Oh my god! This town has it all! It is a designated UNESCO Heritage Site and probably one of the most beautiful old cities in Germany, if not Europe. It also has the most traditional and varied beer in terms of styles available. Bamberg brewers are not afraid to push the envelope, and as this is the home of bottom fermentation, so the standards are high. For a population of 70,000, they are served by 11 breweries, making as many as 50 different brews. The old town is situated between two legs of the River Regnitz and was first established as a fort around 902. It really started to come into its own under the patronage of Emperor Henry II in 1007, at which time trade grew and many churches, monasteries and a cathedral were built. Many of the brewery/brewpubs have long and storied histories. I started my exploration of the town and its beers at the Klosterbräu Brauerei Gaststätte, established in 1533. They have 4 beers always on tap and 3 rotating seasonal bocks. Their Klosterbräu Braunbier (5.7%) is a gorgeous clear, golden brown colour with a tight white head that leaves no real lacing, but slowly slides down with each sip, fully hugging the sides of the glass. There is some fresh malt sweetness in the nose and on the tongue that falls away into a perfect balance with a light and even mouthfeel and a clean, dry finish. I believe they are famous for their Bamberger Klosterbräu Pils (4.9%). A fresh herbal aroma leads the drinker to a subtle hop bite that melts into a balanced bitterness that sits wonderfully on the malt base. It is clear pale gold in colour, has a light, white, tight head and seems a medium bodied brew, but is lighter on the palate, the hop freshness dancing on the tongue with every sip. Again the lace follows the beer to the bottom of the glass, ending in a simple but wonderfully dry finish.
I moved on down the street and around a few corners - nothing is very far from each other here - to the Zum Kachelofen Franiscles Gasthaus, where they boast 5 beers on tap and 3 specialties in the bottle. Here, with a traditional Frankish meal of crusted smoked pork belly and potato dumplings swimming in 'au jus', I went for the Bräuerei Heller famous Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier on tap (see Beer of the Day, Sept. 28). Simply divine! What could follow better than the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen (5.2%). This one was in the bottle, unfiltered with some haze, it is light amber, has a subtler smokiness than it's brother brew, aroma wise and presents notes of citrus and wheat that sneaks through the smoke, has a nice head that falls to lacing well, has a smooth palate and an excellent balance, some malty sweetness drying out a the nice long finish. Across the street was the Ambräusianum brewpub, and though a beautiful room, featuring their copper tanks right in the middle, I had the feeling they were the new kid on the block. I tried the 'Bier Probe' taster tray of their 3 products: Hell - pale straw, hazy, light, good balance; Weizen - cloudy amber, some spiciness, wheaty palate, heavy lacing and Dunkel - dark amber, burnt malt nose, hints of smoke. Overall OK beers.
One does not have to go far, around every corner there seemed to be a cafe, restaurant or bar, all serving some beers of the region. After a well needed rest, I went out for dinner at Zum Sternla, a traditional cozy little neighbourhood pub offering simple but tasty and very reasonably priced traditional fare. They had 8 taps, serving various Bamberg brews. I started with the Huppendorferbier, a dark, amber/gold malty lager, flowery hop nose, smooth balance palate with a light malt accent, bright on the tongue and a long, slight, malty finish. I finished up the evening with the other smoked beer in town, Spezial Rauchbier. Light hint of smoke in the nose, thick moussy head, a delicate smokiness that mellows onto the palate, hinting of wood, but nicely balanced, not overpowering, golden auburn colour, some lacing, smooth velvety mouthfeel. An excellent accompaniment to my 'wurst' dinner special. So many beers, so little time.