EKU 28

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

This was a mixed bag in that it was unique. Ultimately, EKU 28 was nearly unfinishable. The acoholic notes were a little much; but, the cloying sweetness is what really did me in. I think it definately would work as a dessert beer in small measure and paired with chocolate.

The whiskey of beers; goes down hot from all the alcohol. Malt is deep caramel with light dashes of oak, and vanilla. Very much a sipping brew. Nice stuff, for real men only.

This beer makes a lasting impression! Thick and malty like a syrup. Definately not for the timid. I just wish BevMo would sell single bottles and NOT 6 packs only!

Seems like the entire character of this beer is domenated by the scale topping gravity. From a brewing perspective it is well made, and very high gravity beers like this are hard to do. From a drinking perspective this is a difficult beer to drink more than 4-5 ounces of at a time. It can be quite enjoyable, but only in the same contexts as a brandy, say late in the evening after a biting day of January weather. Just don’t serve it with lunch.

The pour is orange gold like a Belgian Trippel, but does not possess the signature foamy head of that style. The carbonation is lively and fizzy, but not a head to be seen anywhere. The aroma is perfumey alcohol with a floral hop hint. The taste is sweet and spicy with up front alcohol and an assertive hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is very drying with a strong burn at the back of the throat. Nice and drinkable beer, but lacks the roasty complexity of a good dopplebock, or the subtle hidden punch packed by a Belgian Trippel.

Pours reddish-amber with a short lived pure white head. Interesting malt and caramel nose. Very thick, fruity caramel and molasses filled flavors. Very interesting, almost brandy-like in taste and mouthfeel. I’ve never had anything like it and I’m drawn to it in a good way. Very interesting.

In the bottle at Huber Haus. Pours amber with a quickly diminishing head. Has a peculiar apple aroma, if you can get past the alcohol burn. Crystal clear in its transluscence. Sweet and syrupy without any hop balance. Sorry, but just about any American Barleywine can kick its ass. Someday, maybe, the Germans will discover the hop when they play with the high gravity stuff. UPDATE 6/25/6: On tap at the Huber Haus. Amber beer with a thick rich cascading head. A very chewey beer vom foss, but I find it to still be out of balance with the strong alcohol not masked by malt or hops sufficiently.

A nice malty aroma but very little hop. Pours a deep rich golden amber and with a nice size head. Drinking reminds one of a mild dessert wine with a hint of tangerine.