Bavarian Rhapsody - Pinter Review
In German, Dunkel means dark. And when the Germans take their beer to the dark side, we can expect something rich and malty with a clean lager finish. So what beer lover can turn down a German dark lager? Well, a homebrewer can very easily, and not from lack of love, but because it can be very difficult to brew lagers in a homebrew setting without the right set up. Lagers need time, and cool temperatures, and lots of tending to keep those temperatures stable especially here in South Texas where the temp stays well above lagering temp most of the year.
Enter Pinter, an easy to use, all-in-one homebrew system that we’re hoping will give us a great Dunkel beer in Bavarian Rhapsody that we’d struggle to get with traditional homebrewing.
If you’re curious about the Pinter itself, I’ll attach our honest review of the product at the end of this article, but for now we’ll focus on Bavarian Rhapsody Dunkel, brewed with their fresh press beer and spark yeast (no hopper in this one), resulting in a 5.1% ABV Dunkel after their recommended 14 day brewing time.
Dunkels are well-loved in the Brew house because they are sweet with notes of chocolate and caramel, and they are bready and rich without the harsh roasted notes or high ABV. We respect this beer greatly and are looking for a great product from Pinter.
The 14 days are over. Let’s do it!
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Deep copper, quite clear, and topped with a tight-pored beige head. So far, so Dunkel.
On the Nose--Clean, malty, and with a touch of floral hops. Slightly less expressive than a traditional Dunkel, but still excited.
On the Palate--Bready, toasty, and full-bodied. Bavarian Rhapsody presents a mild milk chocolate and a gentle hoppiness. The finish is dry, as expected with most lager styles, and the beer is balanced and mild with gentle malt notes from caramel to bread. Light on ABV, this beer is round and easy to drink.
Final Thoughts:
As I said, the Dunkel, like many German beers, are highly revered in the Brew house. It always fascinates us how they get so many truly distinct varieties from a handful of carefully sourced ingredients treated with the utmost care. That’s what makes low ABV styles like a Dunkel expressive where others fall flat.
Bavarian Rhapsody is a good beer, it’s sweet, malty, and rounded out with a slight floral hoppiness. It has all the right notes, but like the aroma, it is less expressive than I was hoping for. I like the deep caramel, chocolate, nutty, and bready notes that come from a moderate ABV Dunkel. It makes easy drinking fun, but Bavarian Rhapsody missed out on some of those expressive notes. That being said, Pinter is awesome, and the beer is pretty good. Give it a try yourself and compare it to other Dunkels you’ve had. But most importantly keep brewing.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew
If you’re curious about the Pinter homebrew system, check it out HERE! And if you’re interested in Dunkel beers, check out this original from the old country: Hofbrau Dunkel!