One of my all time favorite beer styles, Roggens are German beers made with a large quantity of malted rye. The resulting beer is very sharp and crisp and usually has a nice citrus aroma.
The Thurn und Taxis is no exception. This dark-brown beer smells strongly of flowers when brought to the nose, but there is no hint of that smell when tasted. The beer is extremely bright - dancing along your tongue, which is unusual for such a sweet beer as this. The flavor moves from sweet to sour as it warms and the yeast flavor takes over.
A fantastic and unique beer, and something to try if available
- just make sure that the bottle you get is not expired. The importing
company has had a bit of a problem where they have shipped beer
well past (by up to a year) from the brewery's recommended drink-by
date. However, if stored well by a reputable local distributor,
this beer - even if beyond the date - still retains enough character
to be worth trying regardless of the drink-by date.
(Avery Glasser)