EKU 28

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

This stuff rules! I assumed that it would be total crap...I didn’t even know it was 11% until half way through the glass when I was checking out the labels details. Scocker! ....... Poured out a slight off white head, one finger thick that quickly vanished. Only beer remained in my glass and it was a deep deep amber with a bunch of slow rising very large bubbles that stick in place at the top of the viscous brew. The top of the beer almost resembles one that was made of plastic with a bad casting leaving large encased bubbles. The aroma and taste are very similar and both are suprisingly good. 11%? Where? Warm, sweet caramel malts, cognac, sherry, cherry... one of the more interesting brews I’ve had in a long time. You know the alcohol is there but it isn’t all that noticable as it is blended in well - way better than most other strong Euro’s. Thick and syrupy, there is some alcohol bite after all noticable mostly on the aftertaste which is mainly a lingering fruity malt that covers the whole mouth. Highly recommended.

[15 year old vintage - thanks a million Ungstrup] Hazy brown with tiny head. Sweet fruity aroma with malt, sherry and plums. Sweet flavor with dark overripe fruits, toasted malt, caramel and sherry notes.

33cl bottle from a Leclerc in Colombes, Paris. Gold with a ring of white head; intense aroma of dried fruit - dates, prunes, raisins, apples and pears; the mouth feel is that of a dessert wine, cloyingly sweet, with apricot and marzipan flavours; warming spirit-like finish, reminding me of Calvados or a fruity Speyside malt whisky. A beer to sip very slowly and enjoy.

12 oz bottle, aged nearly a year. Pours a lovely clear ruby with fizzy, vanishing beige head. Massive toffee aroma with sherry warmth, red licorice sweetness. Ungainly on the palate, with strong oxidation metals countering an initial fruity sweetness, huge brandy-like alcohol presence and faint medicinal hop finish. Thin on the palate, but quite sticky afterwards. OK once in a while.

Bottle. I have always liked this one, but it is not for everyone. This is a malt monster by every definition, although Samiclaus and Urbock 23 I think are superior. Golden and clear, with not much of a head. Massive malt aroma, with vanilla, a touch of alcohol, and various candies. Big malty, malt-wine flavor. No bitterness, just malt. Slight alcohol bite. Nice fire-sipping cold night brew.

Pours a pretty, red-orange color; lively bubbles throughout, and a small, almost frothy ring of head. Aroma quite sweet and malty with a note of dark fruit; alcohol does show here slightly. The first couple sips are, unfortunately, the best; sweet and malty with dark fruits and some toffee; alcohol is apparent with a twinge on the tongue and significant nasal warmth in the exhale; the description is true though: this drinks like a dessert drink, and the sweetness does not reach the point of being cloying. Mouthfeel is lovely: full and frothy, and fairly sticky on the lips. Overall, I’m shocked by the poor overall ratings for this beer, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Pours a clear amber from the bottle. No head or lacing. Aroma is very malty with a hint of hops. Flavor is molasses and malt. There is a full body with some carbonation and an alcohol burn. Very warming. Some hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Very nice. I was surprised at the full body given its clarity.

Bottle. Pours brilliant rusy amber with big beige head which falls eventually. The aroma is raisin, cinnamon, honey, and wood. The flavor begins with a sweet brown sugar and raisin taste, which gets gradually woodier with time. Some floral hops come through, as well, along with a tinge of alcohol that grows in the finish. Pretty good.