Capital Eisphyre

Brewed by Capital Brewery
Style: Eisbock
Middleton, Wisconsin USA

Very intruiging nose, with rich cinnamon, freshly boiled potato, lavender, vanilla. Very unique. A hint of sweet apples and pear. Flavor is chewy and malty, belgian candi sugar and the texture of pear. Very yummy, but I could only drink this on rare occasions.

Pours a medium deep orange with a medium beige head. Aroma of orange peel and caramel malt. Taste is malty fruity sweet with strong hints of caramel and orange peel.

12-oz. Thankis, SecretSanta! Pours a medium deep brown with gold highlights. Headless, or very nearly so. Sharp heavy aromas of caramel malt, so bundled up and so heavy that there’s almost a bit of fresh earth or wet leaves in there. Agreed about the maple and tobacco mj notes in the nose. Fairly assertive attack, though not crazily so; syrupy body, light tingle of carb, and swimming with malt sugar flavors. Booze is fairly well hidden, considering. Heavily sweet and sticky and a bit over the top in that regard. Not much finish.

12oz bottle thanks to kmweaver. Clear copper color, off-white head. Sharp maple and sweet cherry flavored tobacco in the nose, abundent roast orange scented hops and some pretty high alcohol wafting out of the glass. Sharp, sticky tobacco and alcohol and brandy flavor, sharp and intense, for sure, but the palate is quite mellow, tastes aged but not spoiled or oxidized.

Clear dark copper in color with an initially thick light tan head that dissipated into a thin broken film. Some vaguely sweet aromas present, a hint of spice (anise?), a very slight touch of alcohol. Taste is more subdued than expected, with no intense flavors bullying their way to the palate. A mild spiciness comes through, with a nice dryness in the finish. Alcohol is well-hidden. Enjoyable, but lacks the vigor one expects from an eisbock.

12oz bottle, courtesy of some fine soul. Pours a clear, orange color; off-white head with medium-bubbled lacing. Chewy, caramel aroma. Light carbonation. Medium-to-full, chewy mouthfeel: plenty of caramel, dried dark fruits, and hints of citrus hops; dense, chewy eisbock. Lengthy, caramel and dried fruit finish.

An orange mirror stares back at me. It has sparkling pink hues. From the carbonation within, a creamy light beige head forms, swirls of mustard yellow seem to hold the silken froth together. The body is spectacularly clear and dense at once. Aromas of alcohol soaked tangelos, sticky and pulpy apricot nectar, caramel. Light pineapple and cedar notes mingle with vanilla and woody notes. Alcohol is profuse, but blends nicely with the fruit. More sugary and less malty of an aroma than expected, knowing the style in advance. These differences don’t seem like faults, rather exciting developments. Flavor is chock full of cereal grains, abundant caramel and toffee, little else at first. Eventually fruit notes proceed forward with unripened characteristics. A welcome addition in the flavor is the departure of most of the alcohol presence. Moderate sweetness and light astringency balance each other out. Lightly bitter and fully toasted as well. Finishes with a dusty sweetness, then dries out; medium length, moderate warmth. Mouthfeel is slick, medium-full bodied, amply carbonated. Pretty good. Very different than expected...here, that’s a good thing.

(12oz bottle, thanks kmweaver) Clear amber body with off-white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, some alcohol, light fruitiness. Taste is sweet, caramel, some apricot, light earthy. Smooth medium-full body.