Weizenbock
AleSmith Brewing Company

WeizenbockWeizenbock
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From:
AleSmith Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Weizenbock
ABV:
8.6%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 13.37%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
19
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 10, 2013
Added:
Jul 31, 2001
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by CharlesDarwin:
Photo of CharlesDarwin
Reviewed by CharlesDarwin from Rhode Island

3.92/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
750mL Bottle - Dec 20, 2007. Aroma comes forth as warm, soft caramels with salt and cracker crust. Aged sherry tones with dust and cork. Nice, but showing age from the get-go. Into the glass a chilled gold with thin rim of white. Nice sunburst appearance, hazy. Across the palate, this beer presents as mature, glowing with a mix of aged woods, cooking caramel, and still well carbonated. This blends in with a clover honey, soft sugars and nice soft warming yeast nips. Alcohol stays real quiet and rich. Dusty. There’s evidence of AleSmith’s high standards and quality brewing, along with some signature mineral qualities that make this enjoyable and knowingly well-done. Smacks on soft pear flesh and almond skins. A bit past its prime, so I’m a bit forgiving, but gracious none the less. Hops are still there in a nip of spiciness, European. Overall, an interesting experience, but nothing to hang onto. The oxidation is eating away at the quality of the sugar and malt structure. Andy, thanks a million for this uber-rarity.
Nov 23, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jan 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by t0rin0 from California

Aug 12, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Jan 29, 2012
Photo of Floydster
Reviewed by Floydster from California

4.27/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
750 ml bottle with black foil bought a while back from Stuffed Sandwich, found a special occasion to finally open this bottle, 1999 vintage, split with my dad tonight, poured into a Chimay goblet, color is a light golden orange with some amber tint, 3/4 inch off white head, good lacing at first, but faded away shortly due to weak retention, aroma consists of honey, cloves, chocolate chip cookies, caramel candies, banana, wheat, dates, booze, and berries, flavor starts off with honey and sweet caramel, wheat mixed with cloves and banana in the middle, finishes with some hotness and dates and prunes lingering in the aftertaste, does not change much as it warms but starts to feel thicker with some time, sweet, warming, spicy, and malty mouthfeel, medium bodied, still lots of carbonation, taste lingers a lont time with the sweet finish, pretty smooth for how sweet it is but that does not mean it is still not heavy, you can taste some of the alcohol too, pretty filling stuff, a hidden treasure from Alesmith but that is probably because it has not been made in over a decade, this has aged wonderfully for its style, great honey and fruit components ten years later, would like to drink again, recommended
Aug 23, 2009
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml bottle. 1999 Vintage. I think thi one is thanks to EDA.

Poured a hazy amber color with a small sized white head. Some particles. Aromas of lemons, wheat, bananas, and a little woody. Tastes of citrus (lemony), wheaty, and bananas.

Notes from 2/28/05
Nov 10, 2008
Photo of Westsidethreat
Reviewed by Westsidethreat from California

4.82/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A: An auburn gold, clear except for the massive amount of sediment prevalent in the bottle. Head is a very light beige made up of medium sized bubbles. Fallen dramatically, don't know if I'm even going to get a consistent ring.

S: Toffee, honey, dried apricot and pumpkin

T: This beer is aged to perfection. Most of the serious wheat charactertics have dropped off and the bock flavors have rounded yet intensified. Begins with a mellowed form of black strap molasses then moves immediately to sweet potatoes dressed for a Thanksgiving dinner. The next part is so delicious I'm having a hard time coming to terms with it, but I'll try....The toffee flavors are so pronounced and luscious, the vanilla so righteous and the brown sugar so intense...somebody hold me.

M: Full bodied and smooth as silk.

D: Each flavor is so powerfull...so immense...one can't focus on anything. The mind stops thinking rational thoughts. One can only concentrate on the pummelling by a cacophony of seductive flavors.

