Welcome friends to a very special review indeed here at bruguru.com! You see today we’re trying a new beer style for the very first time (doesn’t happen often; I thought I’d tried them all). I hadn’t though, and these days rare and obscure beer styles seem to be all the rage, hence I give you: kottbusser. Specifically, Snow Drop Kottbusser Ale from Colorado’s Grimm Brothers brewery.
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.
From the brewery website:
Once upon a time German beer was only deemed pure if it contained the four orthodox ingredients of brewing: water, barley, hops, and yeast. During this time, an ale known as Köttbusser was outlawed because it contained oats, honey, and molasses. Over the centuries since its prohibition, Köttbusser became a lost brewing style. At Grimm Brothers, we’ve resurrected this refreshing ale with a kiss of hops. You don’t need a magic mirror to know that Snowdrop is the fairest in the land. Recommended by dwarves everywhere!
Grimm Brothers Snow Drop Kottbusser Ale has an alcohol content of 7.1% by volume with 10 IBUs. It’s not sold here in Georgia, but I got it from the always generous Dale Roberts. Dale always knows the right beers to send!
Grimm Brothers Snow Drop Kottbusser Ale pours to a hazy straw color with a thick head formation of large bubbles and a soft, decidedly honeyish nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a tart wheat-like body with soft bready malt notes too. The honey really pops in the nose and in the palate; the molasses is more subtle, almost adding a licorice note as it interacts with the gently bitter hops.
Flavorful and drinkable, this is a beauty! I’m loving the almost peppery hop finish, which provides balancing bitterness, the smooth silky oats, and the gentle mead like character with toasty-flowery honey notes. Friends, this one gets a full five stars in my book, not just for bringing back a lost style, but also for executing it so well. If you see Grimm Brothers Snow Drop Kottbusser Ale, buy it. And tell them the Bruguru sent you….
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