Beer of The Week - Nov 29 - Erdinger WeiBbier Dunkel

500 mL bottle
Price: $ 3.05 Beer
5.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : 3
Made in: Germany, Germany
By: Erdinger Weissbrau

Last week, I was at the new Bier Markt on King and had a pint of a wonderful tasting beer Erdinger WeiBbier Dunkel. I was surprised to find it at our LCBO on Brock Street in bottle form.

It is a confusing beer in name as it mostly is commonly referred to as Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel even though it has WeiBbeir on the label.

I could find no definition of weibbeir.

Weissbier is the German term for "white" beer, implying a pale brew made from wheat. Southern wheat beers are also produced in dark versions called Dunkel Weizen. The darkness of the beer comes from the dark malt used in the brew.

So it looks as if I am going to have a dark German white beer. Confused?? Weissbeer looks as if can also make reference that it is a wheat beer, which I think is how it is being used here.

Erdinger is the world's largest wheat beer brewery. The brewery is located in Erding, Bavaria, Germany which is just outside of Munich, and opened in 1886. It has always been a wheat beer brewery but under different names until 1949 when the brewery is re-named Erdinger Weissbräu. In 1998 it became the world's largest wheat beer brewery and one of Germany's largest privately owned breweries. Here is a picture circa 1890.

I read an amusing description of Bavarian Wheat Beers in an article on The Beer Hunter website called “Indulge in the Bavarian Weiss” by the late Michael Jackson who was The Beer Hunter (not the hideous, scoffed at, loser, has been entertainer) ” In Bavaria, they usually have an alcohol content of around 5 per cent, and they are often considered as a mid-morning refresher, or a beer to have after church on Sunday, perhaps with a snack of veal sausage.”

Mornings sound quite nice in Bavaria!

Erding is also known for Therme Erding the largest thermal spa complex in Europe. Brewery and thermal spa. Two excellent reasons to visit Erding!

Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel is bottle conditioned which means that there is no carbon dioxide injected into the beer. Instead carbonation is developed in the beer naturally, in this case by filtering the brew, then adding a small amount of fresh wort and yeast. This gives the bottled product a much longer shelf life which is good for an imported product. . This is a picture of Erdinger's filtration cellar.

Now the taste. It pours a deep amber colour with a good head that lasts. It has a smooth creamy, slightly bitter stout like flavour. I did enjoy this beer, but must say not as much as the one I had on tap from The Bier Markt last week.

I would get another pint at the pub but there are many others that I would get at the LCBO than this one.