Great Divide: A Very Nice Dunkel Weiss
It is not officially summer until June 21, which also happens to be Father's Day. But it was so humid in Baltimore recently that it felt like summertime.
For me, the summer like weather is an invitation to drink Dunkel Weiss, a dark wheat ale. The other evening, as the wooden windows swelled and the doors stuck, I cracked open a Dunkel Weiss from Great Divide Brewing Co. in Denver.
The label describes it as "hefeweizen's older brother." I think that is accurate. It is 6.4 percent ABV. One touch I loved is the label warning: "Don't put any lemon in it."
It poured brown with a slight head. It had a medium body and pleasant malty flavor with pleasing banana notes (but it smelled more like cloves than bananas). I liked it in part because I am a big fan of bananas.
The tasting panel on Rate Beer seems to regard it as an average beer. But I guess they aren't as fond of bananas as I am.
I found it the Wine Source, where a 750 ml. bottle goes for $7.99. The distributor in Maryland is Legends.
I am doing a turnaround on wheat beers. I never cared for them much, except for the wheat beer at the old Baltimore Brewing C. But lately I have found several I am fond of, especially in the summer. Don't know if the wheat beers are getting better or I am getting more tolerant. The latter seems unlikely.
Anybody else warming up to wheat?
Any other opinions on the Great Divide Dunkel Weiss?
Photo courtesy of Great Divide Brewing Co.'s Web site.
Comments
Rob -
If you are a Dunkel Weiss fan...I suggest you try the Fransizkaner Dunkel. Delicious.
Could be my favorite beer of all (says quite a bit).
Posted by: Rob G | June 1, 2009 11:31 AM
I could not agree more, the Fransizkaner Dunkel is an excellent example of the breed! - I am currently drinking the Hefe version which I love but the Dunkel is very palatable, more so than many others which can be very heavy or too high in alcohol, keep trying....you'll get there.
Posted by: Paul Shelly - Ireland | June 26, 2009 2:19 PM