Veldensteiner Zwick'l - Kaiser Bräu GmbH & Co KG

shirfan

New York

3.45/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance and aroma: Luden's Honey cough drops. Cloudy maize with little foam.

Lively carbonation underscores a crisp, sweet, light malt with honey and yogurt flavors. Pilsner-style hops kick in during the finish with a decent amount of bitterness.

Funky sourness comes and goes, with an almost kombucha-like "aliveness".

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 02:29:55 | More by shirfan

ejh06752

New York

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-22-2013 01:46:04 | More by ejh06752

patre_tim

China

4.33/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Copper unfiltered with a slight haziness, 3 fingers of creamy slightly beige head, medium carbonation with slowly rising bubbles. Foamy chunky lacing reminds me of snow drifts.

S: Apple sauce, cellar must, creamy, fresh apples, deep malts, much akin to the scent of Kaiserdom’s Kellerbier. Complex malts, almost getting some dark toasted notes, in spite of the colour of the beer.

T: Much like the scent, apples and apple sauce, cellar must, complex toasted and mild malts. The cellar musty malts linger in your mouth. Bitter hops are low and linger in the end.

M: Thick bready body, medium low foamy carbonation.

O: A very delicious beer. I would rate it above Kaiserdom’s, but its very comparable. Would pair well with German fare, delicious in hot weather. Glad to find another beer in this style. Cool can.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 13:55:59 | More by patre_tim

socon67

New York

3.74/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Loving the swing top bottle! Pours a cloudy golden color with bottle-conditioned yeast in the bottom. Visible fizzy carbonation. Lacing is minor but impressive anyway.

S - Very fresh grain smell. Fresh honey, and some very mild traces of hop resin.

T - Tastes very earthy with some tangy yeast notes. There sweetness comes from a honey flavor. There is a hearty taste of fresh wheat.

M - Gritty in the finish, this is a light feeling beer with some carbonation and some sediment from the bottle.

O - A pretty good depiction of the traditional style. I like the style, the bottle, and the freindly price point ($3.99 at my local shop). I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:29:10 | More by socon67

KillaB

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

03-05-2013 05:17:16 | More by KillaB

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

02-17-2013 17:22:40 | More by DrunkinYogi

flagmantho

Washington

3.89/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from 500mL swing-top bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: couldy golden-brown hue with a thick finger of frothy ivory foam with OK retention. Decently attractive.

Smell: very nice malt aroma with a bit of graininess; quite a lot like mashing malt. There's a definite lager-yeast character here and a hint of noble hops. I rather like it.

Taste: good malty flavor with that hint of noble hops. Pretty good, but it's a little bit lower in intensity than the aroma. I like the composition; just a little more volume would be nice.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation. There's something else here, too, though; a je ne sais quoi of wonderful texture. I love it.

Overall: this is a very interesting beer. Subtle but flavorful in its way, and I happen to really enjoy its aroma and texture. I feel like I could quaff liters of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 18:48:56 | More by flagmantho

w3chicago

1/5  rDev -72.1%

12-30-2012 23:36:08 | More by w3chicago

whatsgoody

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

11-16-2012 23:25:21 | More by whatsgoody

generallee

New York

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

11-16-2012 19:11:55 | More by generallee

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +11.7%

10-27-2012 03:28:41 | More by RoryOMoore

mscudder

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint.

A - A deep orange with a finger-sized pale head. Below average retention and lacing.

S - Bready malts and grain. Seems a bit dense, although there are no vibrant aromas to speak of.

T - Something unlike anything I have had prior. Tastes of rich bread with some soft malts on the back. Quite simple, although refreshing.

M - Light to medium bodied with fair carbonation. Smooth and a full feel as the beer goes down, which is where this beer shines. It reminds me of a light lager, although bolder, smoother and well rounded.

O - Lacking a wealth of flavor but the simple bready composition makes this one enjoyable if you know what you are asking for. I had yet to have a beer of this style, thus my opinion may be skewed. I would get it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:59:47 | More by mscudder

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Swingtop bottle from Consumer Beverages in Orchard Park, NY. On special that week, so I thought I’d give it a go. Since Oktoberfest started officially a couple of days ago in Munich, I thought it was appropriate.

Poured into a stein for that Germanic feel. Murky bready caramel, with a good head of foam (about two inches from a vigorous pour) that settled nicely into a thin blanket that crept up the sides of the glass with every sip. Lots of visible carbonation when first poured.

Nose is honey, white bread, yeast, apple and a touch of herbal hops.

Interesting keller, with a focus on a lighter, honey flavour rather than the darker malty bread that I’ve seen in others of the style. My initial impression was not that great – it tasted sweet and a bit off – but after a few minutes of warmth the honey bread came through and actually it works out alright. Certainly feels like an older style of brewing, if that makes any sense. Stronger carbonation than I would have expected, slight creaminess, dry finish.

Different take on the zwick’l style that goes for sweet honey over the richer maltier beers of the same style. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 23:48:27 | More by JohnnyBarman

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From: Binny's, Schaumburg, IL
Date: L152C054 stamped on label
Glass: Ayinger willi glass

Veldensteiner's zwick'l bier is a light version of the kellerbier tradition, with the recipe resulting in a focus on sweetness, honey-like malt, and other lighter, maltier flavors. The hops are somewhat lacking in the beer I had, either due to age or intent, it's impossible to tell with the lack of dating. Regardless, sweetness overpowers bitterness to a semi-cloying degree. This is a beer I would not worry too much about seeking again.

