Review Date 5/13/2003
Try? Re-buy?
Much as we would
like to, it’s pretty much impossible to get out and see the whole world and
all it has to offer. There’s just too much to see, experience, and absorb on
this big blue marble called Earth we inhabit, and even if we travel
frequently, we’re still bound to miss out on some of the wonderful goings on
wherever we may go.
Thankfully, though we can’t always go to the world, there are those out
there who work diligently to bring the world to us. And that’s exactly what
the folks at B. United Importers of Redding, Connecticut have been
doing for years. Bringing the world to our doorstep, conveniently packaged
in little glass bottles. B. United specializes in bringing those oh-so hard
to find beers to America, and they’ve managed to do it again with .
Try saying that five times fast.
From this point forward, I think it’s safe to assume I’m just going to refer
to this wonderful brew as Nikolausbier. What is Nikolausbier? It’s a
wonderfully complex, soft malty delight of such character and distinction
that you will rarely come across its ilk. I find it to be sort of a cross
between a bock and a Munich dunkles, with the soft malty flavors of the
latter combined with the toasty melanoidin traits of the former.
Surprisingly, B. United says this one is brewed via infusion mash instead of
decoction, so I’m assuming they used plenty of Munich malt if that’s the
case. Mashing is a process by which starches in malt are converted to
sugars. Infusion mashing is done by direct heating of the entire mash. With
decoction, a small portion of the mash is removed and heated to high
temperature. This results in chemical reactions that produce flavor
compounds known as melanoidins. The small heated portion of the mash is then
returned to the rest of the malt to raise the temperature of the entire
mash.
If you go to Germany, you will find more than a few “Burgerbraus”. In a
nutshell, the term means “local brew” or “town brew”, and many towns and
cities have their own independent Burgerbrau. Burgerbrau Wolnzach, then, is
located in Wolnzach, Germany. Burgerbrau Wolnzach is a newcomer to the beer
world, a German micro so to speak. The brewery was “Gegrundet” (founded) in
1999, and Nikolausbier made its debut around Christmastime 2000.
Nikolausbier gets its name from the brewer, Nikolaus Starkmeth. I don’t see
anything vain in naming a beer after yourself, especially when the beer is
this good. Nikolausbier is said to be an an example of a classic Franconian
style of dark beer. It’s a wonderful brew that, according to the brewer, is
made without the use of black or brown malts. It is hopped with Spaet,
Hersbrucker, and Hallertau hops.
Burgerbrau Aktiengesellschaft Wolnzach Nikolausbier Altfrankisches Dunkel
pours to a deep reddish brown color with a nutty dark malt nose and a rather
light, ephemeral head formation. As soon as I popped the cap off of my
bottle, a concentrated burst of heavenly, rich and chewy toasty malt notes
wafted through the air to my nose. I knew immediately I was in for an
incredible beer experience.
The first sip confirmed my suspicions. The palate was absolutely bursting
with flavor: sweet nutty malt, light chocolate, toasty malt, molasses, a
hint of licorice, and chewy caramel. In the finish, a hint of grassy,
slightly bitter Hallertaus tries to balance the brew but the sweet malt
notes overwhelm them.
It just doesn’t get any better than this, my friends. At $2.99 a bottle,
this beer is a steal and one you should definitely stock up on.
Burgerbrau Aktiengesellschaft Wolnzach Nikolausbier Altfrankisches Dunkel
is a truly exceptional beer. Be sure to ask for it by name wherever fine
beers are sold.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft