Fastenbier
Brauerei Michael Plank

Pours clear, brownish gold in color with one inch head. Taste is toasted malt, cereal, dough, and earthy hops. Light bodied, moderate carbonation, slightly sweet. Nice malt bomb. Not my favorite Plank beer but a good lager. The brewery is great though

 

 

I don't know what is dark about this beer?
It pours a golden yellow with a quickly fading whispy head.
To me it tastes like a Helles plus. Just a little maltier than a Helles, but quite similar.
The hops are there, in balance as they should be.
I really like this one.
I'll definitely pick up a few more before they disappear.
I'd really like to see more of this style.

16-oz can
Glass: 0.5 L Fest Mug
ABV: 5.6%


Look:
Slightly-burnished gold with a 1.5-finger off-white head. The head fades to about a quarter finger of creaming foam. Some lacing is discernable.

Smell:
Bready and doughy malts. Some cracker notes. Very light touch of honey. Fresh-cut hay and a faint spicy/tingly note round things out.

Taste:
Follows the nose mostly. The hay notes and the spicy or tingly ones are much more pronounced but are not up in your face. These bring some of that "European Beer Skunkiness" to the party and not necessarily in a bad way. The sip finishes on the dry side somewhat with those spicy notes lingering.

Feel:
Crisp and clean. A tad chewy. The body is medium.

Overall:
A nice easy-drinking Fastenbier. Very much like a Festbier with a bit more body and more spicy bitterness/dryness. And a tad less alcohol. I don't know that I would call this beer a "dark lager" though.

Addendum: The more that I drank of this beer, the more easy it was to drink more.

 

 

Shrouded is as much mystery as it does history, stories and misnomers, the Bock beer does more than simply sustain 17th century monks during the fasting period of lent. And Plank's Helles Bock now provided a deep and strong lager flavor that's powerful yet smooth.


Pouring with a bright and brassy goldenrod hue, a steady stream of bubbles fuel a low-lying ivory froth. With a softly floral scent of flower arrangements adorn a sweeter honeysuckle scent and a savory toasted grain backdrop. Squarely malt focused, the beer's early flavors are honey-sweet with hint of cashew, light toast and a nearly granola-like character.

With the malts remaining in control, the grain sweetness slowly dries to a crisp malt palatability all the while the hops turn from floral to spice with suggestions of peppery grasses, herb and verbena. As the firm alcohol aids to dry the finish, the hop spices and the crispening malts all work to create a remarkably drinkable "light bock" character.

Most likely built as a Maibock, this classic, traditional, well crafted and masterfully built lager is a throwback taste that is largely missing from American newer beer variety. Finishing spicy, sweet and slightly bitter, a medium-short aftertaste of hops give this malty session an even keel sense of balance.

 

This one pours a clear orange-ish color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like biscuity malt, lemon rind, floral hops, and tea.

This is fantastic. It’s so biscuity and richly malty, with a biscuits and tea sort of crisp breadiness, with lemon and flowery hop character.

This is light bodied, with a very clean and crisp drinkability.

This is easily one of my favorite German breweries – I feel like they go under the radar a little bit.