March 29: Karl and the Tale of the Weltenburger Kloster Barock Hell

Paradise by the Dashboard Light?

The German’s are coming, dear reader! Spring is here and with that it’s time to explore some of the beers and styles created by one of the world’s leaders in beer craftsmanship. Today’s beer is a new one to my library, the Weltenburger Kloster Barock-Hell. This is a Munich Helles Lager, and these are beers that are meant to be consumed by the stein. The musical pairing today is the 7^th best-selling album from the 70s, Meatloaf’s eternal Bat out of Hell. Fun fact: Did you know Jim Steinman originally wrote Bat out of Hell as a futuristic rock and roll musical based on Peter Pan? I love the Loaf and I need a beer, so I'm sure within minutes like a Barock out of Hell (get it?) this beer will be gone, gone, gone. Let's try and get a review in before that happens.

 This beer pours a golden yellow with cascading bubbles an attractive one-finger head. This is stereotypically what beer is meant to look like. German malts dominate the nose, and there is a little bit of hop and lemongrass alongside. I’m not all that familiar with the style, but I would describe this beer as a mix between a hefe and a pilsner. It is light and crisp, with some dryness and malted barley that I usually get from a pilsner, and there is some citrus and a chewiness that comes with most hefes. It is strongly carbonated and it is easily drinkable, but for me it does suffer a little bit in two areas. First is the metallic/mineral pilsner taste that I’ve just never been a fan of, and secondly the mouthfeel is a little sticky. I would say this beer is good looking and highly drinkable, but there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you, so don’t be sad; two out of three ain’t bad.

The backside of Bat of of Hell. The Loaf rules.

Rating: B-