Dortmunder Export 1E

Yes Jim I am back to my beer styles and trying to give you something new to read.  Thank you for being a constant reader!

So I will going over the BJCP style guideline of 1E Dortmunder Export.  This style was originated in the German City of Dortmund, an industrial city looking to quench it's thirst so the local brewers came up with this style of a lager.

Aroma:  Low to Moderate Noble hop aroma.  Moderate Pils malt ( light sulfur); can be grainy to sweet.  No diacetyl.


Appearance:  Light gold to deep gold, clear with a persistent white head.

Flavor:  Neither Pils malt nor noble hops dominate, but both are in good balance with a touch of malty sweetness, providing a smooth yet crisply refreshing beer. Balance continues through the finish and the hop bitterness lingers in aftertaste. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl. Some mineral character might be noted from the water.

Mouthfeel:  Medium body, medium carbonation.

Comments:  Brewed to a slightly higher starting gravity than other light lagers, providing a firm malty body and underlying maltiness to complement the sulfate-accentuated hop bitterness. The term “Export” is a beer strength category under German beer tax law, and is not strictly synonymous with the “Dortmunder” style. Beer from other cities or regions can be brewed to Export strength, and labeled as such.  Dortmunder Export is the most recognizable example in the US.

Numbers:  IBUs (bitterness) 23-30, SRM (color) 4-6, OG (potential) 1.048-1.056, FG (finish) 1.010-1.015, ABV 4.8-6.0%

Examples:  DAB Export, Ayinger Jahrhundert, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Bell's Lager.

Minerally water with high levels of sulfates, carbonates and chlorides, German or Czech noble hops, Pilsner malt, German lager yeast.  This is to many of us the original export beer.  DAB and Great Lakes are the all star brewers of this style. The Great Lakes beer is almost as good as the German original, so if you can only find the Great Lakes version no worries it is a great beer. This is a better "lawnmower beer" than some that have been discussed previously.   If you can find it give it a shot!  Even though it is in the lawnmower beer category it is a beer worth drinking year round.

QC Beerguy