Publiner Dunkles Exportbier Beer Review

Publiner Dunkles Exportbier

Review Date 1/18/2016 By John Staradumsky

For Christmas of 2015, my wife bought me a really cool present: BeerAdvent Calendar 2015 from Kalea. In truth, my wife got me a lot of nice presents (she’s the best wife ever), but the nice thing about the Beer Advent Calendar is you get it early. You have to, since it’s comprised of 24 different imported German beers in a box with little doors that you open, one per day from December 1^st through December 24^th. All of the beers are listed on the side of the carton, however, so be careful not to look and spoil the daily surprises!

I love German beer more than beer from any other country on Earth, so this was definitely right up my alley. My one criticism of the calendar is there are no bocks or doppelbocks (not fair!), but otherwise it’s just an amazing way to sample 24 German beers I’ve never seen before. I got mine a Costco here in Georgia and paid $59.95 for the box. That might sound steep, but when you distribute that price over 24 different half liter cans, it only works out to $2.50 per can. Not a bad deal at all looked at that way.

Day 4 has arrived with the 2015 German Beer Advent Calendar, and it yields the most interesting beer so far. That beer is Publiner Dunkles Exportbier from the Schlossbrauerei Herrngiersdorf of Herrngiersdorf. This is not only interesting to sip, but also in its origins. That’s because the can indicates that the beer was actually brewed and packaged for Schlossbrauerei Herrngiersdorf (Schlossbrauerei means castle brewery by the way) by Herrnbrau of Ingolstatdt, Germany.

Schlossbrauerei Herrngiersdorf only lists four beers on their website, and Publiner Dunkles Exportbier is not one of them. Perhaps this is a specialty beer brewed just for the Beer Advent Calendar then. The can describes it as “Irisch im Charakter, stark im Genuss”. The brewery describes itself as “Älteste Privatbrauerei der Welt. Seit 1131.” (Oldest privately held brewery in the world).

Publiner Dunkles Exportbier has an alcohol content of 4.9% by volume. As with all of the beers in the Advent Calendar, it was packaged on 7/1/15 and is stamped as best by 9/1/16.

Publiner Dunkles Exportbier pours to a dark brown color with a soft nutty malty nose and a light head formation. Taking a sip the beer is smooth and malty with fresh cracked nutty and stewed malt flavors. I get a hint of chocolate with soft nutty malty flavors, and this is a fine Munich dunkles I think with hints of red ale character, but in a lager. Still, it has hints of roastiness and a subtle sourness not unlike a fine Irish Red Ale. There’s your Irish character.

A very interesting and delicious beer, a fusion beer of German and Irish flavor.

I’m greatly enjoying my Beer Advent Calendar with the day 4 beer. Here’s looking forward to the remaining 20, and another assortment of 24 in 2016. We’ll be on the lookout next year at Costco, and following the beers on their Facebook page.

The beers of the 2015 Beer Advent Calendar:

Day 1 Alpinebrauerei Burgerbrau Alpen Stoff

Day 2 Ankerbrau Nordlingen Grandl Helles Lagerbier

Day 3 Herrnbrau Tradition Bayerisches Festbier

Day 4 Schlossbrauerei Herrngiersdorf Publiner

Day 5 Hofbrauhaus Friesing Huber Weisses

Day 6 Lowenbrauerei Passau Urtyp Hell

Day 7 Spath Brau Osser Osser Gold

Day 8 Hosl Marzenbier

Day 9 Wittmann Urhell

Day 10 Kloster Urstoff Marzen

Day 11 Egerer Eaglebrau Weizenbier Dunkel