I'm doing some prep work for a German tasting in a few months, and came across a fairly rare style of German lager. Beer Advocate describes the style as such:
A rather old, rare, and unique German beer style, Kellerbiers are unfiltered and unpasteurized lagers that date back to at least the Middle Ages. The beer is matured, unbunged (beer is exposed), in deep vaults. The final product is a smooth, naturally cloudy beer that's rich in vitamins (from the yeast). Hop bitterness can be high and alcohol will vary.
Review as follows:
Bottle is a 500ml work of art, lovely dark brown with it's own rubber-sealed ceramic cap. All the important information is printed on the label, including things the government thinks you should know but likely the drinker could care less about.
The appearance is an opaque brown, quite clear and almost sparkling with carbonation. Whatever the style originally was, this was not a cloudy beer and there was little to no sediment in the bottle. My guess is if this was keg or barrel conditioned, the sediment stayed there.
Not unlike many German lagers, generally speaking, the nose is dominated by a clean malt aroma sprinkled by a subtle hop. There was also a distinctly nutty aroma, and perhaps even a vague notion of tobacco. It was inviting.
Mouthfeel was medium, with moderate to heavy carbonation, refreshing and smooth.
A toasty, sweet malt is prominent, not unlike a brown ale, with a much more German character. That nut and tobacco evidence in the nose also develops in the palate, though very subtlety. There is also a mild hop character that is less pronounced than many German lagers I've had, but added a pleasant dimension to the whole experience. The carbonation, as mentioned earlier, made the whole beer enjoyable.
Too rare and not cost efficient enough to be a session beer, this was a good German lager that had character and flavor that, in my opinion, was a step above many of the other bottom fermented offerings from that country. I recommend that you try this one, even if only once.
Labels: beer reviews