Starkbierzeit 2022

Korbinian - Weihenstephaner



Ok, the head is modest, and it left spotty patches of lace. The aroma is about as pleasant as they get. Strong toasted malt with lightly charred brown sugar and molasses. Pumpernickel rye is followed by dates, the middle has toffee reminiscent of a Heath bar or a Skor bar. The flavor sings with pumpernickel, just like my bagel this morning. More sweet than roasted bitterness, with strong nuts and toasted malt. Light smokiness is delicate. Warmth releases the brown sugar, molasses, and dates and adds raisins. The finish is long, malty, and soothing. It has a full body and lush velvet smooth texture that is almost like fur. The alcohol is well controlled and about as expected. Carbonation is soft.

This beer envelopes one with decadent luxury. It is exquisite and well worthy of its namesake, be it the bishop or the raven. As far as Lenten beers go, Korbinian is far and away the stand-out this year. I’m definitely looking for more and will again next year. Thanks to the others for their reviews here, or I may have continued to overlook it.

 

Ah, OK. I was last there in early March; they had the 5 bocks that I listed earlier then. But not much else. So I guess that is thin. And they likely sold out some of the ones that I had seen. They sold through Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock in a week or maybe 2.

I did check the Paulaner Variety Packs today. As Steve said, they do contain Salvator. But you have not mind the 9 other bottles (Oktoberfest, Hefeweizen, and I think Helles) in the 12 pack.

 

Nor mine.

 

The bright side can be hard to see through a hazy glass...

 

The ultimate solution is Duff Beer Goggles!

Cheers!

 

Forgotten Star, Fridley, MN
Bonspiel Bock, 6.3% ABV, 750ml crowler
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/57918/547382/
https://untappd.com/b/forgotten-star-brewing-bonspiel-boch/4719596

tastes the same as last year but less chocolate and and slightly more roast.
The same beer or very similar as last years Billy Goat. Same ABV

 

Dragon Lady - Rinkuškiai



The head quickly evaporated to a partial vail, and eventually to nothing,leaving no lace.

The aroma is distinctly boozy, though only moderately strong. Orchard fruit is followed by floral and honey notes, with no hops and only mild malt notes. There is no toasted character. Slight warmth brings out an acrid chemical quality.

It is sweet, with astringent bitterness coming and going throughout. Herbal notes of thyme and rosemary are a surprise. Apple juice makes sense, given the aroma, not the style. There is a mild toasted malt flavor. The finish is long and mild, sweetness giving way to lingering astringency. More warmth mellows the off flavors and replaces them with booziness. This is best when close to room temperature.

A medium body and smooth satin texture. My bottle says 8.5% abv, which seems right, with a mild warming quality and a light sharpness in the throat. It has an odd acidity. The carbonation is fine, and ample.

Despite the aroma and flavors being well below my preference, and outside the style guidelines, it does improve about 1/4 the way down. The chemical presence is unwelcome and ultimately it was an unfortunate choice, yet it almost fades away at room temperature. Nevertheless, it is fun to have a beer from Lithuania.

 

Tonight I decided to see how a 'standard' (and relatively young) Aventinus Eisbock compared the 2016 Vintage of the same beer that I had earlier this month (post #17 in this thread)

I must say that there is some difference. What I am currently enjoying right now more closely resembles Aventinus than the aged version that I had previously. The alcohol warmth is nice on a colder night like tonight.

This is probably the freshest that I've ever had Aventinus Eisbock.

I did cheat a bit and start with my earlier review; I modified that as need be.



look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Combo: 4.82


0.33 L bottle
Bottle Date: 21.210 and 160721 (guessing 16 July, 2021)
ABV: 12.0%
Glass: 0.33L Schneider Aventinus Eisbock Vase
Pouring Temp: room temp (approx 71 F)

Look:
Opaque chestnut brown with a 1 and a half finger creamy beige head. I cannot see my fingers through the glass; at the narrow point(s), I might be able to see the shadow of my fingers if I hold the glass to a light. The head settles to a 1/4" complete covering that has outstanding lacing. When I opened the bottle, the head appeared in the bottle and was slowly pushing itself up before I started pouring.

Smell:
Ripe bananas. Spiced plums and pears. Rum-soaked dried dark fruit. Dark wheat malts, like whole wheat bread. (Dark) brown sugar. Noticeable cloves with some cinnamon and maybe nutmeg.

