Kesselring: Urfränkisches Landbier (Germany: Landbier Dunkel: 5.3% ABV)
Visual: Reddened brown. Large mounded bubbled browned head. Moderate small bubbled carbonation in the body.
Nose: Crushed palma violets. Crushed walnuts. Malt drinks. Brown bread. Peanuts. Light cherries.
Body: Roasted. Crushed peanuts. Green pistachio nut flecks. Peppery. Earthy. Soil. Light chalk. Light toffee.
Finish: Cashew nuts. Bitter. Earthy. Peppery. Turmeric. Charred oak. Light toffee.
Conclusion: This is not what I expected.
Basically imagine a dry take on a German dunkel meeting an earthy UK hop bitterness. It certainly is a combination. Also a double shock as my last landbier was a clear helles style but as I have found out landbier isn’t something tightly tied to one style, color or expectation.
It’s slightly dry, an easy to drink texture, a touch of malt sweetness under there, but for flavor primarily a roasted nutty thing into earthy bitter style and quite savoury. Despite the easy drinking texture it is a slow drinking one as that flavor choice makes it a heavy one to drink too fast.
It is one I am finding it hard to find a niche to fit it in. I’m sure it has its fans, but for me the flavor aims for slow sipper, the feel says easy drinking, and there isn’t a massive depth for examination to really get into when sipping it slowly.
Basically, it is fine, just not for me I guess. Just can’t find an angle to make it open up and show its place to me.
Background: So, what is a Landbier. Bloody good question. A google tells me it just is a loose collection for rustic made local beers in rural areas. Apparently tend towards bready, easy drinking and lager styled. So sounds kind of similar to the Belgian “Abbey Ales” descriptor in it covers a wide range of stuff. This being on the darker end of things seems unusual. Anyway had a few encounters with Landbiers before but very rarely. So, yeah saw this in Indie Spirit, as they continue to get in wild amounts of different German beers, and gave it a go. Music wise went nice and easy with Japanese Breakfast: Jubilee to chill out to in the heat.
