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Eisbock
Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
- From:
- Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
- Germany
- Style:
- Eisbock
Ranked #7 - ABV:
- 9.2%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #5,353 - Avg:
- 4.12 | pDev: 9.47%
- Reviews:
- 647
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 02, 2023
- Added:
- Apr 03, 2003
- Wants:
- 111
- Gots:
- 87
Formerly called Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock
Eisbock was inadvertently invented in Kulmbach one bitter winter day when an apprentice brewer accidentally left wooden barrels of bockbier in the brewery yard, causing them to burst. When the ice was chipped away, a richer, more concentrated dark lager remained inside the barrels.
Eisbock was inadvertently invented in Kulmbach one bitter winter day when an apprentice brewer accidentally left wooden barrels of bockbier in the brewery yard, causing them to burst. When the ice was chipped away, a richer, more concentrated dark lager remained inside the barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by wl0307:
Reviewed by wl0307 from England
4.4/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
4.4/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Coming in a 330ml slim brown bottle, served chilled in Hapkin's tulip-shaped bowl sniffer.
A: gosh, this really is challenging my expectation of any Bock... the colour is ebony to nearly black, topped with a creamy dark beige froth settling slowly to a thin cap on top of rather light carbonation.
S: pure and rich - a very good depth of sour prunes, raisins, apples, dark plums and a touch of red-grapes' skins dominates the nose; a swirl wakes up the deep, burned sugar-cane like oily sweetness, malt syrup with a tinge of crystallised sugar. While it's sweet, a rather clean, almost herbal, touch of old-ness also floats in the air, likely the result of long-ageing in the cellar?
T&M: really syrupy and rich but never heavy!... lots and lots of caramelised longan-fruits and FAT black prunes abound, arriving at a perfect balance b/w sweet malts and fruity sourness... The palate is filled with thick-bodied jammy dark Munich malts with a mildly toasted (but still utterly "pure-malty") aroma, which slowly, seamlessly, gives way to treacle and red-grape-jam, before the lovely lightly herbal bitter-sweetness expands at the back of the palate with attenuated hop bitterness to linger. The mouthfeel is ever cloying or alcoholic in addition to a fresh yet ever so fine fizziness, it is just flawless as far as the palate is concerned.
D: this is my first-ever Eisbock, and hooray what a cracking booze this is! In a sense, the dark-fruit character and the really deep, full-bodied malts make this lager firmly in line with my preference, but my biased palate surely couldn't be so... satisfied if there was no balance, which there surely is in the most elegant form. Considering how little presence at which the alc. has made itself felt, I find this lager equally enjoyable as a Russian Imperial Stout, albeit in a very distinctive way. A sheer (icy) beauty.
Feb 23, 2009A: gosh, this really is challenging my expectation of any Bock... the colour is ebony to nearly black, topped with a creamy dark beige froth settling slowly to a thin cap on top of rather light carbonation.
S: pure and rich - a very good depth of sour prunes, raisins, apples, dark plums and a touch of red-grapes' skins dominates the nose; a swirl wakes up the deep, burned sugar-cane like oily sweetness, malt syrup with a tinge of crystallised sugar. While it's sweet, a rather clean, almost herbal, touch of old-ness also floats in the air, likely the result of long-ageing in the cellar?
T&M: really syrupy and rich but never heavy!... lots and lots of caramelised longan-fruits and FAT black prunes abound, arriving at a perfect balance b/w sweet malts and fruity sourness... The palate is filled with thick-bodied jammy dark Munich malts with a mildly toasted (but still utterly "pure-malty") aroma, which slowly, seamlessly, gives way to treacle and red-grape-jam, before the lovely lightly herbal bitter-sweetness expands at the back of the palate with attenuated hop bitterness to linger. The mouthfeel is ever cloying or alcoholic in addition to a fresh yet ever so fine fizziness, it is just flawless as far as the palate is concerned.
D: this is my first-ever Eisbock, and hooray what a cracking booze this is! In a sense, the dark-fruit character and the really deep, full-bodied malts make this lager firmly in line with my preference, but my biased palate surely couldn't be so... satisfied if there was no balance, which there surely is in the most elegant form. Considering how little presence at which the alc. has made itself felt, I find this lager equally enjoyable as a Russian Imperial Stout, albeit in a very distinctive way. A sheer (icy) beauty.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire
4.25/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1996 bottle.
Pours dark mahogany with a full, dense head of tan. Plenty of tattered lacing and persistent retention. Juicy, plump malt in the nose with figs and toffee. Medium bodied with a chewy, oily mouthfeel. Sweet malt on the palate with hints of chocolate and figs. Finishes sweet and a bit warming.
Dec 02, 2023Pours dark mahogany with a full, dense head of tan. Plenty of tattered lacing and persistent retention. Juicy, plump malt in the nose with figs and toffee. Medium bodied with a chewy, oily mouthfeel. Sweet malt on the palate with hints of chocolate and figs. Finishes sweet and a bit warming.
Reviewed by Bitburger from Vermont
3.86/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.86/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Got an old bottle at a gas station. Don´t think it was the brewers intention what i got. Pretty much average and a bit sticky. Didn´t find a best before on the bottle.