Taste:
The ripe fruits lead off with the brown sugar and the cinnamon and create a richness that persists through the sip. Cloves quickly join the ensemble and keep the sweetness in check. The cloves and the bananas increase as one drinks more and more of this wonderful ale. A malty undertone ties everything together. No harshness nor booziness from the alcohol.

Feel:
Slick and mouth-coating. Some tingly carbonation. Medium-heavy body. A nice alcohol warmth is present and grows over time.

Overall:
A wonderful beer. This is unbelievably smooth for such a high ABV and is also complex and packed full of flavor. A very nice sipper for a cold night by the fire.

The pre-Eisbock base of Aventinus can be perceived, but this is a different animal.

 

I don't recall those, no.

"Earthy" is something that I normally associate with big stouts and hops, not weizens, so I may have interpreted it as something else here. Maybe the underlying malts?

I'm going to have to investigate! A good reason to have other one soon.

 

Tonight I pulled one from the back of the ol' beer fridge. A 3-year old Ayinger Weizenbock. A bit long in the tooth for a Weissbier, but it is Weizenbock.

I decided to go with a Weizen Vase instead of my normal oversized Pinot Noir glass.

Age has definitely affected this beer and muted some of its flavors, but it is still pretty good nonetheless. I have a couple more and they are on my Short List for this spring.



look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Combo: 4.09


0.5 L bottle
Bottle Date: L9002 (02 Jan, 2019 ?)
Consumed on: 2022-mar-30
ABV: 7.1%
Glass: 0.5L Ayinger Weizen Vase
Pouring Temp: 46 - 48 F


Look:
Opaque golden copper. I can see shadows of my fingers at the narrow part of the glass, but that's it. Initial 2-finger off-white head soon collapses to a thin but consistent cover. Decent lacing.

Smell:
Overripe bananas along with citrus fruits. Wheat bread. Hints of Ceylon cinnamon and kiss of cloves. Wheat "twang" on the end.

Taste:
Rich and doughy with fruity notes at the front such as bananas, overripe pears, and a hint of orange marmalade. Ceylon cinnamon and cloves jump right in and keep things balanced and a touch spicy. There is even a perfume or flower note in there. The finish is mildly sweet and rich. The cinnamon and cloves build as more of this tasty ale is consumed.

Feel:
Smooth and creamy with a body on the heavier side of medium.

Overall:
A nice and tasty Helles Weizenbock. Very flavorful. Especially for one this old. Ayinger makes pretty dad-gummed good beers overall and this is no exception. For me, this an excellent springtime and early summer beer. My ratings would most definitely have been higher for a fresher sample.

 

Bierstadt brewed up a big Baltic porter for the event.

 

I'm bad at reading emotional cues, care to elaborate?

 

Party motivated by the Crazy Spicy Chef and partly wanting to do something closer to home, I decided to revisit Troeg's Troegenator. I 1st had this 20 or so years ago. I come back to it now and again.

Tonight's pour has so far been better than I remember it being. The malts are certainly singing in this brew.

For my palate, Troegenator ventures a step or two too far to the sweet side to be my first choice for a doppelbock. But it makes a nice change of pace.


look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Combo: 3.66


1.5 x 12 oz bottles
Freshest By: 051722 => 17 May, 2022
072322 => 23 Juli, 2022
Consumed on: 31-mar-2022
Glass: 0.5L Troegs Hand Mug/Stange
Temp at Pour: 48-50 F


Look:
Pours a clear mahogany that leans more towards the red side than the brown. The initial pour yielded up a huge 3+ finger beige head that took several minutes to collapse. After the final part of the pour, the head was about 2 inches and khaki colored. This dissipates to a 1/4" consistent cover with very good lacing.

Smell:
Toasted grains with hints of caramel and toffee. I can detect notes of cocoa and faint chocolate.

Taste:
Follows the nose. Toasted grains with toasted caramel and toffee. The cocoa notes flit in the background. There is also a slight earthy and woody note in there. Also some walnuts and maybe pecans. Very light hints of anise. No detectable hops. The woody and cocoa notes continue through the finish. The doppelbock dries somewhat towards the end but finishes on sweeter (ie, maltier) side of things.

Feel:
Smooth and rich; perhaps a tad syrupy. Medium body.

Overall:
This is an easy-drinking doppelbock. Definitely a malt-bomb with some but not overmuch complexity.

 

@BitteNochEinWeissbier

Crossing styles, but interesting to see how much more you liked the aged Ayinger Weizenbock compared to the Troegganator.