never know what glass is needed?
Gotta send this to my parents who don't want me to "collect" glassware and have the audacity to drink weiss in British pints or amber ales in German steins
I'm weird and don't like the glasses with the narrower rim. I prefer the Trappist style chalice glasses and British Nonic glasses. Maybe I don't need or want to smell the beer as much.
I like my lagers in a tall (narrow) 1/2 pint tankard (Freedom brewery slim tankard, Rothaus slim tankard). Weissbier in Erdinger 1/2 weissbier glass. IPAs in the same tumbler glass that Craft Beer Channel glass. Trappists/Belgians in either La Trappe or Grimbergen chalice. Rather than just marketing, I think it has some sort of a psychological connection as well. I tried my best to enjoy a Trappists Dubbel/Tripel in a glass other than a Chalice-honestly, I couldn't! I don't know the science or rationale behind it...but that was it.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel hahaa... I am originally from Sri Lanka. A large mug of tea with milk and froth like a pint of beer is normal there. (Because it was a British Colony, a few generations ago, there were so many British things/values remained integrated in the social system in the middle/mountain areas of Sri Lanka)
@@TheCraftBeerChannel yes, it's the froth made with milk after mixing with tea. I believe that it preserves the aromas similar to in beers. When they quality-test in the factories also, I have seen them mixing it with milk like that. When my father used to make tea in those dimple mugs, it even looked very beautiful 😊
Awesome video as always. I'd love to buy your glass and support you guys. However, to pay 51$ for shipping to Canada is ridiculous for a 10$ item. Especially when you guys don't even get 90% of it. This glass isn't worth 61.74$ CAD
Have you done multiple side by sides with each beer style ? We've used them since 2016, and they really do excel for the given style. I still think the W.becher is the best all rounder over all, if you were to just pick one. (you can get them in 4 sizes) @@TheCraftBeerChannel
Hey everyone! We hold our hands up, we made a mistake by not talking about the TeKu.... the reason was two fold: one, we didn't have one to hand. Two.... we didn't actually think people still used them. Not that they are bad glasses - they meet the important criteria - just that they were fussy, easy to break and not great for session styles as a result. But if YOU like them, all power to you! In other news, buy our glass here: www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/craft-beer-channel-beer-school-glass/?v=79cba1185463
ALso, here's this week's podcast to give you the behind the scenes of this shoot: ua-cam.com/video/RL6_OPg6vRk/v-deo.htmlsi=akUa-cgB6tJtZ9nS
The teku is still my favorite when in a beer geek setting, it's like the fancy wine glass for beer ! But I agree it's fragile and not practical compared to your CBC glass (and similar equivalents)
I think Pliny the Elder once said: one can never have enough glassware, yet one glass is only what is really needed in life.
Before I watch the video, this channel's tastings convinced me to drink out of a similar vessel and I've enjoyed that simple change in addition to the Czech pouring for lagers and pilsners.
Three Tulips for the Hop heads under the vines.
Seven Steins for the Dwarves, in their halls made of stone.
Nine Chalices for Orval men, doomed to die.
One for the Beer Geek on his dank throne.
One Glass to rule them all, one Glass to drink yourself clever.
One Glass to shape their foam heads, and in the aroma bind them.
In the Land of CBC where the craft beer lies.
I see what you did there and I like it very much.
🙌🙌🙌
As a person who drinks both beer and whisky (and armagnac, cognac, etc.) I find that the most important thing for a glass is to be thin. Thick glass changes and kills the taste. Shape is secondary. Even for water, I use ultra-thin glass. Spiegelau for example have thin glasses for Pilsner.
I use Spiegelau definition universal.
spiegelaus for beers and Glencairn for whiskeys. Thin edge in the glass has actually been proved to matter, in all hot and cold drinks.
Great video guys! I immediately objected the mix-up of the Spiegelau glasses. Imho the stout glass helps warm up the beer and is great to keep the head. The wheat beer glass is my absolute favorite: I use it for a lot of beers that don't need or get a huge head but will because you can swirl it like a m#f#; it has enormous headspace for aroma; and can carry 500ml if necessary; and has good grip. I use it for quadrupels, barleywines, wee heavy, doppelbocks, (dunkel)weizen, weizenbock, Belgian (strong) dark ale, winter/Xmas ales, pumpkin ales, rauchbier, tripels, brown ales. And so on. Cheers from the Netherlands!
I had to stop kegging, pull myself a pint from the zwickel, and sit down to watch when I saw this video pop up. The appearance of a beer is certainly an important aspect, and it actually tells you a lot about the beer. I also agree that certain beers require a glass that holds in the aroma, and a "Beer Clean" glass is very important! Another thing is simply expectation and perception. If I order an English pale ale and it's served to me in a Rastal Teku glass I'm thrown off. That's a great glass, but in my mind I'm thinking Imperial pint Nonic or maybe even a dimpled mug (I know you guys don't like those). In the end, however, it really is just about the liquid in the glass and however you want to enjoy it.
This is the longest advertisement I’ve ever watched haha
true😂
I was told by a Belgium friend, the darker the beer the larger the diameter of the rim. The wide Westmalle glass I have is immense for Guinness Export.
To each their own. In my opinion, this advice is just not good advice. You want the aromatics to really hit your nose for those more complex, heavier abv, darker beers. I would never drink a nice barrel aged, heavy stout out of a super wide rim glass. These type of big beers are meant to be sipped. The big bowl, narrow rim glass is the quintessential glassware for the bigger, darker, (often times barrel aged) beers. You will be missing out on so much of the nuanced flavors otherwise. Large rims (for me) are strictly for highly quaffable beers. Coincidently, many Belgian style beers fit right into that category. Guinness Export would also fit nicely into that category, I suppose.
Love the video! It could just be me, but I tend to find that a lot of lagers, especially the clean and crisp ones like pilsners and helles, tend to warm too quickly and lose carbonation and head retention quickly in a belgian chalice, Teku, and similar wine shaped glasses. I tend to use the Samuel Adams glass for these beers and easy drinking ales and lagers like porter, brown ales, Vienna lagers, etc. Curious if anyone else likes the Samuel Adams glass for these types of styles? Cheers!
The German mugs with lids are called Humpen, the word for mug is Krug, so a glass liter mug without a lid is a Masskrug--"measuremug." None of the above should be called steins. In any language. We have our own words in English. A lidded mug is called a tankard in English. And a liter mug is just that.
Yes, I honestly don't know who came up with the idea of calling a Maßkrug a "stein".
As someone who doesn't have room for lots of specialized glassware, I settled on the Belgian style goblet. It works well for any beer and can double as a wine glass. The only things that don't go in it are champagne and martinis; those get their own glassware.
Love that quick little line "A Stein is made of stone, a Mass is made of glass". I have had lengthy discussions (mostly with Americans) about the names of these types of vessels... BTW: if it's not a liter (and even if it is), you can also call it Krug.
This is the most enjoyable infomercial I've seen in ages.
I have a bunch of different glassware in the cupboard but will nearly always use the worst one. A shaker pint. But it's my favourite.
Keep up the good work chaps.
HOW DARE YOU! INFOMERC.. nah fair point.xx
I have a shaker pint but I call it my milk glass.
It's very opportune that this video should appear today, I've just finished a Zoom call with my local brewing mates. We swap our beers and compare and evaluate our produce during our monthly calls. This evening I happened to mention that when drinking cask beer in a pub from a regular straight pint glass, I get a much greater sense of aroma when the glass is half full. I also detect when a beer is less than fresh at that point, even though it's not ideally proportioned for evaluation. It makes taking the beer back to the bar a tad awkward when you've drunk half of it😂. I have an Orval glass in my kitchen cabinet but it hasn't seen a drink since my last visit to Bruges. Another excellent and informative video chaps 👍
one of the reasons of the geuze glass's shape is that they used to crush a lump of sugar on the bottom when serving and they needed to be a lot stronger on the bottom and have a open top and lambic was a cheap drink for farmers and the working class ( quite a change now ) .
Indeed! Such a great fact I should have included...rather than just hating on the shape.
You are right but you are missing the point, serving a beer in a glass is a ceremony and that matters. Also your glasses would be good if it had a stem as they are your just warming up the beer.
I’m a proper glass geek I have way too many. My favourite general purpose is my Kozel. I had the spiegelau set but broke them looking at them, found a crystal ipa spiegelau which is robust and lovely. I use a original dimpled pint pot ( and it’s a original old one ) because it reminds me of my grandfather.I have 2 of your lovely glasses absolutely beautiful I love them cheers 👍🍻
You are mostly right about the mass/maß. Mass is the German word for a measure. It so happens that a measure of beer in Bavaria is 1 litre. You order "ein mass bier" or perhaps "ein halb mass bier". The glass is actually properly called the Maßkrug/masskrug lit. measured jug, but it is often abbreviated to mass, just like you used the term.
