About a week and a half ago I received a package of samples from Dundee Brewing with the aim of trying them out during a virtual tasting last Thursday. Well, unfortunately the day job was too busy for me to get away and join the event. That, however, wasn’t going to keep me from enjoying these new-to-me products from the company.
I really wanted to start off with the stout, but ended up sampling the brews in what I hope was a more logical order. First up is the seasonal Summer Wheat Beer, a beer that’s “…brewed with 40% wheat and a touch of rye malt…”
Appearance
This brew pours a slightly hazy pale yellow in color with a thin white cap.
Aroma
Smells like your standard wheat brew with a telltale wheat graininess along with some lemon zest, light banana and clove.
Taste
The taste is really subtle. The aroma is light, but the flavors seem even lighter. The beer has a bready malt and wheat base with some faint lemon notes. The banana and clove are more apparent in the profile, but still rather subdued. The mouthfeel is crisp with good carbonation making for a pretty refreshing brew. More spices and wheat character come out in the finish. At 4.5% ABV this one is quite drinkable if you’re in the mood for a hefeweisen-like brew.
Rating: 2.5/5
Next up is the 5.68% ABV Kolsch Style Ale. Of the two lighter beers, I found this one more enjoyable.
Appearance
The beer pours a clean and clear light golden amber in color with a small amount of white head.
Aroma
Smells darn good with plenty of biscuity malt and a light sweetness. It’s brewed with Galena and Mt. Hood Hallertau hops, but the nose only reveals the slightest hop presence.
Taste
I actually liked this one a good deal. It’s clean, refreshing and goes down smooth. I’d personally like to see some more of a hop presence in the flavor profile though. The beer has plenty of malt sweetness and a biscuity character and there are a bit more hops present than on the nose, but they are subtle and only really show up in the lingering finish.
Rating: 3/5
And finally we have the Dundee Stout which, as should come as no surprise, I found to be my favorite of the three beers (though that Kolsch style was darn tasty).
Appearance
The stout pours a dark, dark brown with a small light tan head that faded to a few bubbles around the edge of the glass.
Aroma
It’s got a pretty good nose on it with plenty of roasted malt and a slight char. There’s a touch of chocolate and black coffee in there as well.
Taste
This brew is a light and easy drinking stout with enough roasted malt character and a little chocolate to keep it flavorful. It’s got a nice roasted coffee flavor, as well. The finish on the beer has a bit of a hop bitterness that works well with the primary flavors. It’s also the strongest of the three beers coming in at 5.8% ABV, but there’s not a hint of the alcohol in the taste.
Rating: 3/5
Overall
All in all, I’d say that the three beers were pretty good in their own right. I preferred the Kolsch Style and Stout to the Summer Wheat, but that’s more due to my own personal preferences. I can see the wheat beer serving its purpose chilled in a glass on a hot summer day as would the Kolsch. The stout is so easy drinking and light that I could enjoy a pint of that just about any time of year.
June 25th, 2010
Scott-TheBrewClub said:
I’ve been hearing good things about the Summer Wheat, but I think based on your descriptions I’d like the Stout and Kolsch better too. I’m guessing the Summer Wheat is seasonal – what about the other two?