Zwickel
Brauerei Lemke Berlin

The worst beer in their portfolio of four I tasted at the Dickenstr/Railway Arches while in Berlin during Feb 2013.

I found the taste bland and boring.

The beer is a murky amber/gold with a white head that faded quickly.

Very little aroma: some semi-sweetness maybe and a yeast whiff as it warmed in the glass.

Strange feel to the beer: not quite finished or 'green' somehow. Couldn't take to it at all: much prefered the 'Original' and had trouble finishing my glass of this. Had all the ingrediants of a good beer, they just didn't add up to the correct finished article in my opinion.

Amber color, lightly hazy. Average white foam.
Fresh hop in the smell, with bread crust, and some cereal notes. Not bad.
Quite malty taste, again a good fresh hop, in flowers, in the end.
Quite short aftertaste, with bread crust, and again freshness.
Good finishing hop.
More than drinkable.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was ordering when I asked for the "Zwickel" during my most recent visit to the Lemke Brauhaus. The Zwickel was the special offering of the day or week (not sure of Lemke's schedule or rotation). The beer came to the table with a modest head and an amber appearance, significantly darker than my friend's Pils. The nose was smooth and similar to a pils/lager, but with maybe a little more malty aroma. I guess Zwickels are usually experimental cask lagers, typically younger than the similar category of Keller beers (?).

Anyway, the taste was very nice, slightly hoppier than the Lemke pils, but with a rounded flavor: solid malt backbone and a citrusy aftertaste that reminded me of a good pale ale. Low carbonation too, which is something I particularly like. Overall a good drinking experience, and unlike any other german beer I've had.