Reserve Trippelbock
Wagner Valley Brewing Co.

 

A - Clear deep garnet color with moderate lacing, nice clarity, and cream lacing.

S - Toasted caramel and light booze on the nose.

T - Toasted toffee/caramel with very delicate bitterness and some alcohol.

M - Medium body that's silky soft.

O - Very flavorful and will creep up on you quickly!

 

 

Got a bottle of this last summer on a trip I went on recently with my wife to the Finger Lakes region of New York for a vacation. Been hanging onto it for awhile. Poured out a 24.9 oz bottle into one of my tulip glasses, this beer pours a clear, medium to dark amber/copper/brown color with a slightly tan colored head that's well over an inch thick when first poured. Settles eventually to a very thick ring lining the inside of the glass along with a good, thick surface coating of foam and excellent lacing. Aromas of toasted, bready caramel malt sweetness along with some strong hints of chocolate. Flavors of toasted, bready caramel malt sweetness and some chocolate and slight spice hings. Not really any discernible hop flavors that my palate can detect, so obviously the sweet flavors dominate. Still, the malty and sweet flavors have a nice balance among themselves somehow. Has a slightly crisp, mostly smooth, also slightly chewy and prickly and oily, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Easy to drink in a good way.

Eric

 

 

750ml bottle served at cellar temps into a tulip glass. No bottling date but this one has some age on it.

Appearance: beautiful bottle and label design. Simple and reserved. There is no ABV listed on the bottle. The beer poured semi thick, dark brown and clear with a nice tan head.

Nose: chocolate, malty bomb, classic bock malty bread smell, no hop aroma at all, sweet and chewy

Taste and Mouthfeel: Wow! This is a classic bock beer with a sneaky kick. Light chocolate flavor lends itself to a rich malty sweetness that finished in a lingering bready quality. Slightly spicy, maybe from whatever small amount of hops were used. Nothing overpowering. Very drinkable, dangerously so at 10%. Fairly thick mouthfeel, the sweetness really coats your tongue and it has a slight oily quality. In a good way though.

Overall: This is essentially a German-style Barleywine (even though it is a lager, I won;t count that against it). I really liked this beer. I do believe it is right in line with the classic examples of the style: Celebrator, Optimator and Salvator. I have a Samichlaus that I might have to open up after sampling this beer. Delicious. I could probably age this for years to come and it would be wonderful. Great central NY beer brewing less than 2 hours from my home.

 

 

Had from a bomber purchased at the Brewery on the Finger lakes, poured in a tulip glass.

L: Pours a deep cloudy copper color. Minimal white head which fell quickly. No significant lacing.

S: Malty and sweet. Molasses and toffee.

T/F: Malty and on the sweet side with only minimal hops at the finish. Tastes somewhat like old fashioned candy and molasses. Saved from being cloying by the alcoholic heat which kicks in at 10%. Mild carbonation, and thick/chewy.

O: A pretty nice beer from Wagner, and one of their better brews that I've tried. Tends more towards the 'dessert' category, and this would be great for a crisp fall day. I'd drink it again.