Judge's Review: 88 Rating - Aldersbacher Kloster Weiss Dunkel by Aldersbacher Brewery

Aldersbacher Kloster Weiss Dunkel by Aldersbacher Brewery​ is a Dunkels Weissbier and will be judged under BJCP 2015 category 10B as such. This beer pours a hazy mahogany with garnet highlights and a long-lasting, dense beige head. The haze is moderate and OK for the style, which typically comes from the low flocculating yeast and abundance of wheat protein. The aroma is very rich with a mix of wheat and munich-like malts leading to a complex bouquet of toasty bread crusts, melanoidins, fresh bread, dark fruit (prunes, black cherry, raisins) and mild caramel. There are no hops to be found, but moderately low yeast character of spicy phenols (clove) and mild fruity esters (banana, apricot). The flavor follows suit with a rich, malty forefront, low yeastiness, and very low floral hops character, but enough bitterness to keep it from being sweet. It has a moderately-dry finish despite all the malt, which is helped by the medium-high carbonation, although not quite as effervescent as the style typically is. It also has a medium body with a fluffy yet creamy mouthfeel.

This is my kind of dunkel weiss. It’s a bit lower on the yeast and stronger on the malt than usual, but that is what makes it more enjoyable to me. The style can be considered a blend of munich dunkel and weissbier, but this one definitely leans more towards the former.