Why god why is this beer retired?
Jul 24, 2006
Photo of Crosling
Reviewed by Crosling from Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Light orange with a tinge of gold. Big malty nose with a big toffee base and hints of honeydew melon, vanilla, banana, white nectarine and honey. Peppermint sticks are present in the aroma as well, and odd considering I noticed the same thing in the old Stumblin Monk. The nose is great but unfortunately it’s a bit cloying in its malty sweetness, which doesn’t mix very well with the oxidation. Honeydew melon flavors continue on, with many fruit forwards notes, along with a huge dose of honey on the finish.
May 28, 2006
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

4.32/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampled October, 2005
Pours a lightly hazy amber (as in the sap) color with a frothy, pretty quickly disappearing head. The aroma is still quite rich and malty, but has picked up some aged malt character that is a mix between sherry, dried plums, umami, and perhaps a hint of mustiness. There are also notes of raisin, caramel, plus a mix of rich sweet spiciness reminiscent of clove, allspice and a bit of sharp cinnamon. The aroma is quite aromatic and pleasing to sit here and explore.

The palate/ mouthfeel is pretty full up front, but tends to fade somewhat as the beer passes through my mouth. It is somewhat sweet but, as in many aged beers, has taken on a rich sweetness that is reminiscent of carmalized sugar and malt extract, as opposed to the brighter sweetness found in a younger beer. The richness of this beer is also reflected in the fact that this beer tastes warmer than its actual serving temperature, if that makes any sense. The beer is quite smooth and quaffable up front, but picks up a bit of carbonated spritziness as well as a bit of spiciness in the finish, almost a note of mint or menthol actually. This beer has gotten quite a bit more malt focused over time, the fresh spicy Weizen character has been subdued and morphed into other flavors. There is definitely a certain tartness here in the finish as well, perhaps the residual wheat character still showing through.

This beer has definitely aged quite a bit, but it has held up a lot better than the alcohol percentage suggests it should. I definitely recommend picking up the stray bottle that might still be out there. Having said that though, I am not too sure how much longer I would hold on to one of these, maybe a year, maybe two at the most.
Oct 13, 2005
Photo of Rastacouere
Reviewed by Rastacouere from Canada (QC)

4.49/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Hazy orange body, nice white film for a 5 yr old. Superbly smooth aroma. Sponge toffee and butterscotch alike. Wheat presence is very mild. All kinds of sweet malts are to be found in there actually, from honey to toffee to buttered caramel to smoked maple or caramel. Just decadent sweet malt interplays. Gargantua would be jealous. Desert-like is an understatement. Malt fest from the beginning to the end with no compromise, but a nice wheat touch and a somewhat milky or buttery mild acidity. Glory inside a honey pot, incredible treat. Body is unbelievably smooth, filling with still pretty decent carbonation for the age. Great stuff which shows no fatigue at all after 5 years. Unlike any traditional weizenbock though, but take it for what it is: a dying proof that Alesmith got killer malt.
Aug 01, 2004
Photo of CRJMellor
Reviewed by CRJMellor from Arkansas

4.17/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours orangey amber hue with an thin, ecru head and some minor lace on the appropriate glassware.
Aroma is big time butterscotch and honey with some vanilla, oak and dark citrus adnd raisins. Very complex.
Flavor is butterscoth as you would expect from aroma. A molassess and heavy sugary alcholic sweetness also tickle the tastebuds with a definitive vanilla and almond shot as well. Very intersting flavor progression.
Mouthfeel is super sweet and highly carbonated. Hides relatively high ABV pretty well with just a lishgt burning sensation on the swallow.
Drinkability is good. Sweetness is slightly cloying and overpronounced but this is an incredibly well-made and interesting beer.

Thanks to Bolirmaker88 for the sample of this one.
Jun 04, 2004
Photo of ZAP
Reviewed by ZAP from Minnesota

4.57/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Brwered in 1999

Dark copper color...tan egg white head....sweet sticky aroma...big maltiness on nose....almost port like...sweet sugar...big sweet berries..."Great" nose...mouthfeel is firm but smooth and creamy...medium body..twinge of alcohol on the back of the tounge on the finish...

Flavor notes are sweet candy-like sugars...overripe bananas soaked in rum..slight alcohol feel..

This is excellent..I prefer the Ramstein Winter Wheat but this is an outstanding brew in its own right...Big thanks to Hugey for sharing this Gem via Long Beach Bum...Bum is the king for sending this to Minnesota...
Jun 02, 2004
Photo of Bighuge
Reviewed by Bighuge from Minnesota

4.62/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
1999 bottle.

Uncorking was a problem. Quite the problem. It crumbled and the extraction could not completed. I got as much out as possible, but some ended up in the drink and had to be spooned out of the head subsequently. A very minor detail to overcome in order to try a rare specialty such as this.


