Remember Kottbusser? I sure do. Kottbusser is a rare and obscure German style of ale that, frankly, I had never heard of until the Grimm Brothers brewery of Loveland, Colorado concocted their Snow Drop Kottbusser Ale and Dale Roberts sent me a can. Now Grimm Brothers is back with another Kottbusser, this time an Imperial Kottbusser at that. Good old Dale saw how much I enjoyed Snow Drop, and sent me a can of Magic Mirror Imperial Kottbusser. Wasn’t that nice of him?
Kottbusser (not to be confused with bottkusser, German for boot kisser) is a German style of beer that contains adjuncts, and as a result was left behind by the Reinheitsgebot in 1516. Such styles are being sought out today by beer geeks eager to get their hands on anything new, and I guess I’m one of them. The fact that it’s a German style didn’t hurt either.
I didn’t realize how strong this beer was until I poured it into my glass and examined the label. At a hefty 11% alcohol by volume, it’s far more potent than the already formidable Snow Drop, which clocks in at 7.1%. The beer has 23 IBUs in case you were wondering.
Grimm Brothers Magic Mirror Imperial Kottbusser pours to a hazy yellow color tinged with orange and a medium sized creamy head of foam and lightly toasted malt and honey in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer is rich and full and thick in the mouthfeel with lightly toasty malt and wheaty notes, rich honey flavors and a hint of chewy candy-like molasses. It’s mead-like in its fermented honey intensity, and finishes herbal-grassy with a moderate bitterness and alcohol warmth.
Oh my! What a wonderful beer. I’m not sure how authentic this is, but it sure is tasty. Try it. If you can find it.
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