Burgerbrau Wolznacher Roggenbier

So there I am, sitting at my desk high above the streets of Atlanta, looking out the window of my office tower at the glittering lights of traffic below. The other buildings are all lit up, too, against a surreal backdrop of yellow and orange highlights in the evening sky. The colors of the setting sun are layered beautifully against the approaching darkness, and as I gaze upon all of this wonderful imagery, I think of …….beer.

And why not? Beer can have a lot in common with the scene I just described. Take Burgerbrau Wolnzacher Roggenbier for example. This was exactly the beer I was thinking of as I peered out the window at work. The color of the beer is very much like that of a beautiful Georgia sunset. It’s layered, too, with different flavors emerging at different points. See, it’s not such a stretch after all.

For the benefit of those who are at this point wondering just what roggenbier is, allow me to explain. Roggenbier is a (sort of) variation on wheat beer popular in Germany. Instead of using wheat, however, roggenbier is made with rye, a lot of it. In fact, 65% of the grain used for Burgerbrau roggenbier is rye.

Like a wheat beer, Roggenbier is bottle conditioned and kicks up a good amount of foam when you pour it. The rye, however, imparts a unique and wonderful spiciness all its own to the brew. It may strike the novice as a bit strange, but it definitely grows on you. I loved rye beers from the very first time I sipped one.

You won’t find many rye beers on the shelves of US beer stores. When you do, I encourage you to try one. And if you happen to stumble upon a bottle of Wolznacher Burgerbrau Roggenbier, so much the better. It’s really a wonderful beer.

Burgerbrau Wolnzacher Roggenbier pours to a hazy yellow orange color with a prodigious rocky foam head and a spicy rye bread nose. The first thing that grabs your attention when you sip the beer is the texture. It’s surprisingly thick, almost chewy, with a full and very luxurious mouthfeel. The light carbonation reinforces this perception.

As you sip, the spicy, grainy rye flavors are readily apparent and intensify into the slightly bitter, rather peppery finish. This is really a lot like a glass of rye bread, and you can almost see yourself picking the caraway seeds from between your teeth.

Not a beer to be missed, by any means.

Home