Also a trick I learnt for cleaning glasses is to use washing soda/sodium carbonate. It cleans glasses crystal clear.
Thanks for the additional info!
I got a couple of craft beer channel glasses at the love and beer fest last year and I think it's a brilliant glass to drink from. I've got so many glasses but I always come back to this one. I need to show my mates this video because they think all glasses are the same!
Haha thanks so much Steve!
currently have over 60 different glasses (blames Belgium) I like to try and drink the right beer with right glass each time. Obsessed though with beer clean glass
Love this video. Always an argument I'm having. Surprised no mention of glasses with etching for lagers maybe?
That's because we don't really have an opinion on nucleation! It's a bit like sparklers, there's pros and cons.
@TheCraftBeerChannel would love to see a video on that! I always worry about head retention without nucleation but I recognise I'm probably missing something. Just ordered 2 of your glasses!
Well, there's no more room in the glassware cabinet....guess I'll figure it out once it arrives!
Good basic info about beer glasses!! 🍻
However two points: I think you mixed up the stout and wheat ale Spiegelau glasses with each other. And even though your tasting glass says no to sediment, I always like to pour also that into my glass and enjoy the whole beer 😇
We did indeed mix them up! Apologies. Pressure on a shoot day. But as for sediment, don't do it - I promise you'll have a better experience! Or at least try the beer before you dump the sediment in. It totally changes the texture and flavour of a beer in all styles except Hefeweizen.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel
No worries!
Maybe I'll try 🙂
Went into the comments looking for Spigelau wheat/stout mix up.
I use craft master at my Belgian bar but mostly as they were marked at all levels and get good compliments on them, the Allegra (craft beer glass) is brilliant especially when you want to drink smaller quantities. Delirium Noel and duvel glasses are a personal favourite
I like the short stemmed tulip shaped glasses. Got a few from a local brewery. And several other more special glasses.
I don't use detergents, but clean my glasses in hot (not boiling) water.
I must admit I have a large selection of glassware, acquired from bars around the world. But for my go-to glass it all depends on the liquid in it. The dimple for bitters, Duval for heavy beers and the sleaver for most other things. Great video though and yes, the dimple is iconic. I remember the old boys sat around the bar with the 1/2 pint dimple with whisky chasers. Ahh Nostalgia 😀
This may be beer geek heresy but my go-to glass for all 440ml cans is a Cruzcampo glass that 'somehow' found it's way into my glass cupboard! Almost like a chunkier pint version of the Rodenbach. Plenty of room to swirl and sturdy enough that I never worry about it breaking. Years of searching or the perfect beer glass have led me to....'Spanish' macro lager hahaha
I was given one of those tasting sets for a Christmas present (although mine has a 4th "imperial stout glass"). I occasionally use the imperial stout one just for the sake of it. The stout one almost never and don't think I've ever used the wit beer one. But I actually really enjoy drinking from that IPA one. Maybe that's partly BECAUSE it was a present but it looks good and is nice to hold.
You 2 are making me want a West Coast IPA now! Like Brad said, take me back to the forest 😄
For me the right branded glass for the beer helps, whatever the shape.
I've got to give a shout out for the Duvel glass; it's as iconic as Levi's red label, or Lacoste's crocodile, and a pleasure to drink from - should have been on the video presentation table alongside the Orval glass.
12:00 one major advantage to this shape of glass - it doesn't slide down your grip when held. when very drunk this is especially important, those glasses that get narrower towards the neck need a constant grip applied to keep them from dropping (assuming you are not holding it by the stem), whereas the ones that get wider at the top will rest in your hand even if you don't squeeze, provided you don't loosen your grip any more. i have no evidence to back this up but im sure this is why the traditional "red party cup" and clear plastic pint glass are shaped in this way. i think this (i.e. the comfort/practicality of holding) as well as other factors could have been explored in this video. for example, it would be interesting to consider the differences between glass vs plastic vs cans. what about freezing the glassware, which i have seen in some bars? hopefully it wasn't just an advert for your glasses instead of a real deep dive into the best glasses to drink from.
Hey I mean if you're so drunk you need help holding a glass, maybe you shouldn't be holding a glass of anything but water!
