Bürgerbräu Wolnzacher Roggenbier

Based on many revisits of this gem of a beer. Pours amber with some protein globules and a diminishing white head. Smells of lemons, wheat, oranges, lots of tangy qualities, some underlying tarte like hints found in many Jolly Pumpkin beers. Tastes of creamy sweet malt, lots of tangy hints, lemons, some underlying sourness, some wild qualities (accidental?). The palate on this reminds me of a melted milk shake. It is extremely velvety and enjoyable. The finish on this is a nice balance of tarte and full bodied grain. One of the best German beers I have tasted and easily one of my top 20.

Date: 11/26/2003
Mode: Bottle Conditioned
Source: Beverage Resort

opaque orange, big white head, tart malt aroma, light malt flavor, slight fruity character, nice but mild
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Date: 05/18/2005
Source: tasting

all shook up, good flavor but still too mild

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Score: *4
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The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

What frankenkitty said! Mine was obviously VERY long out of date (I can’t believe these aren’t flying off the shelves) Huge globules of brown sliminess and massive flocculated yeasties gumming up the works. But I STILL tasted it. Very intense rye spiciness predominates and herbal hopping. Carefull about old stock, eh?

Pours a muddy amber color with lots of floaties and a thick, frothy, offwhite head. Good aroma and flavor of malt, fruits, rye and spices. The body is light to medium with an oily texture and soft carbonation. Interesting.

Extremely chunky, flocculent body makes me think I got the last bottle off the fermenter... a bottle that shouldn’t have gotten filled. Murky sepia with a fluffy-yet-fading off-white head (<a href=http://www.workinlate.com/images/beer/roggenbier.jpg>photos soon.) Sharp rye notes above what I perceive as English hop varieties and touches of earth and ginger. Whiffs of alcohol late. Flavor greets me with a tart spiciness and lingers with a herbal bitterness. Palate is thick yet lively. In a word, this beer is "disturbing". (My god I wish I could find a code on this bottle.)

<font size=-4>Pint bottle from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/frankfort/united-liquors/1120.htm>United Liquors, Frankfort, IL 60423</font>

Poured a murky, reddish brown color with a medium sized, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of dried fruits, caramel malts, nuts, and doughy rye. Faint oxidation noticed in the aroma as well. Taste of caramel malts, some nuts, raisins, a dry rye character, with light smoke, some citrus fruits, and a dry finish. Didn’t have that huge, chewy mouthfeel you usually notice in rye beers.

From a 1pt. 9oz. euro brown bottle with no bottled/freshness date, unfiltered. Made a good appearance, poured carefully, first pouring 2/3 of the bottle in glass, then vigorously swirling round the last third in the bottle, a hazy reddish copper with a fluffy, bubbly pale tannish head that settled into a thin foamy lacing, good carbonation. Had a rye bready nose with a tart candied fruitiness. A crisp, carbonated smooth medium bodied mouth, good drinkability. Sour rye bready taste with a sweet tart apple fruity maltiness, crisp from the malts, a sour lemony towards the middle of the taste and a dry, sweet malty finish. If poured carefully, a delightful rye beer, tasty with good carbonation.

Roggen bier, or "rye beer" is a unique German beer style, that is brewed with a portion of malted rye. Much like hefeweizen or wheat beer, these beers tend to be tart and refreshing, and make the perfect thirst quenching brew, and a type of beer that would match up to light fare as well as hearty fare. Burgerbrau’s version is a classic example brewed with 60% rye malt, pilnser malt, dark Munich malt, and something called "Sour malt". It is then hopped with Halletauer hops for aroma, and some balancing hop bitterness. Coming in at a modest 5.5% alcohol by volume, roggen bier is the type of beer you could enjoy a few of. Wolnzacher Roggenbier pours to a very hazy, deep golden color with a huge, rocky white head, and a very vibrant carbonation. This beer is sedimented with yeast, and like a hefeweizen, you should rouse the yeast, and pour it into the beer. The nose on this beer is very fragrant, with big spicy aromas of malted rye, some crisp pilsner malt aroma, and some herbal hop aromas. The palate is firm and grainy on the tongue with lots of spicy rye malt flavor, that is tart and refreshing on the tongue. There is also a pleasing sour malt flavor, that you can really pick up, and it makes this beer even more thirst quenching. Wolnzacher Roggenbier finishes with more of those spicy, grainy, and sour flavors, then ends with some nice herbal hop bitterness. This is a delicious, refreshing, very interesting rye beer, a style you really don’t see a lot of. I enjoyed mine after doing some yard work, and it really hit the spot. I would match this one up with grilled fish as well, or even a roasted chicken or pork dish. It retails in 1/2 liter brown bottles for $3.25, and is well worth the price.