Eisbock Lager
Bayern Brewing, Inc. / Edelweiss Bistro

 

 

there just isnt enough eisbock in the world anymore, especially from american brewers, so to be gifted a 2018 crowler of this was quite the treat, its aged predictably well, even in this format, what a treat for our thanksgiving table! its deep brown with some chestnut colored edges in the right light, a high head that settles slowly, thick but fizzy, tan in color, and capable of quite the beer mustache. aroma here has some sweetness and some umami going on, its got a little soy but not oxidation, some doppelbock type malt characteristics, almost savory or salty at the same time i get brown sugar and molasses and rustic dark wood fired bread. subtle tobacco and cocoa, anise and licorice, and date and raisin in the flavor, but still somehow obviously a lager, even in its enormity. its gets awfully boozy as it warms up, and it has immense staying power, like even after i swallow it, its still in my mouth, totally palate coating and permanent, you can taste this forever. some dark fruit, more soy, and a maple note, lots of alcohol, a sticky full texture without much carbonation given the head, and just a huge beer thats hard to drink too fast or too much of, but a nice wintery sipper, a killer food beer, and really very authentically german. glad this exists, and that someone was kind enough to hook this up for me, i love the style and miss it dearly most of the time. no surprise bayern has done such a good job with this, really exceptional if you like big malty sweet german lagers! this will warms you up from the inside out.

From notes taken 12/15/16:

Bought a growler from The Palms Grand Casino in Billings, Montana. They had two kegs, and the only other keg in town was supposedly at Old Chicago Pizza. Glad I saw the casino’s Facebook advertisement or I might have had to wait a long while before getting to try an Eisbock. This is my first although it’s been on my list of beers to seek out for a while now.

Thick, cola brown to black depending on glass, quite opaque. Fine and delicate head of tannish brown, lower retention but film-forming and readily stirred back. Aroma of plum, other dark fruit, strong alcohol and mild fusels and perhaps phenols that grow stronger as fruit dissipates, caramel, and toffee, with light suggestions of roasted meat. Very sweet palate of dark fruit, light licorice, and molasses or toffee, but good balance with roasty and toasty qualities from malt and metallic and spicy ones from booze, not sure about hops. Pepper/anise retro-olfaction, but takes a while to build up. Thick, full, syrupy, somewhat chewy. Carbonation is prickly and fine, but not so abundant that it distracts from the rest of the mouthfeel or cuts the flavor, and devolves to velvet before too long. Very warming, hardly astringent. Overall as close to a high end, high ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale as it is to a Dopplebock or Altbier, but clearly a distinct style, being less effervescent and less overtly medicinal or sour than the Belgian and considerably stronger than the German.

On tap served in a snifter
L: a dark beer with light lacing
S: nose is dark fruit and German esters and hint of booze.
T: sweet up front with candied fruit, finishing with dark malts and medium bitter hops
O: very well balanced for a high alcohol beer, very little heat, and easy to drink.