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Fish Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen
Olympia, Washington
BJCP Category: 15B Dunkelweizen
Fish Brewing Company <visit site>
29
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[expand]Total Score: 29/50
This was disappointing as a dunkelweizen, but quite drinkable and enjoyable as an American brown ale. more >
[close]Total Score: 29/50
Aroma: Roasted malts with chocolate notes. Moderately low alcohol perceived in aroma. No banana esters, although there are some pear notes. No clove or other phenols. No bready notes or melanoidins. No DMS or diacetyl. No hop aroma—OK. (7/10)
Appearance: Dark brown. Bright clarity. Tan, rocky, long-lasting, moussy head. (3/3)
Flavor: Chocolate, roasted malt flavor with caramel, nutty notes and moderately high hop bitterness. No hop flavor—OK. Some fermentation esters but from American yeast strains perhaps—not from typical weizen yeast strains. No banana or bubblegum esters; no clove phenols. Bit of an acidic tang. Finishes fairly dry from roasted malt and higher hop bitterness. Balanced for an American brown ale. No overt alcohol flavor perceived. No DMS. No diacetyl. (10/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full bodied. Well-attenuated with a dry mouthfeel, lingering bitterness and a chalky, mineral mouthfeel. Warming. Smooth, not creamy. Expect more moussy carbonation for the style. (4/5)
Overall Impression: This was disappointing as a dunkelweizen, but quite drinkable and enjoyable as an American brown ale. The choice of apparently roasted malts, such as chocolate and caramel, are not appropriate to the style, which prefers Munich malt as the companion to wheat malt, and the yeast strain (or the fermentation deployed) did not provide the expected malt profile or yeast-derived phenols and esters characteristic of the style. The beer is otherwise well-crafted and I would enjoy it with most American pub food, such as a juicy burger. (5/10)
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[expand]Total Score: 28/50
Enjoyable beverage, but lacks the clove phenols, cinnamon spice noble hop character (if detected), and the banana, bubble gum, tutti-frutti esters typical of a Bavarian dunkelwiezen. more >
[close]Total Score: 28/50
Aroma: Sweet bready malt dominates, with a character like freshly baked bread and warm, clean yeast. A roast note surprises. Moderately strong piney hop equals the roast quality, with a low tree-ripened plum ester emerging as the beer warms a bit. (5/12)
Appearance: Deep mahogany, good clarity with persistent light tan foam that starts as one-third of the glass and slowly dissipates to have the volume of the remaining liquid to the end. (3/3)
Flavor: Clean roastiness takes over from an initial sweetness. Beer is earthy, spicy, hop forward, both in bitterness and flavor mid-palate; gives an impression closer to a porter or an American brown. Roast character is accentuated by moderate alcohol warmth, evident with a ripe, dried plum ester that emerges toward the finish. (11/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium full bodied with moderate carbonation, exhibits a creamy texture. This gives way to a light astringency that lingers in the dry finish. A low alcohol warmth also hangs on, accentuating the sensation. (4/5)
Overall Impression: Enjoyable beverage, but lacks the clove phenols, cinnamon spice noble hop character (if detected), and the banana, bubble gum, tutti-frutti esters typical of a Bavarian dunkelwiezen. It is, however, a very tasty beer. Were this feedback targeted to a homebrewer in competition, it would include reference to yeast choice—the beer is very clean—as well as note that the roast quality is a bit too pronounced for style. Were this evaluated as a porter, I would definitely score it in the high 30s or low 40s. (5/10)
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[expand]Total Score: 33/50
Good interpretation of an enigmatic style that is as difficult to brew as it is to find fresh commercial examples. more >
[close]Total Score: 33/50
Aroma: The malt has caramel and toasted notes, shadowed by undesirable grassy and grainy notes. Clove notes from the yeast are evident, with some underlying vanilla and just a hint of banana ester. No obvious flaws. A hint of alcohol comes out as it warms. (7/12)
Appearance: Low-moderate head that lasts several minutes. Somewhat turbid from suspended yeast—almost murky. The chestnut brown color is on the mark for the style. (2/3)
Flavor: The malt character is appropriately complex but a little too assertive over the yeast contributions. The first sip starts smoothly, with soft notes of malted wheat along with some caramel and toffee. The malt transitions to a combination of grainy and roasted malts that would be more appropriate in a brown ale. The medium hop bitterness in the finish is amplified by the roasted malts. The yeast character is understated—some light clove phenols and a hint of bubble gum, but they do not quite reach the level needed to balance the malt. (14/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation. A lingering astringency with grain husk and roasted malt character degrades the smoothness. (3/5)
Overall Impression: Good interpretation of an enigmatic style that is as difficult to brew as it is to find fresh commercial examples. The balance between malt sweetness, subtle roast complexity and yeast character is tenuous, and this version leans a little too strongly toward the roasted end of the spectrum. Backing off on the specialty malts would help alleviate this imbalance.(7/10)
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[expand]Total Score: 29/50
The malt flavors are odd, more like what you’d get in a brown ale or a porter. The bready and roasty flavors are not accurate for the style. Not getting any German weizen yeast character. more >
[close]Total Score: 29/50
Aroma: Mild nutty, bready nose—slightly roast/toasty—unexpected for style. Has a “harder” nose than German examples. Light alcohol. Not getting characteristic yeast aromatics (banana, clove)—yeast seems neutral. Overall intensity is moderately low, and is mostly malt. The lack of weizen yeast character is a big flaw. (6/12)
Appearance: Medium brown color. Effervescent. Moderate-sized beige head, retained well, tight bubbles, creamy texture. Opaque, hazy. (3/3)
Flavor: Moderately sharp—roasted bread quality adds a bite in the finish. Moderate hop bitterness and flavor—both a bit high for the style. Bready malt dominates. Some alcohol sharpness. Hints of black or roasted malt distract in the flavor and linger into the aftertaste. Wheat comes through as a bready character; reminds me of Maris Otter type malts. Aftertaste is bitterness, roast, and hops—none of them appropriate for this style. Clean fermentation character, no banana or clove. (10/20)
Mouthfeel: High carbonation, medium to medium-full body. Creamy texture. Some roasty astringency and harshness. Not warming. (4/5)
Overall Impression: The malt flavors are odd, more like what you’d get in a brown ale or a porter. The bready and roasty flavors are not accurate for the style. Not getting any German weizen yeast character. Balance is too hoppy in flavor and bitterness as well. Unfortunately, when you call it dunkelweizen (which means “dark wheat”), you are setting style expectations for consumers. So I guess I’d call it more of a failure in labeling than in brewing. (6/10)
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