Microbrewed Adventures - Charles Papazian [65]
Lunchtime in Regensburg was a quest fulfilled. I finally drank a very tall, specially endorsed glass of Thurn und Taxis Roggenbier (rye beer). Dark and yeasty, the beer’s character is remarkably similar to that of Bavarian Weizenbiers. It has a clovelike essence and is slightly higher in refreshing sour acidity. I didn’t care for it given my own taste preference, which doesn’t favor clove, or banana flavor in beer. However, I did admire the quality of the beer and the care with which Thurn und Taxis developed it, and I was impressed with the enjoyment so many others found in this beer. I was surely in the minority when it came to this beer preference.
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PUMPERNICKEL RYE STOUT
There are plenty of recipes for German-style Roggenbier, brewed with pale barley and rye malt with the addition of a measured small amount of roasted barley malt. It is fermented with German wheat beer yeast to create the banana–clove character that helps define this style. Pumpernickel Rye Stout is not your typical Roggenbier; rather it is an American invention of mine. Brewed with the ingredients of classic pumpernickel, this brew is smooth, with the added spiciness of rye malt. The recipe can be found in About the Recipes.
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Malted rye presents some unique problems for the brewer. It is very gummy when mashed and is notorious for what is called “set” mashes and runoffs. The grain mash becomes so sticky that liquid flows through with great difficulty. The brewery evidently developed a special process to deal with these problems.
The beer is more than 50 percent rye malt and is darkened with roasted malt. According to the brewery, in olden times rye was valued as a grain with high nutritional value. Five hundred years ago it was forbidden in Germany to brew beer with rye; the grain was reserved strictly for breads. Now, with an abundance of rye, Thurn und Taxis brings back the tradition of brewing with rye.
German Brown Ale
Düsseldorf, the Altstadt. Altbier
MY PILGRIMAGE TO beer heaven—Germany—lasted 18 days. On the Fourth of July, I found myself in Düsseldorf in search of Altbier. Without a map or guide, I easily managed to stumble upon Düsseldorf’s Altstadt (old city) and four Altbier microbreweries. There were also countless other brands brewed by larger companies in the region. The old beers of Germany, I discovered that evening, were uniquely top-fermented light brown ales, rather dry, with no hop aroma or flavor and often awash with intense hop bitterness.
I began my tasting in the early evening, and by 1 A.M. I was an expert. After tasting a dozen different Altbiers (more than once) at seven (or was it eight?) beer halls, I determined that the crazy old man was my favorite. I ended my evening pilgrimizing Zum Uerige Alt (Uerige means crazy old man). Dark, dry and clean, with very little fruitiness (I detected the tiniest hint of apple flavor), no roasted malt flavor and a dense, creamy head, its bitterness quickly asserted itself and lingered provocatively on my palate. It was delectable but not obtrusive. Skillfully designed by the brewer, the beer’s bitterness resided only on the back of my tongue, not throughout my mouth. I learned later that Zum Uerige is one of the most exciting and pleasantly bitter examples of the Altbier style.
I indulged in several other Altbiers with pleasure. Rhenania Alt was very fruity, with the aroma of apples. Zum Schluessel’s Gatzweiler Alt had a slight banana character and the flavor of hops. Schumacher Alt was characterized by old hops and applelike fruitiness. Im Fuechsen was by far the most bitter of all the Altbiers I tried; it also had a slight coconut-like flavor and an aroma of hops. The bitterness was a bit intense for my mood at the time.
Zum Uerige Bier Haus, Altstadt, Düsseldorf
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CRAZY OLD MAN ALTBIER
Fresh Crazy Old Man Altbier, better known as Zum Uerige Alt, is an experience worth seeking if you are in Düsseldorf.