EKU 28

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

Serve in Dimpled mug, Snifter, Stein

Clear orange in color with minimal white head. Sweet caramelized aroma with fruits, apricots, burnt sugar, and a touch of alcohol. Thick body. This is almost a delicious beer. Carmalized malts, sugar, apricots, and alcohol. The alcohol is too intense, burning like a shot of vodka. The finish is mostly sweet alcohol. I was initially intrigued and excited by the flavor untill the alcohol kicked in. I generally enjoy big, intense beers. But I would have liked a more mellow, well blended beer. Still, on a cold winters night this would be a fine beer to have.

Wow. I was blown away by the INTENSE flavor of this one. I’m a big fan of Erdinger hefeweisen and this by comparison is like taking Erdinger an multiplying it by 3x the flavor intensity plus a bit of sugar and a bit more complex flavor. I guess if it came down to it, I can more easily drink large quantities of Erdinger. This is a bit more potent than I’m used to, but I have a feeling that I could get used to this beer really fast. It’s definitely not what I expected after drinking so many lackluster German beers lately.’

Powerful, sturdy brew. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from this one, but it really surprised me. Enjoyable sipper to end the evening, I took my time sampling this. Aroma of candied sugar and rum, exceptionally sweet to the nose. Golden-amber pour with a surprisingly generous, thick head that provided ample lacing. Harsh mouth feel, overpowering alcoholic sweetness. Aggressive, warming, and pleasing. Smaller sips yield a more enjoyable experience. Flavor is thick with heavy malts, gritty sugar, syrup, and aftertastes of fibrous vegetables. Fermented dough, with a flowery perfume taste. Fairly complex and deep, it overpowers the senses. This would be a good beer to have on hand tucked away in the cellar for when the mood seems fit to enjoy.

EKU 28 poured golden & fizzy with thick foam. First sip is a BOOM! of yeasty bready, sweet acohol, and bitterness. EKU 28 is an Eisbock, tastes like a blend of 2XIPA, baryleywine, doppelbock and malt liquor. Too Hi-Test for my palate, but a beer that is important in beer-geek culture.

Vintage 2005 (I think... Actually, it could be older. The date code on the label is 02105.)

11/12/2007: EKU 28 pours a beautiful transparent orange color into my EKU 28 snifter. There is a thin off-white head that surfaces quickly and then fades away just as fast. It has some big bubbles that rise quickly to the surface and seem to soften as the beer breathes a bit. The aroma is amazing. It is super sweet and rich. It reminds me of a extremely well-craft mead that was made with high-quality honey. Other aromas include walnut oil (maybe a hint of sunflower oil as well) and dried fruits (dates, raisins, and apricots) soaked in top-shelf alcohol. The flavor is nearly as good - if not better at times - than the aroma. It is very complex and like an exquisite distillation of malts, fruit, and nuts. The finish and lingering flavors are also incredible and like a mouthfull of fresh, dried apricots soaked in cognac or something - sweet, fruity, and with a nice alcohol presence. The alcohol is really smooth and blended into the flavor, but also substantially warming and has a very slight burn. The body of this beer is medium and extremely smooth with a touch of creaminess to it. There is also some residual stickiness on the lips that is perfect. Overall this beer really is world-class and completely underrated. This beer (or at least this particular bottle) is absolutely fantastic!

11.2 fl. oz. bottle (11% Alc. by Volume) from West Side Liquor Store in West Harrison, Indiana. Rating #509 for this beer...

Amber gold with a fine white lasting head. Sweet - very sweet & deep malty aroma. Sweet - nearly cloying with a easy noticeable alcohol note. It has raisins & also a vinous feel. Still a bit too sweet & warm actually! couldnt finish a whole bottle!

UPDATED: NOV 25, 2007 500ml can.
Pours a clear honey orange with a chunky cream head. Smells alcoholic with hints of malts and banana. Taste is banana too with alcohol and lots of malt. Light feel and medium bodied. Nearly numbs the mouth like a whiskey or rum. Not exactly my cup’o’tea but with a few more similar beers i’m sure i could learn to enjoy it more.

A very nice dark amber in color. This is a very pleasent dark malty beer. Very drinkable where dark sweet caramel and malty goodness abound.