EKU 28

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

Bottle at the CT River Festival. A very powerfull beer. Strong aroma of malt and alcohol. The flavor is much the same, rather simple, just a back to back pounding of alcohol and malt, if there was more to it than that it was overpowered for me. Deffinatly not something I would like to make a regular but its very good at what it is.

The SilkTork lunch is normally taken either at the pub with a pint of cask-conditioned Bitter, or at home with a lager from the fridge. SilkTork is not a lover of lager, for him it is just something to wash down food or refresh a thirst. On this day he took a bottle out of the fridge to drink in the bath he was running. He noticed the name Eku and dimly perceived through the brown glass that it was a dark lager like a Vienna. He paused for a moment. SilkTork liked beers with character and body. Lager, for him, did not have character or body. The first dark lagers he had tried had impressed him with their tangy malt - they were more in the style of the type of beer he enjoyed. But after trying a few he had grown weary of them. He disliked the uncomfortable contrast between the malt flavours he enjoyed and the thin body he detested. A straight forward Pilsner, or one from that extended family, might be more suited to his needs right now than a beer which would confuse and disorientate him with that strange hybrid of a small man in a big suit. He considered putting it back and getting a light lager, but thought, "What the hell!" and popped off the cap. The malt and alcohol aroma flew up at him as he raised the glass, but the beer was already in his mouth. This was just a lager after all - he wasn't going to spend time appreciating the damn thing. The liquid flowed into his mouth and down his throat. By God! What was that! A thick, syrupy body and a powerful hit of alcohol. "This is the sort of super-strength lager drunk by those strange talking gentlemen down at Concrete & Cardboard," he thought as he made his way up to the bathroom. He was not impressed. When he got to the bathroom he looked at the bottle - 11% alcohol. "Boy, that's going to a killer for a lunch time drink," he remarked to himself. He finished pouring the contents into his glass, and then took another look at the bottle. There was a picture on the back of one of the incoherent gentlemen from Concrete & Cardboard. "This must be an Eisbock," he thought as he lowered himself into the hot water. He had heard how Eisbocks were made by freezing the brew and then removing the ice so that both the flavour and the alcohol were intensified. He took another cautious sip. He was impressed by the thick creamy texture and firm mouthfeel. This was no ordinary wimpy lager, this was a beer with balls. There was a cascade, a cornucopia, a devil's horn of fruity flavours pregnant with ripeness. He tasted plums, raisins, bananas and apples. Yes, there was a little sharpness in there, and a hint of something hot and sour. He sipped again. Could it just be the alcohol? The alcohol certainly came through strongly, but that was well balanced by the overall softness of the malt, and when the alcohol did come through it was always allied to the malt and to the sweetness. This was not a bludgening mindless alcohol, this was strength married to sweetness. This was a cultured, well educated, intelligent alcohol. The sort of alcohol that becomes a chess grandmaster and formulates theories of relativity. SilkTork was becoming intriqued and impressed. He could pick up bitterness, dead leaves and twigs, and a fragile memory of a hop aroma. The warmth of the bath and the warmth of the water were lulling SilkTork into a doze. His thoughts expanded and the beer began to fill his dreams. He dreamt of monsters from myth and fable. Huge beasts gorging themselves at long wooden table filled with the finest fruits and nuts from every corner of the planet. He dreamt of a Chimera licking oil from a vine leaf. Charybdis was there chewing on a fresh stick of licorice. Ladon spat out flame scorched apples. Typhon stuffed each of his hundred heads with dripping malt. And Medusa smeared raw meat over her lips. It was a frightening, overwhelming feast. But above all else, it was magnificent. When SilkTork woke the bath water was cold and the empty glass of Eku 28 on the floor told its own tale.

A very good beer. Nice copper look. Sweeter than I expected it to be. Good at cool, cold or room temperatures. The only problem I found is that the head evaporated too quickly, even with a straight and fast poor.

Poured a clear copper color with a tannish white head. Malts and lots of alcohol in the aroma. Don't drink near an open flame! Flavor was sweet, malty with some caramel. And plenty of alcohol flavor! Full mouthfeel, dry, smooth and low carbonation.

Bottle shared with Bret. Murky amber color with a small head. Awesome malty aroma. Taste is sweet, yet dry with some dried fruits. Slightly smokey and really drinkable.

Surprised I hadn’t rated this one yet, as it is a beer I return to from time to time as a palate check. How much I enjoyed it this time around is definitely reflective of my constantly evolving tastes for beer. It tasted like I remembered, except the cloying sweetness of my memory has changed into a rich maltiness. Medium amber, slight head fades immediately. Aroma a strong shot of caramel and sherry. Flavor matches, caramel, a touch of molasses smokiness, faint sherry notes apparent in the alcohol, and a bit flour that reminds me of the smell of homemade play-do and a project I did once in elementary school of a vinegar volcano. But no vinegar notes. I digress. Enjoyable.

Bottle dated best before 2007, estimated at about 5 or 6 years old, courtesy of Brewnoser. Dark amber body with a small beige head that fades. Sweet caramel aroma, sugars and caramel malt. Sweet caramel malt flavour is lovely with a dry not in the finish. Average palate is smooth. (3+) Quite nice, this had stood up marvelously if its that old! Many thanks for the chance to try this, it was quite pleasant. Amazed that this is rated so low.

Amber pour with plenty of Head. Sweet caramel and malt flavor that isn’t too overpowering. Better tasting when consumed directly out of the bottle.