Diamond Knot Dortmunder (DKD)

Brewed by Diamond Knot Brewery
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Mukilteo, Washington USA

Sampled this one on draught at the brewpub in Mukilteo, WA. Pours to a beautiful, bright, golden color, with a tight, white head that fades, and a moderate carbonation. The nose on this beer is well balanced, with good, crisp, pale malt aroma, paired with fresh, grassy/herbal hop aromas. Palate is fairly clean with some good pale malt flavors, but becomes muddled, with some estery fruitness, that is a flaw in this style of beer. This beer finishes with more pale malt, and some estery fruit flavor up front, then ends with some grassy hop bitterenss to balance. Stylistically, this beer could have been cleaner, and the esters were clearly a flaw. Tasty enough brew, but no a great example of dortmunder.

Clear golden body. Thick, low head. Fresh malty aroma with light herbal hops. Er...fruity, off-flavour of too warm fermentation. This smelled so promising but really came unglued. Damn.