@@TheCraftBeerChannelthought you might say that. what can i say, other than that i've learned this lesson the hard way once or twice and its enough to make me factor that into any discussion on glasses. each to their own, cheers mate!
I use a large stemless wine glass for most of my beers at home (holds the volume of most cans and then some). The exceptions are that I have a Weihenstephan hefeweizen glass I use for my hefeweizens and I also have a St Bernardus goblet I use for most of my Belgian doubles, triples etc. I do also have an actual stein (not a mass) somewhere that I think I maybe have used twice ever. In the case of my hefeweizen glass for instance, does the glass actually make a difference? probably not, but if feels special and I think that counts for a lot.
Spiegelau IPA glass is excellent. Been using them for many years. Not fussy at all. Sits nicely in hand.
By fussy I mean hard to clean, bulky to store, easy to knock over etc
I was just thinking about this topic today. You guys are excellent mind readers. Also, isn't that the pilsner urquell mug from the Czech republic that yur referred as the first beer experience glass?
Looks very similar but it's a classic UK pub "jug" glass!
Can confirm that the CBC glass is the best I've ever owned. I use it almost daily (not just for beer) and it's always a pleasant thing in my hand.
All said and done, a traditional imperial pint glass can’t be beaten. 👍😀
I have a couple of glasses very similar to yours that I've acquired from local breweries, I tend to use those mostly for stouts and other heavier beers.
IPAs I drink almost exclusively from nonic pint glasses though, dunny why, those just feel right for them.
Of course I do have a ton of other glasses as well, but only other ones I use somewhat regularly are a couple of belgian goblets and a wheat beer glass
I would love to add your glass to my already immense collection. I'm going to chat my friend who is over in London right now to see if he can somehow get me a couple glasses and some merch!
Earthen ware steins were, and are used also due to the fact that the earthen ware helps keep the beer cooler through evaporative cooling...
Thank you for this Video!
I think that also one important thing is that the glassware fits to the Beerstyle and brings out the best Aroma of the Style of Beer.
I really love small glasses to share Beer with friends :)
Our point was that "beer style" glasses are mostly irrelevant. The size of the bowl and size of the aperature are the only things that make a difference to the aroma/flavour of a beer
@@TheCraftBeerChannel ok, I can relate to this. thank you ☺️
Weirdly I prefer ceramic then glass it self in my beer vessel. Feels better in my hand and holds temp better if pre chilled . Plus it looks better on the shelf to me.
A few years back my wife and I were at a Brewdog and they bought some tasters out in 1/3 size glasses with around a 1/3 in each. We decided which beers we liked but when my wife turned up it tasted nothing like the beer we tried. After a bit of discussion we poured some into a 1/3 size glass and the favour / armour was as we first tasted. Since that day I have tried 100s of beers in different size glasses(same shape) and find a huge difference in flavour and aroma based on the size of the glass. The glasses are the same shape but 1/3 1/2 scooter etc. Give it a go, I can only guess it has something todo with the oxygenation. I am a beer geek but we've done the same test with no geeks and the beer always taste different. I thought I was making up how much difference a glass could make.
My dad had a wooden cabinet that left a peculiar smell in all the glasses kept in there, a rinse or a wash would not get that smell away. So take good care of where you keep your glasses aswell and always have them standing up not turned upside down.
I love the grimbergen over the orval tbf
I had an Orval goblet once. I used it once. I was cleaning it and it tapped the corner of my sink, less than a 1 inch slip out of my hand. It fully committed suicide. There was not a single piece you could recognise as having been part of glassware. Even the stem shattered. It was like a budget 90s action movie. I was pretty peeved I'm not gonna lie, and I haven't bought an expensive chalice glass since in spite of my love of Trappist beer. Meanwhile, the "generic craft beer glasses" I was buying from Wilkos? They could take a nose dive into the sink and just skate around having a whale of a time. I don't buy branded brewery glassware for drinking from anymore, albeit I do like a TeKu, brandy style glass and one of those stemless wine glasses you use for the CBC own branded glasses. As for the stemmed goblet... I do have a couple and do use them for small bottles or when I split! As for the wheat beer glass, there already is a wheat beer glass... it's called a weizen, why did they need to make a new one? I will say that whilst wheat beers are amongst my favourite beers, weizen glasses are obnoxious to clean. Possibly the worst to wash by hand.
