Somewhere between hefty doppelbock and pale heller bock, the traditional dunkles bock is like the family’s middle child—it doesn’t get as much attention, but you’ll want it in your fridge year-round.
__Aroma:__ “Lots of vanilla, followed closely by milk chocolate. Very light chile and cinnamon, with some roast. It’s an appealing aroma that promises a sweet holiday stout—it smells like a sugar cookie. Woody, with a slightly acidic aroma.” __Flavor:__ “The cinnamon is a dominant player on the palate. Vanilla and milk chocolate support, with a touch of cayenne and alcoholic heat in the finish. More chile heat than expected. The barrel lends some booziness, but not much sweet coconut or vanilla from the wood. Light coffee notes, with cocoa, roast malt, caramel, and sweetness to balance.” __Overall:__ “Incredibly complex, with all the right pieces, yet a bit hot. The big barrel flavor blends well with the Mexican chocolate, and just enough alcohol.”
Almond Joy nose—thick, rich chocolate, coconut, and creamy sweetness. Coconut is borderline aggressive. Flavor leans sweet but doesn’t cloy, with chocolate coconut-macaroon pastry throughout. Fun flavors here, but also sweet and thin.
Josh Weikert gets you started up the sour-beer mountain with a discussion of the basics of bugs, traditional and modern, and fast and slow ways of souring your beer, and how to bring your sours (stylistically) into the twenty-first century.
A traditional beer, perfect for Oktoberfest celebrations.
For the lager lovers, here’s a homebrew-scale recipe for the beer that won a gold medal for Munich-Style Helles at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival.
**Aroma:** “Strong honey aroma up front with fruit esters, slight musk and phe- nolics, and a touch of alcohol hotness. Hint of citrus and floral notes in the finish plus a touch of pinesol or acetone. Sweet, spicy caramelized honey and moderate oxidation. **Flavor:** “Spicy notes up front with strong sweetness and fruity esters, plus a bit of oxidation. Strong honey, very sweet with balancing acidity, only a bit cloying. Off- notes of cooked honey, very faint mold, and some autolysis, but still smooth with a bit of citrus acid to balance the finish. Lightly floral honey with spicy phenolic note to the moderately warming alcohol.” **Overall:** “A full-bodied dessert mead that’s sweet and strong, but relatively well balanced. The very slight acetone and pinesol notes can be a bit off-putting, but the honey sweetness is pleasant and well presented. A strong but otherwise clean and sweet honey sipper—the more I drink, the more the aroma dominates the experience.”
**Aroma:** “Red apple and caramel with a little acid, Brett barnyard goodness, and stone-fruit-like plum, apricot, and dark cherries. Very intriguing with almond, wildflower, leather, and mahogany notes.” **Flavor:** “Honey and a bit of umami yeast stress meatiness accented by light mint, brett, caramel, and lactic acid notes. Has a light tannic bitterness. Astringent wild lacto/pedio chewiness sits up front, but past that is some very interesting bitter/acid carrying it through the finish. Light wild-yeast sourness and Brett horsiness. Could use more apple charac- ter and a little more tartness.” **Overall:** “Interesting cider—the Brett balances well with the apple. I wanted to love this—the wild character is so much fun—but there are aspects that come off accidental. The astringency and leather are a bit strong for taste. As a cider, this really doesn’t satisfy. Instead, it’s better to think of it as a wild thing.”
**Aroma:** “Very pleasant tropical fruit (pineapple, passion fruit) with some stone fruit (apricot) plays nicely with the acidity. Slightly floral, sweet, and citrusy with a hint of pepper character. Not as much Brett as other gueze.” **Flavor:** “Upfront mild earthy and spicy pepper character swells to a sharp lactic high point with spice notes hitting in the dry finish. Light pineapple, touch of cherry and plum, light caramel after-taste. Sharp tartness and acidity lingers, but subdued enough for subtle apricot and pineapple notes to peek through.” **Overall:** “Fun sour—displays complexity in the nose that doesn’t entirely follow through in the flavor. Tartness and acidity are a bit sharp, but not one-dimensional. Dry finish helps carry everything through and leave you wanting another sip. People unfamiliar with the style could still appreciate this because it’s not too funky.”
