Jan 17 2006
Sudwerk Brewery…
I recently posted that while I was in Davis, I went to the Sudwerk Brewery for a burger and beer. I reported that I tried the DunkelWeizen and was impressed with the beer.
Basically, I was told it was based on the Hefeweizen. A hefeweizen, for those who don’t know, is a beer brewed from wheat instead of barley. It’s very popular around harvest time, for obvious reasons, and the style hails from Germany, hence the name. :) Here’s the kicker…
The german word Dunkel means “dark”, (or so I’ve been told). A wheat beer tends to be rather light. So my question was, “Where does the Dunkel come from in the DunkelWeizen?” I left a comment card with the question written on it along with my e-mail address. I didn’t expect a response, but lo and behold, I got one anyway! Drew Colpitts, the assistant brewmaster at Sudwerk e-mailed me this response about 5 minutes ago:
Chris.
Thanks for the question.
We use regular Malted wheat and a portion of the grain bill is Roasted and Chocolate Barley in the Dunkel Weizen.
The Roasted Barley and Chocolate Barley is how we achieve the dark color.Cheers
Drew
AHA! This is how they acheive that wonderful balance. I don’t know if I described the beer, but I remember it being rather fruity…or at least, it made me think of light citrus flavors, which is typical of a Hefeweizen. (Try a squeeze of lemon in your next one…you wouldn’t believe what that can add.) The waitress reported it as roasty, and while there were roasty notes in the beer, the color was pretty much the limit when it came to the coffee overtones. Those looking for the punch of a stout will be disappointed in this beer, but those looking for a unique flavor will love it.
In all, I would drink this beer again, definitely. It doesn’t compare to Scotch Ales such as Kilt Lifter or McEwan’s in my book, but it’s definitely a drinkable beer, proving that America does have something to offer when it comes to beers, both pilsner-style and ales!
on