A question though. I have already been using the method you mentioned, I have a sponge set aside just for my beer glasses and use a detergent, however I still get water spots. Like, when I rinse, it doesn't come off entirely in sheets, it leaves droplets behind. And head doesn't last long. Unless I buy expensive glass cleaner, I'm at a loss as to how to ensure the water rolls off in sheets when draining, to show the glass is completely clear. From what I understand, normal washing up detergents can leave surfactants behind which are just as bad as foam negative compounds as grease. Wondering what your thoughts are on this.
Craftmaster One and its brother Te-ku are still king in my yard (and I generally prefer a Rastal glass in any style as a result)
i love my rastal teku 😁
I have a Verdant glass but prefer a tulip glass, definitely makes a difference.
Nice to see you're both glass half full kind of people.
For the best advice - back to George Orwell and the Moon Under Water - "never make the mistake of serving a pint of beer in a handleless glass ... beer tastes better out of china" my favourite beer mugs are ceramic - donated by my father in law, but most often I drink the stuff out of a can. That's just the kind of heathen I am 🤣
Great essay, now a great podcast!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel I hadn't heard of it ... oh no, something else I need to listen to 😆
I believe the Spiegelau IPA glass was a collaboration between Spiegelau/Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada. I love mine and use them all the time for any IPAs. I'm 100% a believer that the glassware makes a difference, and does matter to some extent.
ua-cam.com/video/w0sglokhBYM/v-deo.html
Totally agree! The IPA one is a good glass, we just don't like it on a purely subjective level.
Honestly, the Teku stemmed glass reigns supreme for most beers for me, but it ain't my favorite. From the beer geek perspective, it just makes sense that the Teku and the "stemless wine glass" are THE beer glasses. I do love a nice mason jar though... Quaffable or not. Something about the mason jar just does it for me. A decent sized mason will also fit my bomber with some head room pretty nicely.
Surprised you guys didn't feature a Teku glass, it's one of my favourite glass styles. Makes me feel all posh when I drink from it - lol
i love my rastal teku 😁
My favourite glass is a straight- sided pint glass might have to get one of these to compare
What about the Teku? The glass every beer bar and drinker wanted for at least 6 months. A wine glass with a slight overturned lip, to improve washing over the tongue. Apparently.
Haha it definitely had a phase but they are VERY unpractical in a bar setting, and I think only really good for big strong beers you want to savour. Otherwise they are a bit fussy.
What I tend to do is serving the beer in Its proper glass as much as possible and if I don’t have the glass I serve it in a Teku shaped glass or in a Belgian goblet
I use a double-walled coffee glass. Keeps the beer ice-cold right to the end.
Spilegau ipa glass i have.. I think it is too thin for a bar.. They will record losses every day :) My earlier favourite glass was my Flute with Batman print on it.. You got me at the beginning of the video.. But it broke.. Now I use mostly my Bohemia crystal stemless wine glass.. Similar to yours.. It is too thin as well, easy to break :)
I love my TEKU and Spiegelau IPA glasses.
The Spiegelau glasses are fun, but I find them to be too thin. Had quite a few break while cleaning them.
@@alexr9028 i love my rastal teku and Spiegelau IPA glasses too😁
I had that set of 3 craft beer glasses they were so thin they did not last long! Too easy to smash, did enjoy the IPA one though
I have a couple of the last glasses you released (same shape as new one) which have lasted really well and are my go to! Along with a couple of the others of the same style
Awesome to know!
I have a few rules about glassware, but if I'm at someone's house as a guest and they serve me beer then at least let them have a beer mug. Otherwise, I prefer to drink straight from the bottle, and if we have cans it's ass.
I think an important side to this has been missed: in which the wine , spirit/cocktail worlds , have already been exploiting for decades. The thickness , angle and diameter of the glasses rim dictates where the liquid first hits your tongue (ie salt , sweet, etc etc) and at what velocity (introduction of air). This has been proven to change flavour perception (acid, sweetness etc) and mouthfeel. Easy to try at home - stick an imperial stout in a champagne flute and then in a w.becher and tell me what instance provides a delicous stout and what presents as an acrid overly acidic sharp mess.
You also didn't cover tasting (for sensory analysis) versus drinking (for enjoyment) - thats a whole can of worms ....
Well, seeing as the idea of the "tongue map" of having different receptors on different parts of your tongue has long since been debunked, I'd expect a lot of that research has been thrown out. Glass thickness has a textural and sensation impact, but not an aroma or flavour one. And again, we'd put that down to personal preference rather than one being better than the other. As for the difference between analysis or drinking - a good glass is good for both. Hence the design we chose to make ours with.
