Dunkelweizenbock
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Served in a snifter at the Clybourn brewpub.

Finishing my day at GIC with a dunkel weizenbock. It pours a clear dark topaz topped by a finger of light sandy-tan foam. The nose comprises bananas foster (the menu was deadly accurate on that mark), light bourbon-soaked oak, dark chocolate, and light roasted malts. The taste holds notes of roasted malts, cocoa powder, rum spice, light French oak, dark greens, clove, very light maple syrup, and cinnamon. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda grainy feel. Overall, a very nice w-bock, one that delivers on all counts.

 

On-tap at GI Wrigleyville. New batch is 8.3% ABV. Served in a snifter.

A: Pours a brownish red with a small light tan head.

S: Heavy banana esters, crisp yeast, caramelized sugar and dark grain.

T: Slightly nutty grain, caramel, banana, cream, light yeast. Dry with a bit of an alcoholic bite and a good amount of hop bitterness on the end.

M: Crisp carbonation, medium-bodied.

O: A decent dunkelweizen. The alcohol and hop bitterness are a bit too sharp and drying, but not so much so as to ruin the beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bought a Growler from the Clybourn Brewery after the tour w/ Trevor for $35 (bit pricey but we found this out after they already capped a Growler for us. The price then was forgotten after enjoying this!). Poured from the Growler into a Bordeaux Wine Glass w/o the Stem.

Aroma- Strong and rich from the beginning of the smell. Great banana and light peppery aromas in the background. May have a ton of alcohol strength but we will soon find out later in the drink.

Appearance- Pours a 2 finger head that stays for good time. Has an amber/copper body with some haziness. Leaves decent lacing afterwards.

Flavor- Strongest malt and complexed amounts of spice, caramel, and banana once again! Tons of alcohol is present (noted in the aroma) and isn't a problem seeing its a 8% brew. Low hop presence and only a small amount of bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Medium Carbonation, Smooth, good amount of alcohol warming at finish, and very rich finish.

Overall Impression- One of my top 5 Brews I've enjoyed from Goose Island ever! Great amount of strength, character, and content while it is still a good brew for many to try that haven't gone out of their comfort zones for hitting new ABV levels. Reminds me a ton of the Unibroue Maudite but much more complexity and strength. Go for this if you are at the Brewery! I'm glad I got to get a Growler of this and enjoy over 2 glasses of it.

On-tap at Goose Island Wrigleyville. Served in a taster glass.

A - Thin white foam, but mostly because this was filled to the brim. Slightly transparent dark copper brown, with no lace, cap, or collar.

S - Roasted grains, molasses, chocolate, bananas, and a touch of phenolic yeast and spicy alcohol.

T - Taste is actually superior. Tastes like banana chocolate chip muffins, with a bit of roasted grain character as well. There's a touch of allspice, and thankfully less booze than the aroma.

M - Gritty, roasty, medium-full body, with pleasant medium-low carbonation, and a dry, toasty finish. No obvious alcohol warmth.

D - This was a pleasant surprise. It really tasted like a whole grain banana muffin, and is one of the better takes on this style that I've had the pleasure of trying. The alcohol could be a bit better hidden, but it's not excessive for 8%.

Draft poured into a mini pint glass

A: Pours a deep, translucent brown color with a small amount of eggshell hued head.

S: Aroma is strong with caramel malt, some dry grain, and some soothing alcohol warmth, like a hot toddy.

T/M: Tastes nutty up front followed by very light chocolate, maple syrup, heavy plum and blackberry and a medium amount of carbonation. That alcohol warmth bites at the end but doesn’t overbear.

This would be a great beer during winter.

TheBeerAlmanac.com

Pours a clear, deep copper color beneath a thin and lacy white head. The aroma has a touch of vinous characteristics and a low hint of grainy malt. The nose is light and subtle but the flavor is complex. The aged beech wood flavors are immediately tasted as the mellowed malt and hops serve as a medium for the wood flavor. It is strong and bold, and reminds me of rosewood aromas. The light body with high levels of carbonation allow the brew to dance on the palate. Flavors such as smoked peat and spiced cider emerge in the finish which is slow and gentle as it lingers only long enough for you to taste the end and wonder why there isn't more tastes like this in more beers.

Sampled March 2009
This beer pours with a noticeable viscous texture. The beer is topped by a frothy, initially two-finger thick, lightly browned, tan colored head. The beer is a murky, muddy, brown-amber color that is hazy enough to be opaque when held up directly to the light, but does pick up a bit more of a red hue. Up front I get a banana note that is quickly subsumed by a toasted malt character. A bit of clove character is noticeable throughout the aroma and there is also a nice nuttiness here in the nose. There is a touch of spiciness here as well, which seems to meld with the toasted grain notes, and there is also a prune / fig fruit thing going on here as well that seems to get a bit over-ripe as the beer warms. An interesting nose, but it isn't quite as expressive as I might have hopped.

Not nearly as sweet tasting as I expected, there is a touch of malt sweetness here, but it is well tempered by a wheat-tartness and the toasted malt character. My second sip sees a bit of clove spiciness become noticeable up front and the tartness accentuates some plum-like flavors. The finish has a mix of hop bitterness and toasted malt notes that are not quite roasty, but do provide a touch of astringency. The body of this beer isn't as big as it looked visually, but does have some heft to it; the beer is actually pretty quaffable for a beer of this strength though and is pretty nice for the style. This has a bit of an off flavor in the finish that is sort of plastic like, a bit savor / meaty, or perhaps just burnt; I really can't quite put my finger on it.

Not a bad beer as most of the elements seem to be here, but somehow all the flavors / aromas don't seem to combine into an integrated whole all that well. Still this is certainly enjoyable

Well sadly, my friend Joe1510, the last reviewer before me has it right... this beer has been swept away by the sands of time.

Pours a murky, hazy, and relatively flat brown. Just looks dirty and a bit watery.

The aroma provides a bit of hope, there's a ton of prune/raisin, and a bit of a spicy sourness around the edges... but no banana/clove to speak of.

The taste is a big letdown. There's a quick, fleeting burst of straight ahead caramel/raisin sweetness that is gone almost before you can taste it, disappearing into a cherry-ish sourness. Not a lingering, delicious sourness, just a firm tartness that wipes the palate clean of, well, anything. It's an odd, and not altogether enjoyable experience.

Warming helps it immeasurably... by which I mean you can taste the raisin sweetness for a moment, but it also reveals a heavy wet cardboard that emphasizes the ridiculous oxidation that has gone on here.

Lest there be any further question about whether waxing does ANYTHING to prevent oxidation... let this beer serve as testament to its uselessness in that regard.

Who knows if the beer described so beautifully and bottled so elegantly ever lived up to that promise (from the reviews, maybe it did), but there's not even enough of a trace left behind to see what that deliciousness might once have been.

Don't buy, don't trade for, this one is cooked.