Omnivore Atlanta

Black as soot: Pennichuck Feuer Wehrmann

Pennichuck Brewing Company
Milford, NH
5.0% ABV

One of several Pennichuck beers that pays tribute to firefighters (the name means “firefighter”), this one taking the form of a traditional German schwartzbier. Schwartzbier (”black beer”) is a dark, malty lager made with roasted malts. Although similar to British porters and stouts, schwartzbier is a bottom-fermented lager, making it cleaner and less bitter than its Anglican cousins. If someone tells you they don’t like dark beer, try this one on them.

Feuer Wehrmann pours nearly black, with a hint of light around the edges. The aroma is slightly smoky and sweet with some nice toffee notes. The taste is rich and roasty, with a nutty bite. Burnt caramel, chickory, carob, and herbal hops round out the flavor profile. Bitterness is low to moderate, both from the malt and hops. Smooth, almost creamy, mouthfeel, with a solid presence front to back. The dry, roasty finish holds the malty tastes well, with a bit more bitterness building over the session.

Beer like this makes it easy to see why Germans have such high per capita beer consumption. Great structure and drinkability make it perfect for pairing with rich foods, where it can contribute plenty of complementary flavor without leaving the palate oversaturated.

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Decisions, decisions: Taco Mac is tapping special beers all month.

New beers are popping up all over this month, from new-to-Georgia breweries, to special casks and limited edition releases, to spring and summer seasonals from local and national breweries. It can be a bit overwhelming. I suggest you you just take it One Beer at a Time.

Bell’s Weather. Monday marks the Georgia debut of beers from Bell’s Brewery, and a number of local bars have events to mark the occasion. The Brick Store Pub will have a rare cask of HopSlam, the brewery’s much-drooled over double IPA, which will not be part of the regular Georgia portfolio until next year’s release in January. There will also be a keg of Special Double Cream Stout. Starting Tuesday, Taco Mac will be tapping Bell’s Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Porter, and Oberon, with a sixtel of HopSlam and Expedition Stout at the Kennesaw location. Check with your neighborhood store to see what is pouring. The Porter Beer Bar in L5P will host a Bell’s Beer Dinner on Tues., May 26. Check their website for details. Look for a full story on Bell’s next week.

More, more, more. Speaking of Taco Mac, there’s enough new stuff rolling out at their stores to keep you half-lit well into June. This weekend was the debut of Terrapin’s 30 Strong Ale, brewed especially for Taco Mac’s 30th anniversary. Thirty years is a long time in the restaurant business, and Taco Mac certainly deserves a special toast for turning its little Va-High pub into a beer bar empire. I remember experiencing some of my first world-class beers at that original store back in the early 80s when I didn’t know a hefeweizen from a doppelbock. Terrapin’s 30 Strong has a ridiculous 30 ingredients that includes 19 kinds of malt, 8 varieties of hops, water, and yeast, and is aged on oak spirals. It clocks in at 8.8% ABV. Now that’s extreme! (more…)

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