A zwickel is a kellerbier. What do either of those words mean? Look, I'm not fluent in German, and I've already done more homework for this by connecting those two words. What should I expect from this beer? Well, I'm thinking it'll be more than a bit German, and that might mean I wind up making a comment about the many afternoons I enjoyed with my brother in the Penn Brewery, smelling the wort, drinking beer, and occasionally having some spätzle.
The delightfully golden beer has a little bit of a haze to it, and that came mostly from the bottom of the can. It definitely settled while it was sitting in the fridge, because the beer was clear right up until the last half inch. It produced an okay amount of head when I poured it, but then that head ran away very quickly. The rather weak ring around the top isn't even complete. It's all naked and throwing itself out there, and hopefully that's good news. The aroma is bready more than anything, and it smells very good. I wonder if this would do well to have some kind of an orange wedge or something with it, as I'm not smelling a whole lot of citrus, and I really think the bread would do well with some citrus.
First sip is nice and smooth. The carbonation is strangely noticeable in a sip, and the bread is doing a fine job of sweetening the pot. There are very, very light spices and some flowers, but the overall impression of the beer is that it is designed for smooth drinking. It's not watery, as some so-called crushable beers might be. Instead, it has a good, solid flavor that isn't overpowering in itself. It's an excellent balance.
Tip-in is quite the ruckus of carbonation over top of a sweet orange marmalade that has been lovingly slathered on some bread. The middle echoes the sip in just how drinkable it is while not turning watery. This was the dangerous spot in the beer, and this comes through as well balanced. The finish is a pressing bitterness as the spices and yeast head into the trail off.
Bottom Line: An excellent and well balanced beer.
4.25/5
