Dunkel Weiss
Beer Academy

This weiss hasn't entirely crossed over to the dunkel side; the beer is the colour of pumpkin pie filling and, despite possessing the customary wheat beer cloudiness, it still leaks golden-amber highlights against a bright backdrop. Despite a less than attractive complexion it shows great structure; its head is spun like cotton candy and is sticky as a spider's web.

Bananas gone rotten? Send 'em over to Beer Academy, they've found a great use for them! Actually, while this beer may smell like a heaping pile of compost-ready bananas, no actual fruit is used. Kind of impressive, right? This is why yeast is my favourite unicellular organism.

Malt can be better appreciated on the palate where the effervescent properties of the yeast aren't paraded quite so much; while they may create intense aromatics they can't contend in the mouthfeel department. Sure, they impress a distinct clove-like spiciness but it's the wheat and barley that create the beer's smooth, creamy and doughy texture...

Not to mention, it's also grain that adds the chocolatey taste to the beer's 'banana-chocolate chip cookies' profile. This other, 'darker' side of the equation isn't as prominent as the bruised banana flavour but it's still appreciable (even amongst the bubblegum and spice rack notes).

Of the dozen or more offerings I've tried of theirs, Beer Academy has yet to make a truly disappointing or "off" beer, a fact even more impressive when you consider that they seem intent on trying their hands at virtually every style and committing to none. I've yet to be blown away, mind you, but I'll take 'consistently good' over 'occasionally great'.

 

625ml bottle poured into Weiss glass 10/9/12 thanks liamt07 for sending me the bottle

A hazy light brown with a hint of orange, not a whole lot of carbonation and just a pinky finger of tan foam that's gone in a flash and leaves no lace

S smells of caramel chocolate chip banana bread, that's the best description I can give, its simple but great, I'm impressed by the nose on this one

T some sour fruit and dry cereals, some plum perhaps and some faint cold coffee, tastes quite different and not nearly as good as the nose

M medium bodied and not quite flat but it could use some more bubbles for sure, for the style I almost expect it too be on the verge of foam needing a few hard swirls too keep me from burping, lots of bruised banana on the finish

O decent beer but needs some tweaks, if they could get every aspect up too par with the nose this would be something special

Recipe 01 Batch 01, I'd like too give this one another go again further down the road, good start lets see where they finish

Bottle from Beer Academy: Recipe 1 Batch 1

Poured a light brown colour, a cap of white head, little to no lace on the glass. Smell is sweet banana and bubble gum, yeasty and wheaty, hints of cocoa with a little bit of spice as well. Taste is sweet and fruity, over ripe banana, malty and doughy, touches of brown sugar and a bit of chocolate, a bit of spice in finish with a big banana aftertaste. Medium carbonation, lightish body, a bit of a light feel. Nice dunkelweiss, lots of flavours I enjoy for this style, enjoyed this quite a bit and something I will pick up again.

 

On tap at the Beer Academy.

Light brown, with a beige head. Good retention but not much lacing. Nose has some bruised banana, yeast notes, a bit of spicing and is quite bready. Taste has more of the same, bruised banana, whole grain bread, very subtle spciing and some wheat flavour. Fairly sweet, and perhaps a bit light. A touch of back end tightness. Medium body and carbonation. Good flavour all around, a nice dunkelweiss.

On tap at the brewery. Dark, a little sour.Chocolate malts. Hits the style, but not so drinkable. Unknown IBU, that info was not publicized for this one. On sweet side,not too sweet but needs some tweaking for drinkability.Will have to try another batch.