Dave’s Affordable Dortmunder

 Dave’s Affordable Dortmunder is a 5.5%, 35 IBU German-style Dortmund export lager built in Gravenhurst, Ontario by the Sawdust City Brewing Co. The beer, DAD, is clearly a winking acknowledgment of the world’s most popular Dortmunder, DAB. It’s sold in 473mL cans and is built with a pair of hops (Perle and Saaz) and a pair of malts (Raven Floor Malted Pilsner and Munton’s Northern Spring Pale).

DAD is a clear golden lager with a shock of white suds. It has a sweet, cereal aroma. The flavour delivers grassy sweetness, a slash of metallic notes, and a floral, noble hop that introduces a little bit of pepperiness to the back end.

I always enjoy a good Dortmunder, and DAD is certainly that. A cheeky little lager executed nicely.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Goodspeed Goodies--Otsukaresama

There aren’t a whole lot of dortmunders brewed in Ontario, so when I saw that Godspeed Brewery had one, called Otsukaresama, I was pretty pumped. Otsukaresama is a 4.8% pale lager sold in 355mL cans. The Torontonian brew is a clear, copper gold potion with a short-lived eggshell head.

Otsukaresama has a grainy, dry, noble hop aroma. The flavour has an agreeable touch of toastiness, a slightly metallic vibe, and a pretty robust hop character that gives it a nice, dry finish.

My limited understanding is that “otsukaresama” translates into “thank you for your hard work”, so I think Otsukaresama makes for a solid after-work beer—crisp and crushable, with great flavour, but not overpowering. Solid.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

DAB

DAB (Dortmunder Actien Brauerei) is a dortmunder straight from the source, Dortmund, Germany.  I purchased a 500mL can.  It is listed at 5%.  DAB pours a yellow gold colour.  It is very clear and, though there is little head, there is considerable evidence of carbonation.

DAB is a beer that I used to drink in considerable quantities in my early beer drinkin' days. For whatever reason, I haven't gone back to it since early on in my undergraduate degree.  From what I remembered, it is a typical German pale lager-crisp, clean and unremarkable.

My recollections appear to be pretty spot on (which is noteworthy given the vast quantities of this little brew I used to put away.)  There is a clean aroma, with hints of something almost pastoral.  Hay, perhaps?  The taste has a slight yeasty quality reminiscent of bread, but beyond that, there isn't much else.  I really had to struggle to detect any discernible flavours (though that might be because I'm new at this).  The aftertaste is mildly bitter.

Overall, the beer is a bit thin for my taste.  It is rather watery and a bit short on flavour.  Still, there are definitely positives as well.  This beer is uncommonly drinkable.  It goes down almost like a light beer, but with slightly more body.  It is well suited to drinking in gulps rather than sips.  The high degree of carbonation makes it pleasantly tingly.  On a hot day, possibly after doing some yard work, you could do a lot worse than to reach for a DAB.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Svyturys-Ekstra

One of the reasons I decided to start this blog was to learn more about beer.  Svytutys Ekstra provided me with two learning opportunities in one large bottle: my first Lithuanian beer and my first dortmunder.  Dortmunders are a subset of lagers.  They are slightly darker and sweeter than pilsners and are common to Germany and parts of Eastern Europe.  Having tasted Ekstra, I am thirsty for more.

Ekstra comes from Klaipeda, Lithuania.  It is sold in heavy 500mL bottles and has 5.2% alcohol.  According to the label, Ekstra is "Lithuania's most popular".  As a novice Latvian ales, I don't have much of a frame of reference though I did find this lively brew quite enjoyable.

Ekstra is very clear.  It is a yellow gold colour and features a foamy head that thins quickly.  It is not as crisp as I expected.  Rather, the taste was surprisingly sweet.  There is a faint hint of fruit, possibly pear.  The only real strike against it is the aftertaste, which is a bit stale.

Perhaps Svyturys Ekstra received an unfair advantage over other beers reviewed on this blog.  As I drank it, I watched my beloved Red Sox jump to a 7-2 lead over the hated New York Yankees, so I will
admit that I was predisposed to like it.  Still, ballgame notwithstanding, this was a tasty brew.  An interesting twist on the traditional lager and definitely worth a taste.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.