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Arber Spezial

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Arber Spezial revives a strong beer that Josef Pfeffer, the founder's brother, brewed in the 1920s and that became known well beyond Zwiesel under this name; today's version follows his recipe. The brewery describes a characteristic malt body with a balanced, lightly bitter hop note, full, spicy and round. Tasters find it clear gold with grain and honeyed malt on the nose, light caramel and floral touches on the palate, faint stone-fruit and citrus hints from the hops and a mildly bitter finish.

ABV
5.5%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
golden5
PaceA Few
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
What makes this beer itself
MaltHop
maltyspicyhoney
malty
spicy
honey
caramel
floral
citrusy
Aroma
The nose opens with prominent grain and soft honeyed malt notes, suggesting a careful balance between base malts and subtle sweetness.
also:clean,bready
not found:hoppy,roasted,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Arber Spezial

◎ Appearance

A brilliant, clear gold with excellent transparency and fine carbonation visible throughout. A dense white head forms with good retention and leaves delicate lacing on the glass as it recedes. The visual profile reflects the classic pale-malt character of the Dortmunder Export style.

clear goldfine carbonationgood head retention

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with prominent grain and soft honeyed malt notes, suggesting a careful balance between base malts and subtle sweetness. Light floral touches emerge behind the malt foundation, with restrained noble-hop character lending a refined, understated complexity. No aggressive or overpowering aromatics; instead, a harmonious blend typical of the style's brewing tradition.

honeyed maltgrain-forwardsubtle florality

◐ Taste

The palate enters with a full, rounded malt body that develops into gentle caramel notes mid-palate. Faint stone-fruit and citrus hints from the noble hops add definition without dominating, while a light bitterness emerges gradually. The overall impression is spicy and well-knit, with each element supporting rather than overwhelming the whole.

malt-drivenlight caramelbalanced bitterness

◑ Finish

A dry, mildly bitter aftertaste closes the experience without astringency or residual sweetness. The finish remains clean and moderately short, leaving a pleasant hop impression that fades gracefully.

dry finishmild bitterness
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
76
Taste
79
Appearance
80
Finish
77
Serve at 4–7°C

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Arber Spezial

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About Dortmunder Export

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Dortmunder Export?

Dortmunder Export is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Dortmunder Export

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same malty, spicy, full-bodied character as Arber Spezial will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Dortmunder Export beers in hopIQ →Browse Germany beers →