Starkbierzeit 2022

Schneider Weisse Tap 5 Hopfenweisse

Today I dug a beer out from the back of of the beer fridge - a 3 year old Schneider Hopfenweisse. As I mention in my review, I tend to think of this beer as a form of Maibock. Which would seem to be appropriate to have during Fruhlingsfest.

At 8.2% abv and 500 ml, it is also apropos for a Friday night.


0.5 L bottle
Bottle Date: 19.246 => 040619 => 04 June, 2019
Glassware: oversized pinot noir glass
Temp at Pour: 16.2 C / approx 62.5 F


Look:
Dark and opaque gold with an 2" off-white lacey head. The head quickly dissipates to a thin cover. Upon drinking, the cover starts to break up. Lacing is good.

Smell:
Very sweet and overripe fruits such as banana, honey crisp apple, and some mango along with other citrus scents. Prominent floral hops. There are some notes of cloves and some dusty wheat.

Taste:
Follows the nose closely. Starts very sweet and citrusy then the hops and the spices bite. The hops seem to fight for dominance in the flavor and linger on through the aftertaste, providing for a bittersweet finish.

Feel:
Creamy but with an astringent note. Body is on the fuller side of medium.

Overall:
A unique take on a Weizenbock. The hops aren't excessive but they definitely show up to the party. I have had this beer several times before, but am not sure how I feel about it. I tend to view it as a hoppy Tripel or perhaps a weizen form of a Maibock. I pour it on the warm side so that the fruitiness and any malts are that much more noticeable vs. the hops. All that said, it is a very well made beer.

 

Flensburger Winterbock


11.2 oz bottle
Bottle Code: L 101 235
Glassware: 12-oz footed pilsner/stange
Temp at Pour: 56.2 F


Look:
Clear medium copper topped by a 1" off-white head. The head dissipate to an almost nonexistent cover.

Smell:
Sweet and toasted grains. Bread. Dark raw honey. Hints of fruits like apples and raisins. No detectable hops.

Taste:
Follows the nose but with additional sweetness. Some hops show up to stop the beer from becoming cloying, but it finishes on a definite sweet note.

Feel:
Syrupy. Body is medium-light.

Overall:
While not a bad beer and definitely drinkable, this beer is not what I expect in a doppelbock. It is far too sweet and the color is too light. Maybe this should be in the standard bock category. The closest thing to it that I have had is Abita's Andygator.

 

the Flensburger review doesn't surprise me. their regular offering is...okay...but I feel like without the cute bottle, they wouldn't be much more popular than, say, becks. their weizen and their dunkel are IMO throwaways. imagine bock could be, too. for a better regional beer in the same cute bottle try Dithmarschen

 

It did seem thinner than medium to me, yes. Maybe because I have been drinking doppelbocks and weizenbocks recently. Those have a heavier feel for me.

 

Yeah ... I for me the Flensburger was "okay". I'd much rather have the Einbecker or the Paulaner that I reviewed a couple of days ago.

 

It could well have been an age-related thing. The German Beer Dates thread didn't have an entry for Flensburger. Any idea what that date code translates to? L 101 235.

I bought that Winterbock about a year ago, so it is at least that old.

 

Pour Man Brewing Foltzenator

Tonight I went with a locally microbrewed doppelbock. I came across it at my local shop last weekend. I've never had this one before.

I ended up liking this doppelbock. It's not in the same vein as Celebrator or Korbinian or the like, but it's good for what it is. It is fine as a spring bock, though it is more malty and darker than most of those. As I mention below, it is very much an amped up and balanced out Oktoberfest/Marzen. Which I am totally down for.


16 oz can
Can Date: ???
Glassware: 0.5 L glass fest mug
Temp at Pour: 58.5 F

Look:
Dark but clear copper with plenty of carbonation bubbles making their way to the top. The head is a light beige that starts out huge (half of the mug) but quickly fades to 2+ fingers. That fades to an inconsistent cover which starts to dissipate as the beer is consumed. Lacing is fine.

Smell:
Toasted grain and fresh bread. Very malty but not sweet.

Taste:
Just like the nose. Nice toasty grains and bready malt. Bready malts, not sweet ones. A faint hop bitterness appears in the background that provides a nice dryness. Finishes malty but dry with a slight bite. Makes one want another sip.

Feel:
Smooth but with a faint alcohol burn. Body is medium.