Please tell my fiancé this she thinks I don't need them all...
My life haha
I have to operate a one in, one out policy on glassware as the cupboard is full. Agreed, a Willi Becher is great (why named so ?) with a personal dislike for ones made to look like cans.
A question I have always wanted an answer to is, does drinking beer straight from the bottle change the taste? I have found I don't enjoy beer from the bottle and will always try to find a receptacle to drink from.
It absolutely does because your nose won't get any aroma until you swallow and the "retronasal" kicks in - so basically there is no flavour til then. It is nowhere near as good as a glass.... but it is deeply satisfying sometimes!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel many thanks for confirming my suspicions, I don't wish to appear snobbish, and I have drunk from a bottle many times, but I did not enjoy it as much as from a glass.
I was very sad when my wife broke my favourite beer glass (old school wild beer Teku). She did make it up to me with a certain CBC glass at Christmas!!
I hope it's filling that sad gap in your cupboard well.
You're neglecting to acknowledge why wide openings can actually be preferable for beer--they facilitate chugging.
what about those really wide stubby camden glasses that are everywhere at the moment haha?
The glass you start talking about @14:35, I've only seen that used in the US for milko pours and cask ales. Also, a little disappointed you didn't mention anything about the standard pint glass that many breweries use to server every beer they offer. Can I safely shame these breweries for their poor glassware decisions?
Oh here too - they are very specific glasses. Pilsner ones are usually a slightly thicker glass and straighter edge. As for shaker/nonics. They all suck but in bars they are the most practical. No shame on places using them, just don't use them at home.
What about the weissbier glass on the end? maybe it’s in our heads, but my friend and I both swear a weissbier tastes better from one compared to a generic pint glass. Maybe using a craft glass would be even better?
Likely psychological, but that's no reason not to use them! If it works it works!
Pity you didn't include the classic American glass. I hate that glass with passion, so I was wondering if there is anything good about it.
The shaker pint? No redeeming features save being very strong and stackable. And I guess quite satisfying to hold.
My favourite glass is my CBC glass. just feels right.
Thanks so much! I hope you treat it with the respect/second sponge it deserves.
@@TheCraftBeerChannel It luckily wasn't one of the rare misalligned set but it gets washed with a lot of hot water and stays clear of the brush the pot gets used with so free from any oils from that. However it is abused by getting two perform double duty as my whiskey glass XD
If everybody agrees to drink out of a new Belgium globe glass.
Please put your on my comment
I think the Orval glass is fairly typical of big Belgians - Rochefort, St Bernadus, etc are all the same. A quick Google shows they are deliberately designed that way rather than marketing. I prefer that shape to the narrow, wine glass shape or those modern ones that look like a bowl - some even look like jam jars!
I can assure you they are designed that way to look beautiful, not to be the best tasting glass they can be. Many were designed before the shape of glassware was even considered from a scientific point of view. The Orval glass for example is nearly 100 years old in shape!
Finally shipping to America. Excellent.
You forgot Das Boot! 15:34
How do I get one of your beer school glasses in the USA?
Sadly you can't at the moment but we're looking at solutions. Or indeed open to anyone with an idea!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel thanks for your reply, love the channel!
Nice to have 2 more beer glasses to add to the collection
Can’t believe that the Malt Miller is getting them to the West Coast (California) by next Tuesday 😮
I use tulip shaped glasses for all beer. Particularly like the duvel glass
Not quite a tulip then, more a goblet? Goblet is one of my favs
@@TheCraftBeerChannel Where do you draw the line between goblet and tulip? I swear I've stared at pictures in guides online forever and can't quite figure it out.
For me, a major factor in glassware is thickness - I really struggle with thick glass - fine glass I find a much more pleasurable experience (and I don't dribble - though that is definitely NOT the reason... definitely)
You're not alone in that! Preference is everything with glassware really.
I can't find your craft beer glass for sale on your website. Do I buy it elsewhere?
It's available here but currently sold out - back in a few weeks.
www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product-category/brew-days-and-merchandise/merchandise/craft-beer-channel-shop/
Occasionally I think I enjoy beer glassware more than I do beer ... then I come to my senses. (I do love glassware though)
The gueuze glass needed a thick bottom to be able to muddle your suggar in it. As it used to be done...
Indeed! All for tradition, but it is a bad glass for anything but lambic.