**Aroma:** “Rich aroma with notes of dark fruit (plums and dates), a touch of lic- orice, a hint of green apple, and a light lavender perfume aspect. Cider vinegar and champagne yeast notes add depth. Clean with very low sulfur.” **Flavor:** “Red Delicious apple flavor comes through sweet with a touch of dark honey. Very light saltiness in the finish adds complexity. A touch of cinnamon and clove in the yeast profile becomes evident as it warms. On the sweet side, but the tartness keeps it from being cloying. Moderately strong malic acidity and bitterness with a very green apple aftertaste.” **Overall:** “Very fun cider—much more contemplative than many. Would hold up well paired with some chicken curry. Despite the slight banana ester and the light hit of vinegar up front, this had some interesting complexity and depth. Aftertaste is very Jolly Rancher.”
**Aroma:** “Tropical fruit with some notes of mango, pineapple, and citrus with floral—almost perfume-like—qualities. Orange-creamsicle. Lemon zest. Little to no malt aroma. Interesting complexity.” **Flavor:** “Floral, pineapple, tropical fruit sweetness that’s rounded out by an appropriate bitterness. Hop flavors are a little different than the aroma would suggest—more traditional NW flavors with citrus rind, tangerine, and mango notes followed by pine and floral. Bitterness is very nice and lingers appropriately in the finish.” **Overall:** “Very nice, complex IPA showcasing tropical, piney hops in addition to citrus. Somewhat perfume-like in its floral quality. Unique IPA that stands out as one that takes chances and succeeds.”
__Aroma:__ “Clean cherry, with hints of raspberry and lemon tartness. Wet hay and earthy *Brett* funk, cork, wood, and floral notes. Light medicinal aroma, like fluoride. A flowery perfume emerges as it warms, similar to carnations.” __Flavor:__ “Dark, full, rich cherries, with a mix of sweet and tart that’s wine-like. Complex woody background, with deep, dark forest earth and cork, with some Belgian-like wet hay. Lemony acidity, intense lactic, and a big carbonic bite. Very assertive mix of flavors. Good carbonation, and a tart finish that lingers.” __Overall:__ “The cherries were showcased with such a pure cherry flavor. The cherry aroma and flavor with the hay, cork, and earthy funk really work. But the acidity is so intense and almost makes it difficult to drink this otherwise fantastic beer. The balance is excellent, and the medium-dry finish, with the lingering fruit and funk, is out of this world.”
**Aroma:** “Big chile aroma, followed quickly by dark roast coffee, almost burnt and somewhat ashy. Fruity and spicy coffee dominate, with some cinnamon underneath. The base stout smells rich and highly roasted. A hint of chile and mole spice. Relatively light aroma overall.” **Flavor:** “The flavor is much richer than the nose, with a nice explosion of strong stout characteristics of roast and chocolate malt, as well as lots of coffee. Medium-hot chile, black pepper, and some alcohol warmth. Raisin, plum, and dried fruit, with a touch of caramel. Big sweet body that lasts, and the finish has a hint of spicy heat, ash, and chocolate.” **Overall:** “Might be a bit too much going on—the flavors seem to stand apart rather than blending harmoniously. The very dark roasted coffee flavors are a little overpowering, lending a harsh burnt finish. The chile feels quite hot because the roasted and acidic coffee flavors add to the heat. It’s an interesting beer overall. The coffee is nice, but the beer could use more complexity and a stronger mole character.
Adapted from Krennmair’s book on Vienna Lager, this recipe is based on historic specifications and brewing-process descriptions from the 1870s and 1880s. (Did somebody say decoction?)
**Aroma:** “Barnyard _Brett_ funk, apricot, and peach. Herbal and a bit of woody character from hops. Citrus notes and earthy with very slight touch of funk that increases as it warms.” **Flavor:** “_Brett_ funk dominates with stone fruit esters playing a supporting role. A bit of sweet and tart but not overly sour. Very dry finish with moderately strong carbonation. Some sweet citrus and peach. Has a touch of oak-like astringency in the finish. The spicy Noble hops are a nice touch. A nice dry finish with just a hint of bitterness in the finish.” **Overall:** “Moderate carbonation, mild funk, and a big peach and grapefruit note. Very nice _Brett_ showcase with supporting fruit and earthy notes that’s more subtle than others in the category. A well-balanced beer that offers some nice funk—the hops bitterness is welcome and plays nicely with the _Brett_.”