Overall:
This the 1st time that I have had this beer or heard of Pour Man's Brewing. The beer is like an amped up Oktoberfest/Marzen (such as Great Lakes Oktoberfest) with hops also amped up accordingly. There is a nice balance to the beer and it drinks quite well. It is a solid if uncomplicated Amber Doppelbock.

 

Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock

Finally I have "proper" Maibock. Or at least a beer that labels itself as a Maibock.
As I mention in the review, this beer is similar to Einbecker's Ur-Bock Dunkel. But it is not the same. This beer drinks easier and is the more balanced of the 2.

The more that I drink this beer the more I agree with what CrazySpicyChef said in his review - I could drink this all day.


1.5 x 0.33L Bottles
Bottle Date Code: L 40811008 J
Glassware: 0.5 L Pokal
Temp at Pour: 58.5 F


Look:
Clear bright copper with plenty of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Off-white head that starts at 1 finger and quickly dissipates to a thin cover. The cover starts breaking up with the first sip. OK lacing.

Smell:
Bready malt with a noticeable grassy note.

Taste:
Bread dough with dark honey. Grassy and floral hops provide a mild but consistent bitterness that does not bite hard nor overpower but provides a balance. Some earthiness can be found in the finish.

Feel:
Smooth and ever-so-slightly sticky. Body is medium.

Overall:
A simple and straightforward Maibock that is easy to drink and quite quaffable. The beer reminds me of an amped-up Vienna Lager. It is similar to but not quite the same as Einbecker's Ur Bock Dunkel. The difference between the 2 is about the difference between a Vienna Lager and a Marzen. I am glad that I bought a 6-pack.

 

Weihenstephaner Vitus

I reviewed this beer in this thread back in early April, but that was an older bottle (3+ years old). To be fair to Weihenstephan, and to see what effect botle age might have had on my experience, I am reviewing a bottle that I picked up a week or 2 ago. This bottle is not quite a year old. And there is a difference. I'd say a noticeable one.

The beer in this bottle tastes and smells very much like the amped-up Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen that it is.


0.33 L bottle
Bottle Date: 9201 (26 May, 2021 ?)
Glass: Tulip
Pouring Temp: upper 40s F
ABV: 7.7%

Look:
Opaque golden yellow with a creamy white head that fills the space in the glass not filled with liquid. The head slowly collapses to a consistent cover. Lacing is good.

Smell:
Citrus fruits. Ripe banana. Honeysuckle. Light honey such as acacia or clover. Allspice and cloves. There is a restrained sweetness that undergirds everything.

Taste:
A citrus bite starts things off mixed with sweet banana. The allspice and cloves then bite some and keep things in balance. There is a nice flowery note as well. The finish is soft and sweet with a touch of fading cloves. The spices accumulate as the beer is consumed.

Feel:
Soft, smooth and creamy. Body is medium with a lean towards the full side.

Overall:
A tasty and complex Heller Weizenbock. I actually view it as a Weizen-based Maibock, with the cloves standing in for hops. Great for spring and early summer.

 

Rogue Dead Guy


Dead Guy is listed as a Maibock and the brewery says that its in the style of a Maibock, so why not?


1.5 x 12 oz bottle
Bottle Date: ???
Glass: 0.5L glass fest mug
Pouring Temp: 65.8 F/17.7 C
ABV: 6.8%


Look:
Deep and slightly hazy copper with an initial 2-finger creamy light beige head. The head dissipates to a thin but consistent cover with excellent soapy lacing down the glass.

Smell:
Tons of sweet bready malts laced with honey and either toffee or caramel. There is also a subtle earthy note along with hints of floral hops.

Taste:
Starts with bready malts and toffee then a strong earthiness asserts itself and dominates the taste. A light bitterness also appears alongside the earthiness and grows throughout the sip.

Feel:
Smooth feel. Body is medium with a slight lean towards the lighter side.

Overall:
A nice beer full of strong but balanced flavors. It reminds me of an ESB more than a Maibock, but regardless, it is a solid brew.

 

I've only seen one maibock this year (Duclaw) on my stores' shelves, and I learned a few days ago that the maibock from my local German-inspired brewery went bad in the lagering tank, so I may have to pick up some Dead Guy to satisfy my craving. I even drove 25 miles to the best store in Kalamazoo in my search, and nada! Where are the maibocks!?