Waiter, I'll Have A Burgerbrau Aktiengesellschaft Wolznach Nikolausbier Altfrankisches Dunkel Please!
May 13 '03
The Bottom Line An absolutely incredible beer.
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 Burgerbrau Aktiengesellschaft Wolznach Nikolausbier Altfrankisches Dunkel. 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 Wolznach, then, is located in Wolznach, Germany. Burgerbrau Wolznach 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 Wolznach 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 Wolznach Nikolausbier Altfrankisches Dunkel is a truly exceptional beer. Be sure to ask for it by name wherever fine beers are sold.
Epinions Criteria:
Overall Rating: Five Stars
Beer Rating: A must-sensational
Weight: Medium body
Flavor: Sweet
Complexity: Very Complex
Price: $2.99 per 500ml bottle
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