Hoepfner Kräusen

Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version appeared on facebook January 2009.
Beer sellers: Cerveteca

ABV: 5.1%
Origin: Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Website: www.hoepfner.de

Hoepfner Kräusen Krug

Hoepfner is an undersung family-owned independent founded in 1798 in Liedolsheim. It relocated to Karlsruhe in 1849 to take advantage of natural ice caves for lagering, and now claims to be one of the oldest established businesses in the city. It won a Champion Brewery award and several individual medals in the 2008 World Beer Cup, thus a good few of its lines were on offer that autumn at the Cerveteca in Barcelona as part of their World Beer Cup selection, including this gold medal winning unfiltered Kellerbier.

The beer was a lovelly pale cloudy yellow with a fine white head and a smooth, subtle, slightly sweet vanilla honey aroma with vegetal notes. A soft, lightly citric and very clean light malt palate had slight hints of soft fruit and beautifully judged hops. A refined and complex citric-hoppy finish was gently cleaning with berry and vanilla hints. A delight.

Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hoepfner-krausen/1702/