Leaves Of Grass Series VI: Salut au Monde!

This a such a beautiful Zwickel! If you are asking yourself what the heck is a Zwickel beer you’re not alone. I had not hear of this style either. Here’s an article giving a brief description.

Pronounced tzv-ickle, these German lagers (a subset of kellerbiers) are normally unfiltered, unpasteurized, and served as close to the beer’s source as possible. The word “zwickel” refers to a valve on the cask from which the beers were originally tapped and sampled by their German brewers. These loose guidelines leave the zwickelbier style somewhat open to interpretation, and the results vary among brewers. Source

Honestly, being that I have not heard of these beer they really ought to be more of these produced in U.S. Sure, the market likes hoppy IPAs and juicy NEIPAs, but this Zwickel seems quite traditional and is a great alternative to other lagers and pilsners.

Being an Unfiltered beer it is partially cloudy which is a good look for a lager. I’m sick of crystal clear beer that’s been filtered to high heaven. There’s something about something that looks more natural. Maybe it feels healthier. I figured I’d add some natural sunlight to the photo to it off a bit.

While the aroma is mostly comprised of malt. There is a nice cleanness and subtleness to the aroma makes it more complex than a typical lager. It has a nice balance between a subtle sweet and earthy smell.

This beer sits in the mouth wonderfully. I normally notice the flavor first, but the clean and refreshing mouthfeel was standing out. Next came a wave of refreshing semi-dry flavors. There was malt, dried grassy hops and other more muted earthy flavors that popped and fizzled with the carbonation. Honestly this lager is an all round masterpiece.

I should not expect anything less from Bells Brewery. They are one of the market's top breweries. This series has been both enlightening and educating.

I’ll leave you with a bit of poetry as it was the inspiration for the beer.

TAKE my hand, Walt Whitman!
Such gliding wonders! Such sights and sounds!
Such joined unended links, each hooked to the next!
Each answering all—each sharing the earth with all.