Warsteiner Dunkel: Not that impressed

I'm blogging live from the Flying Saucer! Today's fire sale is Warsteiner Dunkel for $2.75/pint. Unfortunately, I'm only mildly impressed with it. I suppose in a universe that made sense, I'd rave over how this product of Germany is the real deal and blissfully good, but to tell you the truth, it isn't nearly in the class of the Texas-made dark weizens that I praised in a recent post.

I'm not sure what the problem is – I just realized I've had it before and really liked it, specifically at last year's Wurstfest. It just doesn't have that banana-ish taste that I was expecting after falling in love with North by Northwest's Dunkel. The glass I'm having right now just starts off like a plain dark, not unlike Shiner Bock. It is redeemed, however, with a touch of honey on the finish that I enjoy.

Perhaps the taste was enhanced last November by how much fun I was having down in New Braunfels. I'm puzzled.

[UPDATE: Okay, one of the posts in the comments section has helped clarify some of my confusion. This dunkel doesn't taste like a dunkelweizen because, well, it isn't one. They're two different styles. My beer education continues.]

Okay, I'm actually supposed to be working right now, so I'd better put down the blog and get back to reading this report on the Texas Legislature I brought with me.

Wurstfest Was Awesome

Sorry, no time for a lengthy post, but Wurstfest was awesome as always. If you like beer, polka, sausage, kraut, people in funny looking German outfits, potato pancakes with applesauce, and pretty much anything you can imagine dipped in batter and deep-fried, then you need to get to New Braunfels. It continues through Nov. 9.

Best beers down there: Paulaner Oktoberfest and Warsteiner Dunkelweizen. And I highly recommend the deep-fried Oreos, which are both delicious and nauseating at the same time.

Oh yeah, fantastic suggestion from Julie that turned out great: Instead of going there on our usual Saturday, we went down on the first Sunday. All the fun, but about 1/10 of the crowd and no hassles. Waiting in lines was minimal, and often, there were no lines at all. It's awesome to just drive right in to a parking place, and then walk up and get a beer, food, or onto a carnival ride instead of waiting an eternity. If you can get there on a non-Saturday, it's worth it. (Although I hear the second Sunday, the last day of the fest, can be about as bad as a Saturday.)