Golden lagers to dark dunkels: German beers from an unexpected state

After two weeks of local brews, we figured we would change it up for our loyal readers before we return to more local options for the next few weeks.

This week’s edition features the contents of the KC Bier Co Bier Box, a beer variety box showcasing four of their options.

KC Bier Co is a Kansas City-based brewery that specializes in German beers. If you’re 21+ and a fan of German brews, give any of these options a try. We would also like to note that we reviewed these beers from our least favorite to our most favorite, so stick around to the end for our highest recommendations.

Helles Lager – Munich-style Golden Lager (5.1%)

For those who don’t know, the difference between a lager and a Helles lager is bitterness. A Helles lager will be a bit more bitter than a standard lager, and that came out in this beer. It had a bready smell and taste, with that signature bitterness coming in the middle.

We would say it had about a 50/50 balance of creaminess and bitterness. Overall it’s a good beer, but we would say it’s a one-and-done choice; after having one we’d prefer to move on to something else.

Pure Pils – German Style Pilsner (4.8%)

In terms of Pilsners, KC Bier Co makes a great one. It was yeasty on the front, with a bitteresque note, but that flavor fades away on the back. Elias noticed a slight honey note that came in at the end, and that sweetness really shines in this beer.

While the Helles Lager was a one-and-done, we would say this might be a drink beer. We could enjoy a couple, but would definitely want to mix it up.

Hefe-weizen – Bavarian-style Wheat Ale (5.2%)

Ah, the Hefeweizen. A fantastic style of beer that the three of us all enjoy. It fulfilled everything that we wanted from it, and there’s a reason that it was our second favorite beer in the pack.

The key flavors in a Hefeweizen are caramel and banana, with a creamy flavor riding on top.

These came out well in this beer, along with a nice sweetness and grainy flavor.

Definitely one of the better Hefeweizens we’ve had, and we highly recommend it to any German beer enthusiast.

Dunkel – Munich-style Brown Lager (5.0%)

Last but certainly not least, the Dunkel. A darker lager full of flavor that will put a smile on any beer drinker’s face.

The KC Dunkel was creamy and sweet both on the palate and the nose.

The caramel flavor blended well with an earthy note and made it a fantastic, well-balanced beer.

It was our favorite from the pack, and if you find yourself only able to try one beer from KC Bier Co, this is what we would recommend. If you like a darker beer, you can’t go wrong with the Dunkel.