May 06, 2023Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
4.17/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
330ml bottle into a tulip. Coding no help in determining freshness.
Looks splendid in the glass. Black body, deep red when held up to the light. Small cream head persists throughout, impressive considering the abv. Even leaves scattered lacing.
Nice aroma. Lots of raisin, dried, and other dark skin fruit. Alcohol comes through, and a little sweetness.
The taste pretty much follows the nose. It's quite sweet, clean, warming. The dark fruit aspect is enjoyable.
Mouth between full and medium, finish a warming boozy fruity wash.
Overall, a beer to slowly muse over in the early evening. A roaring fire would be nice, but it's in the 50's in NE pa. Happy to have the rest of the six pack for colder nights.
Jan 02, 2022Looks splendid in the glass. Black body, deep red when held up to the light. Small cream head persists throughout, impressive considering the abv. Even leaves scattered lacing.
Nice aroma. Lots of raisin, dried, and other dark skin fruit. Alcohol comes through, and a little sweetness.
The taste pretty much follows the nose. It's quite sweet, clean, warming. The dark fruit aspect is enjoyable.
Mouth between full and medium, finish a warming boozy fruity wash.
Overall, a beer to slowly muse over in the early evening. A roaring fire would be nice, but it's in the 50's in NE pa. Happy to have the rest of the six pack for colder nights.
Reviewed by barneyrubble from Colorado
4/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from bottle into a tulip an opaque ebony brown beer forms a medium coffee brown 1F head that settles with some residual lace.
On the nose, I get brown sugar, sweet molasses and gingerbread cookie, brown licorice, dark chocolate, and light medicinal herbs.
Tasting reveals brown sugar, sweet molasses, and iced gingerbread cake like doughy malt. Medicinal herbs seem buried in the molasses. No hint of alcohol at all with a very little warming.
Mouthfeel is on the heavier side of medium with creamy and slick texture and some cloying feeling at the back of the throat. Slightly drying finish.
Overall a fun departure from coffee dominated stouts, with just enough sweetness and balance to make interesting. The medicinal herbs are restrained and keep things enjoyable.
Feb 23, 2021On the nose, I get brown sugar, sweet molasses and gingerbread cookie, brown licorice, dark chocolate, and light medicinal herbs.
Tasting reveals brown sugar, sweet molasses, and iced gingerbread cake like doughy malt. Medicinal herbs seem buried in the molasses. No hint of alcohol at all with a very little warming.
Mouthfeel is on the heavier side of medium with creamy and slick texture and some cloying feeling at the back of the throat. Slightly drying finish.
Overall a fun departure from coffee dominated stouts, with just enough sweetness and balance to make interesting. The medicinal herbs are restrained and keep things enjoyable.
Rated by crazyspicychef from Pennsylvania
4.69/5 rDev +13.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.69/5 rDev +13.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Great Eisbock!
It's a shame it is no longer available.
Nov 18, 2020It's a shame it is no longer available.
Rated by eatsluggs from Florida
4.93/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.93/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I wanted to drink it just to try this particular style. Gets you tipsy quick. But what and extraordinary palate, flavor, aromas. Worth every buck!
Nov 17, 2020Reviewed by Steve555 from Wales
4.19/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown. Small one finger tan head. Smell of sherry, cough medicine, dark fruits. Taste is chocolate, raisins, a bit of alcohol, syryp and figs. Feel is a tingly carbonation leaving a bitter sweet warming dryness. Top beer. The best Eisbock IMO.
Nov 13, 2020Reviewed by brewerburgundy from West Virginia
4.24/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
11.2oz bottle, tulip.
Cola colored pour with a generous rush of head in a light cafe mocha shade. The bubbles quickly fade leaving just a fingernail ring.
It exudes moist, fresh raisin and dark, sweet rum. It’s not too sweet and you can sense the alcohol just below the surface.
Now I’m quite a fan of prunes and before you laugh I’ll tell you why. They’re typically very gooey and plump and not too sweet, and I find them very satisfying. This tastes of rich prune and sophisticated rum. It isn’t boozy yet, but a few more minutes will tell. Nope, stays essentially booze-less, which is surprising and good. Prune, raisin, black walnut. It’s like a concentrated dark lager. Go figure.
It’s medium-thick bodies, definitely verging on syrupy, but it’s not. The tight, consistent bubbles see to that.
My first Eisbock does not disappoint.
Oct 18, 2020Cola colored pour with a generous rush of head in a light cafe mocha shade. The bubbles quickly fade leaving just a fingernail ring.
It exudes moist, fresh raisin and dark, sweet rum. It’s not too sweet and you can sense the alcohol just below the surface.
Now I’m quite a fan of prunes and before you laugh I’ll tell you why. They’re typically very gooey and plump and not too sweet, and I find them very satisfying. This tastes of rich prune and sophisticated rum. It isn’t boozy yet, but a few more minutes will tell. Nope, stays essentially booze-less, which is surprising and good. Prune, raisin, black walnut. It’s like a concentrated dark lager. Go figure.
It’s medium-thick bodies, definitely verging on syrupy, but it’s not. The tight, consistent bubbles see to that.
My first Eisbock does not disappoint.
Eisbock from Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
1130 ratings
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