Hofstetten Granitbock: Zymatore
Brauerei Hofstetten / Krammer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hard beer to judge only in that I was expecting a dopplebock with touches of sour notes but instead it seems more like a sour ale with touches of sweetness (petty, I know). Poured a brown body with one finger head that stuck around for a while and left lace and I get a mostly tart, sour smell, like cherries or some other type berry or possible grape (thinking wine) aroma. Can also pick out some touches of sweet malt, bread malt and oak/woodiness in the aroma and this follows through in the taste profile. A medium bodied, filling beer but not quite chewey, this brew goes down easy and has a dry finish but isn't crisp or sharp as carbonation is light. The dopplebock nuances of sweet, bread malts along with hops (citric and that's about it) do come out, but the taste is more of a woody, oaky, sour variety although I wouldn't go as far as saying winelike but there are notes of tart fruits. Good sipping beer that is different from other beers before as I can safely say I haven't had a dopplebock or sour ale quite like this. The combination works and this beer is worth trying but I believe, and this is only my personal opinion/taste preference, that the beer could use a little more malt balance.

Just having this lovely beer at the Trappist in Oakland. Great discovery! Not giving verbal description, but I assure it is a great bar for enjoying the Granitbock from Austria, I guess in the sour bock tradition. Now I have to seek this brewery in the outback of Austria!

 

On tap at Alexandria (VA) Rustico. This is a soured doppelbock aged in Zinfandel, Pinot noir, and Belgian owl whiskey barrels. It ends up being a really composed full flavored sour beer with a rich malt base and hefty oak.

The beer pours a beautiful dark blood red to crimson, bordering on a very dark brown core. A nice tan head with some sticky webbed lacing, very nice look.

The smell is a beautiful oak vanilla tinged mix of tart berry, rich red wine, a bit of cheesy funk and some bready malt backbone. The taste follows suit with some nice dark cherry, plum, rhubarb, and even some cocoa type notes as well. Nice tartness but the depth of the refined sweet notes gives it a very nice overall flavor. Don't get a lot of whiskey but it probably adds to the round richness. Citrus type tartness in the aftertaste, like a lemon without pesticides.

The feel is medium with a stiff carbonation to it. Hits sour and fruity up front, with a bitter and citrus sour aftertaste.

Overall, a very enjoyable glass of deep sour beer, highly recommended.