Deep, murky looking orange/auburn tone with chunks of yeast sediment floating around. Head is substantial and long lasting...bone white in color. Lace comes in sheets. Aroma is very nice. Winey and oaky. Some great weizen properties like banana and clove. Estery. A little spicy. Wow! The mouthfeel is very lightly carbonated. and the body is pushing medium. The flavors meld together so smoothly. If this beer is one thing, it's damn smooth and mellow. Alcohol tones are still present, but quite acceptable in the context of the beer. The beer is quite estery and just a little phenolic. There's a little bubblegum and some banana. Black pepper. Dry cedar tones come through with a winey characteristic. All in all, it's so damn subtle in its complexities...and therein lies the beauty of this one.

I know it's been said before, but Alesmith, could you start brewing this one again. It's damn fucking nice.

Thanks for the one of a kind King Bum.
May 30, 2004
Photo of Boilermaker88
Reviewed by Boilermaker88 from California

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
I visited a new (for me) store yesterday and actually walked past this nearly mythical beer as it was tucked away in amongst the *other* Alesmith brews on the shelf. Only after doing a second walk-through did I realize I was seeing a beer brewed in 1999 and now a truly rare find. A simple parting of the ways between me and $11 and I walked one out the door.
What I saw was a 750ml bottle, nearly black in color, with the neck wrapped in in black foil. The only way it caught my eye was the word "weizenbock" in small letters under the ubiquitous anvil that adorns all Alesmith bottles.
I unwrapped the foil, popped the cap, and looked at a rather old, tired cork. The cork was more than tired; it was dead and decaying. All the gentle cajoling, light manipulation, and pleading for it to come out whole were for naught as the SOB broke and could not be salvaged, forcing me to the desparate act of pushing the remains into the bottle and hope for the best.
Poured into my trusty tasting glass, I saw a hazy coppery brew speckled with little yeastie floaties and topped by a billowing vanilla-hued head that lasted for several minutes but left scant lace. Raising the glass to my nose, I caught the aromas of honey, rotting dark fruits, a ton of yeast, and some clove/coriander spice. This brew had a potent amount of alcohol-laden fumes wafting from the glass.
The taste was highly complex. Full and creamy thanks to the high levels of fine carbonation crawling up the glass walls, it coated the tongue with a honey toned flavor laced with yeast, candy sugar, coriander, and plums. There were some faint wheat notes also. The further back it got, the drier and more sherry-like it became. The alcohol kick was solid and a nice warming sensation rolled down the throat and settled in my belly. The lush, almost cloying honey sweetness never faded and even got more pronounced as the beer warmed.
This has turned into a real sipper as I can tell I'd be typing gibberish if I drank it any faster. After 4+ years, this weizenbock still has plenty of flavor and a wonderful nose. Worth every bit of my money.
Mar 07, 2004
Photo of Gusler
Reviewed by Gusler from Arizona

4.82/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Vintage 1999:

This most special of beers is consumed with much gusto and is raised in honor of a most exceptional “BA, Friend, and just one fine Gentleman, I speak of Loren Verkovod, and as we affectionately know him Venom”, and a “Happy Birthday to you old friend”!

The beer evacuates the bottle a caliginous orange color, and it’s absolutely filled both in suspension and on the bottom of the bottle with “Tons” of dross, the head is smallish in size, creamy in texture and the color a dazzling light tan, the lace forms a see-through curtain to conceal the glass. The nose absolutely reeks of yeast, fusel alcohol, sweet malt, coriander and maybe some over ripe fruits like over ripe plums, what a treat for this tired old nose, crisp, inviting, and a hint of the pleasures to come, start is ambrosial, thick with malted grain, the top fat and chunky in its feel to the palate, Finish is rapturous in its spiciness, the acidity palatable, the aftertaste dusty dry, almost vinous, and the ABV leaves a delightful tummy warming sensation, what a special beer this is, and one well worth waiting the four plus years to sample, as this “Beauty” was brewed in late 1999, “WOW” what a “Hoot”!
Feb 18, 2004
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

4.87/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Brewed: 9/20/99
Bottled: 11/15/99
Original Gravity: 1.085
Final Gravity: 1.021
Alcohol by volume: 8.6%

Well strap me to a Tree and call me Brenda! Did I really purchase this dusty dark maiden during a recent beer trip to several local beer stores that I had never visited. Sure did! A beer that I had only ever previously read about, had certainly never seen, and one that I know to be an “old” vintage of at least 4 years – so there was a risk associated with its purchase. But what the hell, you only live once eh?

