Witching Hour
Relic Brewing Co.

 

Sampling from a growler that I recently purchased at the brewery. Poured at cellar temp into a stemless wine glass. the beer pours a dark cola brown with cream tan head of 4 cm foaming up and almost overflowing the glass, even with a gentle pour. The head fades slowly to a sturdy surface layer. The aroma is some dark malt and brown sugar which mixes with hints of banana and some bready yeast.
Nose is appealing and interesting without being overwhelming on the front end of this beer.
The first sip reveals an average body with fine gentle carbonation and a silky smooth texture. The beer rolls across my palate and does give a slight coating.
Flavor is some sweet malt and brown sugar, just a little dark fruit and a decent bit of spicy yeast with cloves coming through. No hints of booze and the hops are buried on this one.
A very drinkable and approachable dunkelweizen. Good flavors and great texture.
Id pick this up again if Mark had it on draft at the brewery!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A dark brown black color, a bit murky looking with a fair short lived off-white head and modest to negligible lacing. The aroma offers a medley off licorice root beer chocolate malt. Wow, quite a heavy hit with an interesting floral perfume and tart grass bite. Really interesting. The taste gives you a more mellow malt mash with the tart apple edge and floral/lavender complements. There's a kind of skunky malt going on which just makes this more intriguing. This stuff is medium-plus bodied with a somewhat chalky feel. It drinks smoothly but is short of being a sessionable choice. This is pretty much hands down the best, most unique dunkel I've ever had the pleasure of trying. I'm not a dunkel expert but in my book this one rocks!

"Batch 1...ale contains wheat, munich, carafe II, blackprinz and pale ale malts..."

Pours nearly black into Relic pint glass. 2 inch beige head.

Aroma is full of the characteristic banana, clove and bubble gum notes, as well as some nuttiness, and a mild roastiness too. Nice.

Taste is full, well rounded with more of the same flavors as in the nose. No chalkiness. Nice and smooth on the tongue too. Mouthfeel is very nice.

Overall, a nice rendition of this classic German-style dark, malty and roasty beer.