Pours a 2cm head of off-white bubbles, small and densely packed. Retention is above average, the head lasting several minutes as it drifts down to a thin film atop the body of the beer. Lacing is fairly generous, a few streaks and clumps along the sides of the glass. Body is an opaque burnt tan with orange-yellow highlights, light bringing out pale orange and yellow hues: a lighter-colored unfiltered lager bier. Carbonation is not visible through the opacity.

Aroma is brighter, sweeter than the Kulmbacher kellerbier, emphasis here being on sweet malt syrup, honey-like sweetness, and a floral aspect. Too light, and slightly cloying, for my tastes.

Whereas Kulmbacher's kellerbier was richly of brown bread, Veldensteiner's zwick'l is of clean white bread, malt syrup and honeyed sweetness, with some yeast and modest bittering European hops present. Aftertaste is of sweetly bread or cracker-like malts, a bit of yeast, and some residual bittering hops.

Beer is medium to medium-light bodied, with low to low-medium amounts of carbonation. The mouthfeel is generally light, smooth, and slightly watery as a result. Closes out with a very dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 06:24:58 | More by falloutsnow

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml flip top bottle. Pours hazy golden-orange with a long lasting, tall, foamy, white head. Aroma is of grassy hops and bready malt. Body is medium and smooth. Bready malt, caramel, herbal, grassy hops and hints of honey fill the mouth. Finish is long and slightly sweet. Delicious session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 18:59:17 | More by mikeg67

bluntedboywonder

New York

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

09-16-2012 21:44:19 | More by bluntedboywonder

keithmurray

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - cloudy, golden honey color with thick cream head

smell - honey, wheat, oats

taste - much of what the smell promised, slight honey sweetness is apparent, wheat, oats, bread

mouthfeel - refreshing, crisp, medium to low carbonation, lighter end of medium bodied, clean finish

overall - solid beer that I am glad to have tried. Worthy of a revisit

Price Point - $2.99/500ML Swingtop bottle

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 23:29:34 | More by keithmurray

beerluvr

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampled from a Duvel Tulip. Just arrived in the store today, pours with a gorgeous tight just shy of white head settling into a nice finger-high collar that rests atop hazy deep gold liquid. Sweet malty/grassy nose. Malty and honeyish flavors. Thinnish mouthfeel...sweet finish. Nothing to write home about here...I'm just a sucker for those swing top bottles with the German language labels I suppose.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 23:19:25 | More by beerluvr

Mulcahey

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +25.7%

06-16-2012 01:27:31 | More by Mulcahey

WillCarrera

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle, no bottled on date, poured into a nonic pint glass.

A- Pours a hazy yellow-golden color. Topped with two fingers of white head that recedes to a ring around the edge of the glass, leaves no lacing.

S- Incredible aroma of honey, smells pretty delicious. Some light, bready and grainy malts. Damn that honey smells awesome.

T- Sadly much of the honey is lost in the flavor, it's there but is relatively mild, it comes out more as the beer warms. Super malty, malts are light and grainy. Has some mild herbal and floral hops.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth feel, good carbonation.

O- An interesting beer, the highlight for me was definitely the aroma, which is amazing, it's very drinkable and would be perfect to drink outdoors in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 04:33:55 | More by WillCarrera

samie85

Illinois

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden urine color with some very slight haze and a a finger and a half of white head.

Bready malts with an herbal hop character and a sweet butterscotch note.

Bready and rich malt notes with some herbal hop character with butterscotch.

Full side of medium body with low carbonation, a nice slickness, and light crispness on the finish.

I'm really digging this one; I wasn't expecting much from this, but it's quite nice. I would definitely re-buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 05:38:50 | More by samie85

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very hazy yellow in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high frothy white head that gradually died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface and a thick ring around the edge of the glass.
S: Aromas of bready and grainy malts and yeast are present in the smell. As the beer warms up, some hints of honey become noticeable.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and exhibits a lot of properties similar to a freshly baked loaf of artisan bread.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied, relatively smooth and a bit chewy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer isn’t as full-bodied compared to others in the style, but it is very flavorful and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 15:18:10 | More by metter98

Bung

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml. Orangey gold pour. Thin layer of white that dissipated pretty quickly.

Aroma, malty caramel. Some hay like thing.

Taste, malt, toffee, some nut. Hay and herbal hop notes.

More carbonation than it appeared it would have, makes it a pretty nice drinker. A tad over light bodied.

2nd Kellerbier I've had, I thought it was pretty solid after mowing the lawn.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 01:17:03 | More by Bung

emerge077

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Flip-top 0,5l bottle that gives a hiss when the seal is broken.
"Mindestens haltbar bis: L152C054" At least durable until: L152C054. Good to know...

Poured into a tulip glass, it has copious white foam, and a bright and saturated copper orange color. The foam is slow to recede, and leaves a webby halo of froth inside the glass. POuring in the sediment, it becomes a dark tannish orange.

Slightly musty aroma of minerals and apple. Later it's all shortbread and sweet sticky malt. Flavors are similar, it has a fairly smooth and hefty feel to it once the yeast was poured. Lingering bready aftertaste, primary flavors of apple, fresh yeasty bread, and dry hay. It has a bit more character than your average German lager, but it's pretty sweet and slick feeling over time. Ok to try and compare to others of the style, likely not a repeat buy for me personally.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2012 02:24:35 | More by emerge077

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

5l minikeg. It is a hazy orangeish gold with a large, foamy white head. The smell is light and grainy. The flavor is sweet and bready but with a nice touch of noble hops in the back. Not bitter but the hops are noticeable. I was surprised by this particular one.

Serving type: can

12-27-2011 00:36:10 | More by crossovert