Bavarian Dunkel Weizen
Clinton Street Brewing

After eighteen months of intermittent efforts to find an actual Clinton Street beer, my first successful effort was pushed upon me by the bartender who advised me that I should have one now as it would soon be gone. Indeed, just an hour later, the tap was dry and this curious dark wheat beer passed into memory.

But I’m glad I got as much as I did, for my first Clinton St. beer was memorable. First, it’s a fairly rare occurrence to find a Bavarian-style dunkelweizen at a northwest microbrewery. I enjoy a good dunk now and again and have no explanation for why the style is not nearly as popular as it’s brighter cousin, the hefeweizen.

Second, this is the ultimate banana beer. I’ve never in my life encountered a beer so thoroughly driven by banana esters. They should call it Banana Weizen. The nose and the taste are both impossibly flush with banana essence. It actually smells more like bananas than a banana does. The taste then nods strongly towards bubblegum with a slight tease of peppery spice.

Clinton Street’s dunkel is a tasty and engaging brew. The only major drawback corrupting its score is the sullen lack of carbonation, which may perhaps be less of a brewing issue than a shortcoming in bar service. The beer is deep, dark sorrel with no hint of head or lace. A simple infusion of CO2 might give this beer the vitality it yearns for, but it is otherwise a boldly flavored ale and makes for a memorable first impression from Oregon’s ultimate nanobrewery.