Presentation: A classy looking 750ml bottle. Unlike other Alesmith's the “Anvil & Pint” symbol, and the words “Weizenbock” underlined with the words “Wheat Beer” are actually printed in gold on a black label stuck to the front of the bottle, future releases are often screen-printed. A thick black foil covers the upper 3” of the bottle. A brass crown cap covers a moist cork. Prior Alesmith bad ‘cork experiences’ added care & aided my single piece extraction.

Appearance: Poured into a Westy Goblet (only the best), it has plenty of carbonation and the marmalade orange body has a healthy luminous glow with some haze. The off-white that formed soon breaks to leave a thin covering. The conditioning in the beer was exceptional, fine and well attenuated but still vivacious.

Nose: A beautiful warming bee’s wax hint, medicinal honey-like soothing odors mixed with a funky yeast aroma that eventually goes away as the beer warms (was this only from the crappy cork I wondered? I think it was). A fantastic comforting smell that when deeply inhaled

Taste: Soothing, sweet and incredibly soft, the taste profile is certainly a mature one. Some wheat at the beginning – light grains and a “sweet baked pear with cinnamon” middle, that’s good enough - but this has the most wonderful latter third. A rich honey wheat finish that is talcum powder smooth, which easily oozes you into the final seconds – you really don’t want to swallow this beauty – but thankfully it quite literally coats everything and leaves you a fine reminder of this marvelous beer for some time afterwards. The honey wheat burps are something else.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth from start to finish, quite an awesome mouthfeel, this really is the oral gentle giant. Has a honey toffee feel throughout, no alcohol at all.

Drinkability: A whole 750 to myself, no contest whatsoever. Every drop was imbibed, yeast and all. A light honey cloying is all that prevents a perfect '5' here.

Overall: It is 4 years old now, and I have to say that it has matured extremely well over the years. I’ve not had many Weizenbock’s, but this one is by far one of the best I have ever had. Yet again, Alesmith deliver the goods and reinforce their stature as a brewer of some exceptionally high quality beers.

Note to Alesmith: PLEASE brew this one again!!!
Jan 03, 2004
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Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.67/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
750ml foil topped, corked and capped bottle. 1999 vintage. This stuff has held up unbelievably well. The cork was another rotten, wet, sticky one, but this time I was able to get it all out without getting any cork bits in the beer itself! Yay!

This stuff poured a wonderful dark honey/light reddish colour into my Unibroue tulip glass. The carbonation was heavy, and it created a super creamy, thick white head, that had excellent retention that lasted the whole glass.

There was a tornado of bubbles being created by the etching in the bottom of my chalice that enhanced the over-all appearance of this beer as well!

The aromas were all over the map, as this beverage was a very complex and interesting one. There were some nice hints of various spices, various light fruits, yeast, different kinds of wheat, background hops and malt *AND* just a hint of booze.

The taste was a fluffy melange of lightly coloured fruits, german or belgian spices, different yeast and malt flavors and that tiny touch of mouth-numbing alcohol.

The mouthfeel was quite exceptional: The bottle conditioning of this beer, as with all of Alesmiths offerings, really makes the beer roll across your tongue and down your throat with the greatest of ease.

The drinkability is nearly perfect, if only I could get more bottles of this stuff or if only they start making it again over at the brewery!

Did I like this stuff, you ask?

HELL YEAH!

a Big thanks to JCalabre for supplying me with his last bottle of this wonderful, wonderful nectar!

F
Sep 25, 2003
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Reviewed by jcalabre from California

3.97/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Originally sampled on 26 May 2003. This pours a hazy amber color w/ a frothy white head. Nice aroma of honey & grapes. The body is thick on the tongue w/ a slightly sweet taste that has a crisp finish. Very complex, very nice, another tasty beer from Alesmith.
Jun 11, 2003
Photo of mickeymac
Reviewed by mickeymac from California

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
It's a beautiful gold with a good-looking white head. The smell is sweet malt with an undercurrent of spice and a hint of banana. The flavors really cut loose when it hits the mouth. It's got a lot going on, but everything balances out very nicely. The mouthfeel is excellent; it almost feels like it expands and really fills the mouth. This is another winner from Alesmith.
Sep 29, 2002
Weizenbock from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 19 ratings