Kulmbacher Eisbock

Brewed by Kulmbacher Brauerei (Schörghuber)
Style: Eisbock
Kulmbach, Germany

2/7/04. Poured out of 33 cL bottle, bought at Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel, CA a long-ass time ago. 1996 Vintage. Holy shit, yo. Extremely dark brown-red color, capped with a very slight, tan head of large bubbles. The head can be forgiven, especially because the beer does something I’ve never seen before-- it leaves very little lacing at first (maybe because of the temperature?), then begins to leave the most elegant glitter and sparkle, like a thin, light tan metallic foil. Aroma is lovely-- some grape (like the fruit and also like the artificial fruit flavoring of grape candy), cola, and faint chocolate. Very delicious nose, sweet and luscious, a bit fruity. Flavor is just killer. Caramel malt and bright alcohol, worty. Syrupy with grape flavors, but not very vinous. Dried fruit-- prune and plum. Definite alcohol but not off-putting to me. Also some chocolate. Body is medium-full, velvety smooth beneath but pretty sharply biting and sort of humming with a carbonation feel that I somehow don’t see. I would guess it’s from the alcohol, but I actually prefer to think that it’s coming from the gentle pur of pixie dust sprinkled on this magic fruit. Finish is a lot of dried fruit and caramel malt, now resinous and always resonant, quite long and unique. Excellent stuff. Sticky on the lips. I can tell this bottle is a bit oxidized, but it could still age a bit I think. It’s certainly mellowed some over the years, but it’s still damn awesome.

As usual, I am wowed by an Eisbock. I was impressed by the color and initial tan head on the pour - it disappated very quickly. The color is a very dark murky brown with very faint red/orange highlights. This has a highly alcoholic smell. Dark dried fruit, brown sugar, dough are also present in the aroma. The palate is super sweet yet balanced a bit by the alcohol. But the alcohol isn’t a negative or out of place. In the middle of the palate is a nice graham cracker taste that is in between the layers of sweetness. I love this, but then this is my favorite style of beer.

Thanks to ilinismitty for this one. Pretty pretty, beautiful dark purple body with a fantastically huge light tan head. The aroma made me shiver in anticipation. Plums, cherries, alcoholic bliss all wafted up to me. A bit of caramel and chocolate lay down underneath the other aromas with some granola. Wow, this is sweet. Chocolate, plums, and cherries all combine for a chewy beverage. The alcohol is there but does not dominate, it works with what little hop presence in this to keep this from getting too cloying. Marshmallow granola flavor in the finish with sorghum molasses. A fantastic experience. Ap-5 ar-10 tas-8 pal-4 ov-18

This was another beer I tried at "The Toad", a little pub in Rochester, NY. Wow, and let me say wow again. It poured a beautiful dark brown with a cream-colored head. The smell and taste was reminiscent of raisin-bread for me, but at 9.2% ABV there was just a bit of an alcohol taste in the after-taste. Still, a great beer.

Bottle. Very dark brown, almost black color with ruby tint. Thin head. Aroma of dark roasted malt and fruit. Smooth taste of malt and raisin with accents of brown sugar. Very good.

Dark ruby pour. Strong aroma. Smells of fermented fruit and aged grapes. Definitely a red wine type of flavor with a slightly dry finish. Alcohol is not tasted at all. My first eisbock and a superb sample!

Aroma:malty sorts of aromas. no hop aroma. mostly carmel, some bread or pie crust, a little toasty Appearance: pretty dark, not as dark as a stout but darker than a brown. some redness or amber when held up to a light. big head first that dissipated quickly. Flavor: really malty. no real perceivable hop flavor. mostly like toasted bread or pie crust, a little roastiness, less carmel Palate: smooth, medium body, no real perceivable sweetness, slight bitterness in the finish Overall Impression: Its just like I hoped it would be. Very flavorful, very malty, but not sweet or syrupy. I had hoped for more carmel and less roastiness though.

Dark brown with dark ruby light thru, large rocky head on top .Its appearance would be pleasure to any beer lover. Sweet, solid cake dough aroma. Caramel with gentle bark of birch aroma wrapped with soft hoppy scent. Velvety nose, gentle with light alcoholic finish. More of dried fruit, maybe plum? Medium full bodied, with more exposed alcohol inside. Beautiful sipper for winter nights I must admit. Thick fruity malt with controlled sweetness to it like true fruity comfiture. Finish end with woody warm feel. Gem, a must try beer.