**Aroma:** “Spicy hops aroma is very herbal and almost medicinal, with some dark cherry esters. Nice sweet caramel and toffee malt aroma. Hops aroma is subdued, floral and earthy.” **Flavor:** “The hops character in this beer is earthy, woody, a bit spicy, and floral, with mild bitterness—more than the nose would suggest. Notes of caramel and toffee come through well with a light body. Some tart notes in mid-palate. Hops flavors clash with the fruity yeast esters, though as it warms these work better together. Bitterness is a little low for the style, allowing the malt to linger a little too long.” **Overall:** “Nice example of the style. A decent English pale ale, but hops choices don’t quite harmonize with the malt complexity and yeast esters. A smooth round malt backbone anchors the flavor profile. Plenty of hops to keep things interesting—perhaps more than would usually be found in England—this is an American take on a British style.”
**Aroma:** “Rich chocolate and toasty malt. Rich smooth roasted aroma profile. Sweet oats. Coffee. Medium Belgium fruity notes come out more as it starts to warm up. A light licorice note with a touch of alcohol.” **Flavor:** “Rich chocolate blends well with the dark roast profile. Moderate sweetness that fades into a moderately strong bitterness with a hint of acidity. Dark fruit cherry esters. Acidity lingers. Strong roasted acidity is just slightly overdone. Finishes slightly dry with a lingering bitterness. Thick chewy body with a light tart note. Aftertaste is licorice that sits on the tongue with roast.” **Overall:** “Nice, rich, chocolate roast malt profile, and nice balance of malt sweetness and bitterness. Oatmeal could have added a touch more sweetness or creaminess. An interesting Belgium note with chocolate and a high licorice note.”
Brilliant. Slight lemongrass aroma at first, then floral tones crescendo as the beer warms. Clear, crisp, with well-defined Noble-hop bitterness and a layered malt middle: toast, light candy, spice. You can nitpick the boundaries of the various regional pilsner styles, but in the end this is an extremely well-made, balanced beer. Pleasant and interesting from start to finish.
**Aroma:** “Tart nose up front, some alcohol warming, waxy, mild floral honey, lightly acidic, slowly developing citrus fruit, very light kiwi aromatics, touch of pithy bitterness on the nose, yeasty.” **Flavor:** “Crisp, light sweetness blends well with mild carbonation; drying finish, some citrus, kiwi, slight tartness, very nice balance. Vanilla with a honey background. a hint of alcohol in the finish and the moderate acidity is about right. Fruit steps up front, but is still tough to identify— mostly like plum but there are also cherry notes. Aftertaste is a light fruit, touch of floral honey, and light bitterness. waxy honey character. Light acid that lasts into the off-dry finish, but not objectionable.” **Overall:** “Great balance, very refreshing, rounded out by slight tartness and some alcohol warming. Light carbonation makes this very easy to drink. The light orangey and orange pith works well with the simple honey choice. I like the fruit, but I'd like a stronger honey to carry it. This mead is bright and refreshing and you could either dive into it and analyze, or simple relax and enjoy.”
**Aroma:** “Big pale malt aroma with a slight hay sweetness. Fruity esters of lemon and pear are light and clean. Medium hops aroma—slight white pepper, orange zest, fresh-baked bread. Lemongrass up front with a spicy note and a touch of earthy horse blanket.” **Flavor:** “Malt sweetness is evident but restrained. Lemon and citrus hops flavor with some balanced earthy spiciness. Citrus esters and bready malt are light but very refreshing. Spicy note toward the end of the sip plays with the carbonation, but the carbonation creates the bitterness.” **Overall:** “Overall, a clean and fruity example of the style. The apple and pear really shine through this one and are very refreshing. Very good beer. Might suggest a lower level of carbonation to let the middle and back flavors linger more. Very nice refreshing lighter saison with orange and bready yeast character, dry finish, and huge carbonation.”