My wife and I were running errands last night and decided to get a bite to eat at a local beer bar. I quickly read the beer menu and saw a beer that was detailed as being an Altbier that was brewed in Koln. I said to myself: I just gotta try that beer! I ordered one; it was labeled The Monarchy Year of the Dragon. It was served in a tulip glass (the beer was on tap). It had the beautiful deep amber/brown color of an Altbier. I took my first sniff with the expectation of the beer having a malty aroma but to my surprise there was ‘something’ else there. I took my first sip and the flavor of the beer was consistent with the aroma, that same ‘something’. The aroma/flavor was something herbal. What could it be? I went back to the beer menu and read further; this beer was brewed with jasmine. My wife took a sip and right away exclaimed: your beer is good! I took a number of additional sips and got about halfway through the glass. I then asked my wife if she would like the rest; I thought she would rip my fingers off as she enthusiastically ripped the glass from my hand. I went home and researched this beer. It is imported by the Shelton Brothers and below is the write-up of the beer from their website: The Monarchy Year of the Dragon From Shelton Brothers: “The first of an ongoing project which will see the brewery create a special beer to commemorate each the 12 corresponding figures of the Chinese calendar, Year of the Dragon pays tribute to the Far East in its addition of a large percentage of Jasmine rice to the brew kettle. A rich malt-accented concoction, Y.O.T.D. is yet another mysteriously drinkable strong ale from The Monarchy.” Brewer Website: http://www.braustelle.com The flavor of the jasmine rice is prominent in this beer. I am still uncertain whether I like this beer but my wife gives the beer two enthusiastic thumbs up; she is decidedly a fan! Cheers!
Monarchy is -afaik- a project by Sebastian Sauer who brews at Braustelle. Braustelle itself has been brewing Ehrenfelder Alt for years, and that really is an Rhineland-style Altbier.
Interesting. The Freigeist Bierkultur Alt which I had a few days ago is apparently part of an "off-shoot" brand from braustelle, though the bottle I had said it had been brewed at a brewery called Göller, so not at the actual braustelle brewery.
Do you know if Sebastian Sauer is akin to a so called gypsy brewer, or is he also employed by braustelle?
Works for Braustelle - or used to at least, but also brews (some of?) his own beers there. Do not know if he also brews elsewhere for himself, but I think he has made a few collaboration brews here and there.
If you want to get to know and drink more, try visit the Festival der Bierkulturen, sat 31 may/sun 1 june in Köln-Ehrenfeld. The Bürgerzentrum is about 150 mtrs from Braustelle. http://www.braustelle.com/festival-der-bierkulturen-2014.html
The beer "Year of the Dragon" isn't brewed at Braustelle. It is brewed (of course under Sebastian's supervision) at Brauerei Vormann in Hagen, like "The Monarchy Methusalem". Braustelle is just too small - they are only a small brewpub, so producing beer in a larger scale, Sebastian has to do gypsy-brewing in other smaller craft-brewries (like Göller or Vormann).
