Dortmunder
Lupulin Brewing

 

I’ve seen this on shelves many times and passed it up, but was in St. Cloud and the liquor store pickings were slim, and this brewery is usually good, the hot humid weather seemed to demand a lager, so I bought a four-pack of tallboys. Wow. I’ve been missing out. This is fantastic. I was just in Germany three weeks ago, and this does not suffer in comparison with anything I had.

From a tall boy into a nonic, pours a deep gold that is a little hazy, with a nice 1 1/2 finger pill-white head, good retention and lacing.

Nose is yeasty and doughy pale malt breadiness along with some earthy and grassy hops.

Clear golden color. Big, white head. Grain, hay, malt, and subtle herbal notes in the aroma. Malty taste with moderate hoppy bitterness. Refreshing and easy to drink.

05/09/25 can @ home

 

 

 

 

Poured from a freshness dated 16 oz. can: deep, clear golden hue with a sustained, foamy head. This is what you expect for the style.

Sweet aromas of bread dough and spicy, European hops.

This is the real deal as far as an authentic Dortmunder style lager goes. Deep golden pour with a semisweet flavor of dough and vanilla - much like a Helles, only fuller in flavor and mouthfeel. The hops really give this one a slightly bitter, dry feel that is often missing in other interpretations. It has been a while since I drank Great Lakes Brewing Company's Dortmunder Gold, but this one may rival that one.

I was very pleased to pick up two 4-packs on a recent visit to Destin, Florida. When brewed correctly, this is a style worth seeking out.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a clear, medium, but bright golden color with a mild white head. SRM of 7. Bright and golden. (4.00)

Aroma: Mild aromas of honey, bread, malts, and slightly earthy aromas. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong yeasty flavors of bread dough, bready yeast, earthy and salty yeast, honey, with floral and earthy hops on the end among the honey-flowered finish. The honey flavor is smooth off the end. Fairly bitter and yeasty too. (4.00)

Feel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. Finish is smooth and balanced. (4.25)

Compared to Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold 4/15/22: Pours a lighter color. Slightly lighter aromas. More pale bread malt, and floral flavors. Less earthy honey. Winner: Dortmund due to the honey flavor.
4//22: Pours lighter. More grassy, yeasty, and floral flavors. Less smooth honey.
10//22: Pours lighter. More dry yeasty grains and mash. Less smooth honey.
4/2024: More yeasty bread notes. Less rich honey.

to Bahaus Wonderstuff 4/27/22: Pours a darker color, milder aromas. More earthy and doughy. Less crisp and bitter.

It drinks in between the Bahaus Wonderstuff and the Great Lakes Dortmunder.

to Utepils Helles 5/13/22: Pours darker, milder aromas. More honey flower. Less yeasty bread and honey. Slightly more smooth. Nearly identical flavors, but a less carbonated and smoother body. Nearly identical.
3/2024: Pours darker, similar aromas. Less rich honey and toasted notes. More yeasty and bready. Drier and yeasty.

to Surly's First Ave 5/31/22: Pours a slightly darker color, milder head. Stronger aromas. More pale and cracker malts. Less earthy and honeyflower.

to KC Bier Co Dortmunder 10/2022: Pours darker, milder aromas. More dry yeast/grains and mash. Less sweet honey and bread malt. Slightly dryer and cleaner. Winner: KC Bier Co

to FairState/Schells Union Lager 3/2023: Pours similar. Stronger aromas. More rich bread and yeast. More carbonation. Heavier and more robust flavors.

to Falling Knife Freudenfreude 5/25: Pours similar. More smooth bread, honey. Less juicy bright lemon. Similar sweetness.

to BlackStack Late To The Party 5/25: Pours identical, milder aromas. Less earthy and toasted sweetness. More pale malts. Drier.

Overall: A great Dortmunder Lager here. It has the honey bread malt along with some strong bready and yeasty flavors. Almost soapy. Slightly more hoppy and bitter and starts to remind me of a Czech pils. Not quite there though as it finishes clean. (Rating: 3.90, its growing one me. )

 

 

16oz pounder can

I thought this was an authentic German lager until I looked it up and saw it was Lupulin. That is nothing but a testament to the (marketing and) quality.

 

Mostly clear yellow body with a fat finger of white foam. Honey kissed robust grains with grass old world hops and white bread galore set up the nose. Taste adds a big buttery malt presence, but the honey, grains, and german yeast interaction makes this, so expressive in a sneaky complex yet drinkable way. Feel has higher carbonation, bright yet has a paler finish, plenty malty. Liked this a lot more than I thought I would, very nice dortmunder

Picked up at 2nd Street Liquor in Casper. ~$8 for the 4pack of 16 ounce cans. Canned March 18th; I hadn't visited the store for at least a month. My bad because Liquor Shed does not carry it.

It pours a mostly clear gold with a good head of foam that does shrink quickly.

I get noble hops and bready malt in the smell. Grassy and also fruity.

Lovely bready malt in the taste, kinda spicy fruity hops that are very noble like, also an overall earthy character. This is a real joy to sip on.

Near perfect mouthfeel for me.

Overall...a splendid Dortmunder style Lager that I reckon would compete with the best of them brewed in Germany.