Beer of the Weekend #212: Dunkel Weiss
In regards to my novel writing effort this week, I am sure a grizzled and very impatient football coach would say his grandmother could do better. Of course, she was six-four, two-forty, and a lesbian.
That makes no sense, but whatever.
Though sampling a beer tonight may not be a deserving treat after five pathetic nights of writing, it is healthy. According to a study published by the British Medical Journal, one alcoholic drink a day can keep heart disease at bay. Here’s the BBC story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12531837. Let us toast to our health, shall we?
The healthful beer tonight is Dunkel Weiss, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado.
According to beernews.org, Dunkel Weiss was bottled and released for the first time in the last two months, so this bottle is likely part of the first batch. It is apparently the same as the draft-only Dunkel Weiss 30º, which has been retired by BeerAdvocate. Needless to say, it caught my eye when I was in Dirty John’s walk-in fridge today. Having chosen my sixer for the weekend, I decided to pick up something for my health tonight and browsed the array of specialty bombers and four-packs behind the door. The Ayinger weizenbock I tried a few weeks ago got me horny for wheat beer. It is totally not the season — it is snowing, for Christ’s sake — but I am still craving it hardcore. Hopefully Dunkel Weiss will quench my thirst for another couple months.
Serving type: One 22-ounce bottle. No freshness date on the bottle, but I assume it was bottled in either December or January.
Appearance: Poured into a half liter weizen glass. The color is a deep caramel brown. Two fingers of slightly tanned head developed and dissipated to leave traces along the glass, a spotted lacing, and a thick ring around the edge.
Smell: The heavenly aroma of dunkelweizen, though tinged with black pepper spice. Immediately noticeable are scents of apple, banana, and bubblegum. There is also caramel, clove, and black pepper spice that makes the nostrils tingle a little.
Taste: The black pepper is more noticeable in the flavor, where it introduces each sip with a nice spice kick. It overpowers everything else, frankly, until the beer warms. It’s almost as if I have a waiter cranking away at a grinder over my glass. However, when it does fade flavors of apple, banana, and caramel emerge, thankfully balancing the black pepper so it is tolerable. The rather substantial ABV for a dunkelweizen is very well masked.
Drinkability: Tasty stuff, but it lacks the usual potency of dunkelweizen. It is obviously not true to style on purpose, but the uniqueness of the pepper spice gets old quickly.
Fun facts about Dunkel Weiss:
-Style: BA classifies it as a Dunkelweizen.
-Price: $5.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. No wonder there was no price tag on the shelf.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: A whopping 9 percent ABV. I think I just got my daily ration of alcohol and then some.
-Food pairings: BA recommends the regular dunkelweizen fare. German cuisine, nutty cheese (Asiago, Colby, Parmesan), “digestive,” and salmon.
-Dunkel Weiss is part of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series, which the website offers no information about. I have no clue what the inspiration behind the Lips of Faith beers are, though I am certain they are crafty, brewer specialties.
-This is printed on the bottle:
A pinch of black pepper? Shit. I would hate to known what a pinch of wasabi is for New Belgium.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
That makes no sense, but whatever.
Though sampling a beer tonight may not be a deserving treat after five pathetic nights of writing, it is healthy. According to a study published by the British Medical Journal, one alcoholic drink a day can keep heart disease at bay. Here’s the BBC story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12531837. Let us toast to our health, shall we?
The healthful beer tonight is Dunkel Weiss, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado.
According to beernews.org, Dunkel Weiss was bottled and released for the first time in the last two months, so this bottle is likely part of the first batch. It is apparently the same as the draft-only Dunkel Weiss 30º, which has been retired by BeerAdvocate. Needless to say, it caught my eye when I was in Dirty John’s walk-in fridge today. Having chosen my sixer for the weekend, I decided to pick up something for my health tonight and browsed the array of specialty bombers and four-packs behind the door. The Ayinger weizenbock I tried a few weeks ago got me horny for wheat beer. It is totally not the season — it is snowing, for Christ’s sake — but I am still craving it hardcore. Hopefully Dunkel Weiss will quench my thirst for another couple months.
Serving type: One 22-ounce bottle. No freshness date on the bottle, but I assume it was bottled in either December or January.
Appearance: Poured into a half liter weizen glass. The color is a deep caramel brown. Two fingers of slightly tanned head developed and dissipated to leave traces along the glass, a spotted lacing, and a thick ring around the edge.
Smell: The heavenly aroma of dunkelweizen, though tinged with black pepper spice. Immediately noticeable are scents of apple, banana, and bubblegum. There is also caramel, clove, and black pepper spice that makes the nostrils tingle a little.
Taste: The black pepper is more noticeable in the flavor, where it introduces each sip with a nice spice kick. It overpowers everything else, frankly, until the beer warms. It’s almost as if I have a waiter cranking away at a grinder over my glass. However, when it does fade flavors of apple, banana, and caramel emerge, thankfully balancing the black pepper so it is tolerable. The rather substantial ABV for a dunkelweizen is very well masked.
Drinkability: Tasty stuff, but it lacks the usual potency of dunkelweizen. It is obviously not true to style on purpose, but the uniqueness of the pepper spice gets old quickly.
Fun facts about Dunkel Weiss:
-Style: BA classifies it as a Dunkelweizen.
-Price: $5.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. No wonder there was no price tag on the shelf.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: A whopping 9 percent ABV. I think I just got my daily ration of alcohol and then some.
-Food pairings: BA recommends the regular dunkelweizen fare. German cuisine, nutty cheese (Asiago, Colby, Parmesan), “digestive,” and salmon.
-Dunkel Weiss is part of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series, which the website offers no information about. I have no clue what the inspiration behind the Lips of Faith beers are, though I am certain they are crafty, brewer specialties.
-This is printed on the bottle:
Cat-burglar-smooth and just as fond of the dark, Dunkel Weiss sneaks together wheat and barley malts with a pinch of black pepper. Nab one before it gives you the slip!
A pinch of black pepper? Shit. I would hate to known what a pinch of wasabi is for New Belgium.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
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