Egerer Winter Weisse Dunkle Weizen

Review Date 9/10/2016 Updated  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Dunkelweizen   Brewery: Egerer   Country: Germany   State: N/A   $ Per OZ: $.15 (B)   ABV: 5%

For Christmas of 2015, my wife bought me a really cool present: BeerAdvent Calendar 2015 from Kalea. In truth, my wife got me a lot of nice presents (she’s the best wife ever), but the nice thing about the Beer Advent Calendar is you get it early. You have to, since it’s comprised of 24 different imported German beers in a box with little doors that you open, one per day from December 1^st through December 24^th. All of the beers are listed on the side of the carton, however, so be careful not to look and spoil the daily surprises!

I love German beer more than beer from any other country on Earth, so this was definitely right up my alley. My one criticism of the calendar is there are no bocks or doppelbocks (not fair!), but otherwise it’s just an amazing way to sample 24 German beers I’ve never seen before. I got mine a Costco here in Georgia and paid $59.95 for the box. That might sound steep, but when you distribute that price over 24 different half liter cans, it only works out to $2.50 per can. Not a bad deal at all looked at that way.

Today is Day 15 of the German Beer Advent Calendar-only 9 more to go! Day 15 brings with it yet another beer from Brauerei Egerer: Winter Weisse Dunkle Weisse. The can tells me that the beer is Meisterhaft gebrau. Ideal fur die kalte Jahrezeit (masterly brewed. Ideal for the cold time of year). I'm not drinking it during the cold weather, however, rather this is my first beer popped on July 3rd of 2016 to kickoff my annual Christmas in July celebration.

Egerer Winter Weisse has an alcohol strength of 5% by volume, it's Reinheitsgebot compliant, and like all the beers in this sampler it was packaged on 7/04/15 and suggested as best by 09/01/16.

Egerer Winter Weisse Dunkle Weisse pours to a beautiful chestnut color that becomes dark and murky once I rouse the yeast and decant into my glass. A very large head forms on a moderately invigorate pour. The nose is quite nutty with hints of chocolate and clove, taking a sip I get some tart wheat up front followed by nutty melanoidin laden malts and notes of banana, clove and chocolate chip cookies. The finish is tart and refreshing and the beer ends with much gusto. 

Certainly one of the better beers in the sampler, very impressive and fortifying against the cold July winds. I'll confess I do love this style, and this one was done very nicely. I'll confess it seems a lot like the Eaglebrau Weizenbier Dunkel from Day 11, but who minds a repeat of such a delicious beer?

I’m greatly enjoying my Beer Advent Calendar with the day 15 beer. Here’s looking forward to the remaining 9, and another assortment of 24 in 2016. We’ll be on the lookout next year at Costco, and following the beers on their Facebook page.

The beers of the 2015 Beer Advent Calendar: