Zehendner Mönchsambacher Lagerbier

Brewed by Brauerei Zehendner
Style: Zwickel/Keller/Landbier
Burgebrach-Mönchsambach, Oberfranken/Bayern, Germany

Immense is not even an adequate descriptor for the sheer complexity found within. Astonishing would be an understatement for the surprising appearance, just loaded with an inch of sedimentary proteins at the bottom; large coagulated masses that give this the single most startling appearance, while still in the bottle, that I’ve ever encountered. This is a simple unfiltered lager, right? Hardly. A slow pour leaves giant particulates behind, so what flows into the glass is a totally translucent, sparkling golden body with unkempt brassy hues. A thick, cloth-like white head adorns the top for most of the quaff, leaving behind sultry lacing in wide swaths as the glass drains. The nose is so elegant, an ultimately relaxing aromatic wave. Fresh grassy hops, also a touch fruity, lead in the aroma. Light notes of hay, ground cereal grains and strawberry fields follow. The yeast profile, though quite faint, is pristine and as fresh feeling as it typically seems on brew day. Overall the nose is very soft but expresses itself wonderfully and begs another long, contemplative inhalation. The flavor has a crispness and a resounding clarity I long for in a German Kellerbier. Bready notes take center stage and wage quiet battle with sweet caramel for the remainder of the taste for the dim spotlight. Sipping this, or gulping(as I’m inclined to do, it’s absurdly drinkable), is a variational experience of sitting alone in the dark, captivated by a new experience that’s both velvety and sublime. Graininess hinted at in the aroma is more profound here and in the finish, but never cumbersome, only a gentle comb though this oasis of grass. Herb notes join the hop-filled sprinkles that explode across the tongue, dispersing evenly and providing just enough bitterness to scatter a subtly coalescing sweetness. Acidic forays are nowhere to be found, this is unadulterated silkiness. The carbonation is wound up so tightly it could never be mistaken for anything but a natural occurence. The body is light-medium, fuller than beers that have typified the style for me in the past. It’s uncompromisingly smooth, from the first tingle in the nose to the last drop that glides effortlessly down the back of the throat. The finish is glorified by what can only be a mineral composition in the brewing water that is the pinnacle of perfection, at least perfectly suited for this style of brewing, with these specific ingredients. A long and embracing finale leaves lush grassy notes and soft fruits behind, then it’s just a clean feeling that lingers on. A truly marvelous creation. There are better Kellerbiers in Franconia, but they are certainly far between and not found in this hemisphere. I could enjoy this every day, if only it were here for the taking.

On tap at Cafe Abseits, Bamberg, November 2006. Brilliant clear gold colour with a moderate white head. Aroma of hay and grassy hops. It was a bit grainy in the mouth, with some malt sweetness and a grassy hop finish. Excellent.

On tap, at the brewery-garden: Lacing, small white foamy layer; sweetish-grainy nose, underpinned by barnyardy aromas, a very faint hoppiness in the backyard; moderate bitter-sweet flavour, light-bodied, very smooth MF; soft bitter-sweet-fruity (bananas !) finish. A very well quaffable franconian Landbier...........

Bottle: Pale golden, visible sediment, light carbonation, moderate sudsy white head, dies quickly, light lacing.   Grass and hay on the nose, straw as well.   Very pale malts.   Quite grassy on the tongue, slight zip to it even.   Very mild hop presense, with a soft malt bed.   Slight cereal, but more in the whole grain sorta way.   Decent body, moderate mouthfeel.   Finish has a little twang to it, otherwise fairly clean.   Light overall, somewhat dry, pleasant, but a bit too barnish compared to others.

Draught@Bruxellensis. Fairly grassy and bitter. Typical clean German thing going on, with some light bready malt and grassy, lightly fruity hops. Perhaps a bit thin.

Summer 2006 bottle consumed on 2/27/07
Holy Christ, to think I almost missed this beer’s brief appearance in the States. Thankfully Kai at the Wine Gallery pointed it out to me and I remembered it was supposed to be interesting.
Well interesting is certainly an understatement. The nose is the epitome of a crisp, dry, refreshing lager. Beautifully extracted/attenuated pils malts in the nose provide dry honey and barley notes. Very light nutty biscuits and then a strong shot of dry, zesty hops that hint at a little fruitiness and lots of fresh grass. But what really seals the deal is the yeast signature on the end. Light, fluffy and wonderfully biting/crisp, it’s every bit as refreshing as the best Czech pils.
The appearance is as fresh as if it was poured from the tank; bountiful, perfectly retained white head atop a sparklingly clear, gold-brass body. Lots of protein break on the bottom, but it remains behind in the pour. Tiny, naturally carbonated bubbles rise in the liquid. Plenty of lacing cascades down the glass.
Again, what hits you in the flavor is that same startingly clear, fresh crispness. The combo of crisp, dry, flavorful hop, crisp, clean, zesty yeast and dry, flavorful, grainy malt is almost too much to take in. For all of the crispness/dryness, however, it still maintains an ever-so-slight chewy-sweetness of rich honey, that helps prevent things from getting over-dried. Incredibly tight, engaging carbonation just tingles softly on the tongue, giving a perfect mouthfeel. Wow. An elegant yeast, clean, fresh water and fabulous aroma/flavor hopping, not to mention the charming, rustic malts, make for one hell of a beer. Tough to decide between this and Emersons Pils. On one hand, Emersons is much hoppier, a little more chewy in texture and probably more a robust beer. This is a bit more sessionable and has a bit more grainy/farmy maltiness. I could live on those two beers alone. This one even tops the Pikeland Kellerpils that I had on draught fresh, though not by a whole lot. And lastly, taking in to account that this bottle sat warm for probably 7 or more months??? You’ve got to be kidding me....And to think this isnt even one of the best Franconian lagers!

on tap at cafe abseits in bamberg. pretty pale shade of yellow. like a helles with a boost, some kiwifruit and mango in the aroma, decent grassy bitterness. nice stuff

Bottle (found in Boston). YES - ever since leaving Germany, I’m always on the hunt for a Landbier. Nice hay/grassy malt aroma - smells like a German barn or field. Hazy golden yellow color with moderate head. Sour barley malt flavor. A bit past its prime but still nice - would guess that this beer is great fresh but any Landbier found in the states is a treat.