Fausten
Revolution Brewing

A - Brown colored beer with a beige head that left some stick on the sides and faded to a decent cap and collar.

S - Lots of banana, clove, some wheat, spice.

T - Taste is just like the nose, with banana and clove, some wheat, and a touch of brown sugar and cocoa. I found the wheat to add a little bit of a lactic sourness on the end.

M - Medium bodied with lively carbonation.

O - Not as big of a fan of this as Alex. Solid, but likely something I would go out of the way for.

 

On tap at the brewery. The Weihenstephan yeast sold me on trying this
A - dark brown body capped with a soft tan head
S - bread crust, caramel, brown sugar, banana, yeast
T - very sweet, burnt caramel, bread crust, banana, clove, brown sugar, molasses, a bit of chocolate, tobacco leaf, earthy hops
M - full body, very creamy and smooth, cloyingly sweet at times, finishing peppery with earthy bitterness helping to balance out the sweetness
O - good representation of a great style!

a bit of a polarizing example of the style, i can see that. for one, its a bit darker than most are. still has the wheaty hazy, but almost more of a copper color to this one, and essentially no head at all. it smells about right on, some german grain and yeast, maybe more of a darker wheat malt, but the ingredients seem more or less on point. i get the banana element thats often there, and a hint of tepid alcohol, plus some leftover sugar. i think the smell is pretty right on. the flavor too is pretty good. maybe a little more caramelization on the malt than is customary, but i like what it adds. the residual sugar is a bit high for sure, but i dont mind that too much either. the banana ester is overwhelming, but not out of place, just out of proportion. the feel is where is sags for me, lots of body, but almost no carbonation, and so much sweet leftover that it being a lager is sort of lost a little bit. weizenbock is a style not made often enough here in the states, so its nice to see a stab at it, a few tweaks and this one is on the map.

 

The Fausten smelled and tasted closer to a barley wine than a weizenbock....at least for me. The beer poured a darker amber with white head that left a spotty lace. The scent seemed more of a barley wine...slightly sweet with bourbon like appeal. The taste had alcohol as well as a subtle mix of chocolate and banana. The mouthfeel was fuller in body with smooth carbonation. Overall this was a good offering to counter the numerous ipas offer by rev.

 

 

Not a lot of weizenbocks around so this was a great surprise on tap at Revolution. Though they get all their attention from the IPAs and BA beers, they pay a lot of loving attention to English and German styles and aren't afraid to venture into the more obscure terrain. Head on this falls a bit short. Smell and flavor are bursting with banana and clove, toasted grain ... a pumpernickel breadiness. Body is medium, a bit softer than expected.

 

 

On-tap at Revolution. Ordered a 5oz sample of this one.

A - A finger of off-white foam settles to a thick collar and some wisps, leaving minimal lacing. Lightly hazed milk chocolate brown body.

S - Massive banana, light baker's chocolate, hint of toffee, and some cloves and wheat to spice things up. Extremely potent nose, but no obvious alcohol.

T - Taste is again a mixture of banana, caramel, cocoa powder, clove, and wheat. Not mind-blowing, but pretty much dead on for the style.

M - Medium body, zesty moderate-to-high carbonation level, grainy texture, and a bit of warming alcohol present.

D - A very well-executed Weizenbock. This isn't a style I find myself craving often, but this is definitely one of the best ones I've had. I suspect it would have been tough for me to put down a full glass, but as a 5oz post-dinner treat it was quite appropriate. Worth giving a chance, even if you're not a big German beer fan.