Beer of the Weekend #76: Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen
Another SoCal heat wave is here, and you know what that means. Time to kick back with a couple wheat beers.
The beer this weekend is Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen brewed by the Trader Joe’s Brewing Company of San Jose, California.
The bottles and carrying case say the brewer is the Josephs Brau Brewing Company, but it’s really just the Trader Joe’s Brewing Company, which, as I noted last week, has its beers brewed by Gordon Biersch. A brewery in name only creates another brewery in name only. Weird.
As with last week’s Bavarian Style Hefeweizen, Dunkelweizen is only available at TJ’s. I bought it last night so the bottles had more than ample time to chill in my fridge. That means I didn’t make a trip to the BevMo! on Beach. Next Friday I’ll be patronizing Dirty John’s in Iowa City (buying beer and some glasses), so it will be two weeks before I make my next stop at BevMo! I’m not sad about it at all, but I like to kid myself and think the employees there will miss me. Although they don’t know me, they recognize me. A stout, older woman with black hair (who, frankly, kind of looks like a witch) told me the other week that she knew me “by those beautiful eyes.” No joke. (Perhaps she’s planning to cook a stew or whatever witches make.)
Alas, I know they won’t miss me. I won’t miss them, either, because I have the Alberhasky’s and all their red headed kids to keep me quenched.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Poured a cloudy caramel. About two fingers of head developed but there was little retention for a wheat; the foam dissipated to a spotted lacing that left a thick ring around the outside.
Smell: Mostly bananas, cloves, and yeast. There’s a slight hint of caramel, but it’s hard to find. I also got a fleeting sniff of raspberry.
Taste: What you’d expect from the taste, only slightly more yeasty and bread-like. Clove and coriander spice is most noticeable at first, then makes way for banana and a touch of caramel.
Drinkability: Oh, sweet nectar. It’s not the best dunkelweizen I’ve had, and not as impressive as TJ’s Bavarian Style Hefeweizen, but it’s decent. It’s good drinking, but not mind blowing.
Fun facts about JBD:
-Serving temperature: 45-50°F.
-Alcohol content: 5.2 ABV.
-Food pairings: I’m about done with the vague shit BeerAdvocate recommends, but it’s all I have for this one, and most of the other beers I sample. (The underlying issue is the fact that I don’t pair beer with food. I don’t drink while eating, so this fun fact category has little importance to me. Each week I think about discontinuing it, but keep it nonetheless out of connoisseurship.) BA suggests curried foods, nutty cheeses (like Asiago, Colby, and Parmesan, which I have little of), and salmon.
-IBU: 18.
-I’m unsure why Dunkelweizen, and a few other TJ’s beers, have Josephs Brau as their brewer. I wonder if people were turned away by the brand name, associating it with sub par beer. (However, I don’t know how anyone could be tricked: the label and carrier graphics follow the same template. I had to look twice to see TJ’sBC wasn’t listed as the brewer.) On my way home today I got the great idea to call Gordon Biersch and ask about the TJ’s/JB oddity. However, I forgot all about it by the time I got home. When I remembered it was about 6 pm, and I knew all the brew masters were off work and busy consuming their own creations.
-Wow — I’ve been away from IC too long. The little red headed Alberhasky kid is talking and making a conscious attempt to act in John’s Grocery commercials. I just watched a couple on Dirty’s website. When I was still living there he was a silent toddler, pushing a little cart around the store for the camera. Now he’s dreaming of a high school graduation party catered by John’s, complete with root beer kegs.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
The beer this weekend is Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen brewed by the Trader Joe’s Brewing Company of San Jose, California.
The bottles and carrying case say the brewer is the Josephs Brau Brewing Company, but it’s really just the Trader Joe’s Brewing Company, which, as I noted last week, has its beers brewed by Gordon Biersch. A brewery in name only creates another brewery in name only. Weird.
As with last week’s Bavarian Style Hefeweizen, Dunkelweizen is only available at TJ’s. I bought it last night so the bottles had more than ample time to chill in my fridge. That means I didn’t make a trip to the BevMo! on Beach. Next Friday I’ll be patronizing Dirty John’s in Iowa City (buying beer and some glasses), so it will be two weeks before I make my next stop at BevMo! I’m not sad about it at all, but I like to kid myself and think the employees there will miss me. Although they don’t know me, they recognize me. A stout, older woman with black hair (who, frankly, kind of looks like a witch) told me the other week that she knew me “by those beautiful eyes.” No joke. (Perhaps she’s planning to cook a stew or whatever witches make.)
Alas, I know they won’t miss me. I won’t miss them, either, because I have the Alberhasky’s and all their red headed kids to keep me quenched.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Poured a cloudy caramel. About two fingers of head developed but there was little retention for a wheat; the foam dissipated to a spotted lacing that left a thick ring around the outside.
Smell: Mostly bananas, cloves, and yeast. There’s a slight hint of caramel, but it’s hard to find. I also got a fleeting sniff of raspberry.
Taste: What you’d expect from the taste, only slightly more yeasty and bread-like. Clove and coriander spice is most noticeable at first, then makes way for banana and a touch of caramel.
Drinkability: Oh, sweet nectar. It’s not the best dunkelweizen I’ve had, and not as impressive as TJ’s Bavarian Style Hefeweizen, but it’s decent. It’s good drinking, but not mind blowing.
Fun facts about JBD:
-Serving temperature: 45-50°F.
-Alcohol content: 5.2 ABV.
-Food pairings: I’m about done with the vague shit BeerAdvocate recommends, but it’s all I have for this one, and most of the other beers I sample. (The underlying issue is the fact that I don’t pair beer with food. I don’t drink while eating, so this fun fact category has little importance to me. Each week I think about discontinuing it, but keep it nonetheless out of connoisseurship.) BA suggests curried foods, nutty cheeses (like Asiago, Colby, and Parmesan, which I have little of), and salmon.
-IBU: 18.
-I’m unsure why Dunkelweizen, and a few other TJ’s beers, have Josephs Brau as their brewer. I wonder if people were turned away by the brand name, associating it with sub par beer. (However, I don’t know how anyone could be tricked: the label and carrier graphics follow the same template. I had to look twice to see TJ’sBC wasn’t listed as the brewer.) On my way home today I got the great idea to call Gordon Biersch and ask about the TJ’s/JB oddity. However, I forgot all about it by the time I got home. When I remembered it was about 6 pm, and I knew all the brew masters were off work and busy consuming their own creations.
-Wow — I’ve been away from IC too long. The little red headed Alberhasky kid is talking and making a conscious attempt to act in John’s Grocery commercials. I just watched a couple on Dirty’s website. When I was still living there he was a silent toddler, pushing a little cart around the store for the camera. Now he’s dreaming of a high school graduation party catered by John’s, complete with root beer kegs.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
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