Gluten-free beers are still dubious curiosities for celiac sufferers in 2008. Made from whole grain sorghum and free of wheat-barley-oats, this golden lager retains sticky butterscotch assertion atop honey-roasted buckwheat bluster. Faux rye-pumpernickel illusions sidetrack dark-spiced hop bittering, funky compost earthiness, and sour apple-peach pleat.
All posts by John Fortunato
BANGKOK PILSNER
Moderately creamy, fluffy white-headed pilsner with musty aroma (closer to paint thinner) imbibing candied malt sweetness to roasted barley spine. Heavy dry-hopped carbolics nearly extinguish rye-breaded grain-smoked nut singe and complacent citric tang. Though soapier, its skunked yeast pungency compares favorably to Dutch brews.
BAMBERGER RAUCHBIER
Neither as consistent nor as complex as Aecht’s better rauchbiers, retaining acute wood chip-burnt cedar-smoked confluence and eerie mushroom-olfacotry nose. At weakening finish, deeper roasted hop inertia would’ve sufficed in place of mere hop-fizzed tease.
BAMBERGER MAHR’S WEISSE BOCK
Fine frothy-headed bock leaves lavish Brussels lace and heavy carbolic fizz atop buttery wheat-dried citric-hopped effervescence. Soothing prune-raisin-cherry tartness underscores medium-bodied fare. Just a tad less busy, bold, and filling than most German bocks while in need of more pronounced adjuncts at port-like finish to put it over the top.
BAMBERGER MAHR’S WEISSE
Partly cloudy white-headed German wheat maintains sweet-spiced yellow fruit essence and massive clove-nutmeg presence to middling yeast-soured lemon-dropped banana finish. Tertiary melon, cantaloupe, and honeydew illusions need more prominent role. Rustic grains anchor the bottom.
BAMBERGER MAHR’S PILSNER
Elegant peppery hop bittering, concise barley biscuit easement, and mild floral-spiced carouse reach sedate crystal malt finish. Pleasantly sugar sweet and perfect for softer palates, even if it’s a bit slight for more robust thirsts.
BAMBERGER MAHR’S JUBELFESTBIER
Though a tad watery and soft-bodied for German festival ale, brown-bodied jubilation will overjoy brown ale and mild porter lovers with its smoked meat opening, coffee-dried walnut-cola-Brazil nut roast, and ashen chocolate-seeded vanilla bean confluence. Overall creaminess lacks, but softer palates may not care.
BAMBERGER MAHR’S CHRISTMAS BOCK
Indistinct spice-hopped wheat-backed amber-cleared lightweight closer to weak dirty-grained pilsner, lacking expected wintry floral accents and firm bock strength. Earthy rye constraint, sugarplum vestige, and gooey malt souring lack resolution.
BAMBERGER KAISERDOM WEIZEN KRISTALLKLAR
Overwhelmingly fizzy carbonation cannot deter superb grain mesh and aromatic caramel splendor permeating clear rust-hued wheat. Lively on the tongue ’til sweet malt finish beckons.
BALTIKA WHEAT (#8)
Decent delicately textured wheat ale with slim banana bubblegum essence, sullen malt souring, and amicable lime-hop spritz permits modest diacetyl hindrance to lower citric tang.
BALTIKA PORTER (#6)
Despite 7% alcohol heft, mahogany-hued moderate body maintains light port appeal as ethereal prune-raisin register, sour cherry proxy, and barren currant-grape trickle soak dry wood-smoked tone. Roasted nuttiness saturates caramelized barleymalt foundation and lurking dark chocolate-y maple sugaring infiltrates amiable Black Forest cake finish.
BALTIKA PALE LAGER
Clear pale-bodied white-headed moderation with corned malt liquor aroma, parched hop persistence, and mineral water crispness dulls out quickly. Typical Eastern European tinny grain dankness, flimsy yeast souring, and obtrusive cloying nature obscure soapy suds to arid finish.