Struggle with traditional British pint glass seems to just never be right for anything and many pubs serve half’s in soft drink style beakers
In other words: get a double walled (to avoid temp swings) rocking tumbler with a flat heavy bottom.
I guess so long as you know the double walled glass is cold enough already that could work!
Whereabouts did you guys film this episode?
The Beer Merchants Tap on Hackney Wick, London
Yeah but I can't fit an Arbor 568ml can into your glasses. OK that is being picky but seriously size is important - there are other breweries that do 500ml cans and bottles. I like to use a glass I can just dump the entire can/bottle in and not top it up later. Obviously I have a number of standard nonic pint glasses, and I have a stemmed pint glass (although that is branded for a cider producer). But the fancier glasses are just not big enough, or at least I haven't found one that is.
Also you chose to not even consider the Kwak glass - very wise.
One thing you could have added is nucleated vs non-nucleated glassware.
Right. Pint sized stemless! Noted.
A maß is the measure of beer in the glass, and a maßkrug is the glass that holds a maß.
Seems like there should be 1 larger size option based on some of what is said here
1 pint San Miguel goblets from a dishwasher are nigh on perfect.
I'm not a big fan of the glass presented : main problem you don't have a stem and because of that when you hold the glass with your hand your beer is warming up. And yes my favorite type of glass is the TeKu.
Warming beer up can be an issue when holding the glass for long periods but ideally you'd never have to do that!
What? No boot? You’re no longer invited to Beerfest! 😂😂
My glassware is insanely out of control. I literally have an entire kitchen cabinet filled with various type of beer glasses. You never know what glass is needed?
Gotta send this to my parents who don't want me to "collect" glassware and have the audacity to drink weiss in British pints or amber ales in German steins
I'm weird and don't like the glasses with the narrower rim. I prefer the Trappist style chalice glasses and British Nonic glasses. Maybe I don't need or want to smell the beer as much.
Haha well like we say, preference is the most important thing.
Dont knock a narrow rim........ooo-er missus
I like my lagers in a tall (narrow) 1/2 pint tankard (Freedom brewery slim tankard, Rothaus slim tankard). Weissbier in Erdinger 1/2 weissbier glass. IPAs in the same tumbler glass that Craft Beer Channel glass. Trappists/Belgians in either La Trappe or Grimbergen chalice. Rather than just marketing, I think it has some sort of a psychological connection as well. I tried my best to enjoy a Trappists Dubbel/Tripel in a glass other than a Chalice-honestly, I couldn't! I don't know the science or rationale behind it...but that was it.
The British Dimple Mug reminds me of my father :) He used to have them even for drinking tea.
A PINT OF TEA?! Is there anything more British?!
@@TheCraftBeerChannel hahaa... I am originally from Sri Lanka. A large mug of tea with milk and froth like a pint of beer is normal there. (Because it was a British Colony, a few generations ago, there were so many British things/values remained integrated in the social system in the middle/mountain areas of Sri Lanka)
@ck008uk oh wow that's cool. Froth as in milky froth? Sounds delicious
@@TheCraftBeerChannel yes, it's the froth made with milk after mixing with tea. I believe that it preserves the aromas similar to in beers. When they quality-test in the factories also, I have seen them mixing it with milk like that. When my father used to make tea in those dimple mugs, it even looked very beautiful 😊
As a Belgian it's obligatory to use the glass from the brewery or the same shape
We know, and we love it! But the glasses could be better for actual tasting...
Surely the ultimate marketing glass is the Kwak thing that won't even stand without it's holder :)
Awesome video as always. I'd love to buy your glass and support you guys. However, to pay 51$ for shipping to Canada is ridiculous for a 10$ item. Especially when you guys don't even get 90% of it. This glass isn't worth 61.74$ CAD
Oh damn! Sadly shipping is crazy for a parcel that size. We'll hopefully find a way to distro to the US one day.
You forgot the TEKU glas dudes! It's the best for IPA imao! 🍻
We didn't forget, we just didn't have any. Good glasses if you like them, but we find them a little fussy.
You got the spiegelau stout and american wheat beer glasses the wrong way round, which is probably why you didnt see an advantage to using them. LOL
Ha so we did. Might also just prove how irrelevant the difference is!
Have you done multiple side by sides with each beer style ? We've used them since 2016, and they really do excel for the given style. I still think the W.becher is the best all rounder over all, if you were to just pick one. (you can get them in 4 sizes) @@TheCraftBeerChannel