Fischer Das Spezial
Brewery: Fischer
Town: Wieseth
Style: Spezial 5.5%
Color: amber
Head: off-white, bready
Nose: malty
Body: medium
Palate: balanced, malty, some caramel
Finish: lingering, semi-dry
Served: from a bottle bought in the area
Impression: I had been looking forward to trying this typical Spezial style of middle Franconia and admittedly my initial impressions were underwhelming. It’s a restrained palate in the very much malt forward realm and for many, it will seem bland. It’s certainly in the Märzen direction, especially this one at 5.5%. It lacks the spicy character but this has some caramel and a touch of roast. What makes it interesting is a total lack of cloyingness which can be the case when the hops are very much understated. In fact, with each sip they present themselves as a nice drying presence without detracting from the otherwise malty affair. It’s a beer well worth seeking out as it’s a dying breed and illustrates deftly the ability of Franconian brewers to craft simple rewarding beers which capture a dryness not generally found in such malt forward beers elsewhere.
