I have a friend named Duncan. We call him Dunk. I wonder if he likes Dunkelweizen?
See, this is the type of A+ content you can expect when you come to I Taste Your Beer each day. Stream of consciousness intros and informative and sometimes funny content below the fold. I know, you can thank me later.
This beer drinking gig ain’t as easy as it sounds, but come on, I can’t lie to you guys, it’s pretty fun. This weekend, I get two days off (of editing) because I’m live streaming a beer event on my site! I’ll be getting interviews and talking with some people who are excited about Real Ales. The event is called Get Real and it’s pretty much sold out, I think there’s only one or two sessions left.
How do I know we didn’t talk about Dunkelweizen yet? Because I hadn’t made a category for it on my website. So guess what we’re going to do today, kids? If you said “learn about the Dunkelweiss,” you’re absolutely correct! From the German Beer Institute:
Dunkelweizen is the dark version of the regular golden-yellow Weissbier or Weizenbier (more commonly called Hefeweizen in North America), the spritzy, creamy Bavarian wheat beer with pronounced clove, vanilla, banana, apple, bubblegum, and sometimes nutmeg flavors. Dunkel means dark in German (as opposed to weiss, which means white) and Weizen means wheat. Like a Hefeweizen, Dunkelweizen is made from a mixed mash of wheat and barley malts, but unlike a Weissbier, it also contains a large array of lightly to thoroughly caramelized or roasted malts that give it both its color and its complexity.
From All About Beer:
By law, a German hefe or dunkelweizen must contain at least 50% malted wheat, but some may have as much as 70%. Hefeweizen would rely primarily on pilsner malt, while dunkelweizen might include Vienna, Munich or a caramunich variety for color, maltiness and complexity. Both are sparingly hopped, for bitterness only. Some styles never seem to fade away and are enthusiastically embraced for their traditionalism – such are the weizenbiers of Bavaria.
Just like the Kristallweizen, these guys are at the top of the list when it comes to Dunkelweizen on Beer Advocate. Check it out!
Just The Facts
Appearance: Hazy crimson brown
Smell: Banana, Clovey with some roasty notes
Taste: Caramel, Toasty, light bitter
Mouthfeel: Medium to Heavy on the body, lighter to medium carbonation
Drinkability: You could easily do two bottles of this stuff by yourself
If you like this, you might like:
Bocks, Dubbels, Brown Ales
Where to find them online
