Eis
New Braunfels Brewing Company

 

 

Poured gently at 48°F from a 750ml bottle (no date) into a tulip. Allowed to warm up to 55°F before reviewing. Consumed on 04Jul16.
SMELL: Strong aromas of sweet coffee and alcohol are supported by mild chocolate, sour green apple, toffee, plums, figs, wheat, and earthy yeast aromas. Subtle aromas clove, banana, pear, salty mineral, and white grape present a further complexity to the smell.
TASTE: The profile opens up with strong flavors sweet coffee and mild toffee flavors. The initial sweetness is immediately balanced by mild earthy yeast, chocolate, sour green apple, and banana flavors. More fruity goodness is established as mild plum and fig flavors enter mid-palate. Mild flavors of wheat and alcohol along with subtle clove flavors continue to expand the taste theatrical. The show closes with subtle flavors of white grape, pear, and salty mineral while all prior flavors persist, except for coffee, which fade to mild.
NOTE: I, without doubt, have loved every beer in New Braunfel's sour farmhouse series. They have managed to capture the essence of what it would have been like to drink these German styles before modern refrigeration and infection was nearly guaranteed. An infected Eisbock may not seem appealing to everyone's taste buds, I thought this was brilliantly executed. My main complaint was the dominating presence of the alcohol in the the smell. It gave the overall aroma an oil like quality that was not too enjoyable. I was relieved when the taste did not reflect upon the smell.