Ramstein Winter Wheat

Brewed by High Point Brewing Company
Style: Weizen Bock
Butler, New Jersey USA

Bottle courtesy of JB175. My first from the Garden State – thanks Jason! Pours a murky reddish brown with an initial 3 finger fizzy tan head that fades fairly quick and zero lacing. I didn’t expect this one to be dark at all. Nose is sweet malt, dark fruits and light roasted coffee. Taste is dark fruits, bitter dark chocolate and sour coffee grounds. There’s definitely an alcohol burn in the finish as well. Medium, semi-creamy and prickly mouth feel. Not bad – not what I expected at all, but a decent brew.

bottle: pours a very dark dark brown good small tan head. aroma is a good roast slight chocolate very little wheat. and some dark fruits linger. flavour is roasty and slight chcolate and a better wheat profile then in the aroma good carbonation and great finish.

Pours opaque mahogany with crimson edging. Barely a trace of spritzy head rose up before instantly dissapearing. Zero lacework or retention. Aromatics are full-on malty, with a trace of chocolate and a good whiff of alcohol. Quite clean and caramel-stuffed. On the thick side of medium bodied, sticky and slick. Low carbonation adds some cloyness. Rich malt, caramel, and chocolate lead off the pallet. Alcohol follows through with some substantial warmth. A slight tang from the wheat but otherwise a very clean lager. Finishes with lingering caramel, chocolate and some faint wet paper. This one is tasting a bit stale, or maybe it was never too spectacular to begin with? The lack of carbonation and poor retention is not a good sign, regardless.

Pours a dark cola with a strong head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is very complex. Black pepper, cloves, allspice and some sweet malt. Taste is disappointing. I taste some smoke, a horse blanket aroma of dust and some sweet malt but very little in the way of wheat. Perhaps it was the bottle. It wasn’t one of my favorites. I’ll try again and re-rate in the near future.

This poured opaque and mahogony to black in color with a thick head that dissipated quickly. The nose showed off wheat, dark fruit, banana and some expresso. In the mouth the beer is light to medium-bodied with fresh acidity. This actually comes off quite fresh which is unexpected based on the nose.

2005 Bottle. Pours out a very dark brown with dark red around the edges when held to light. Head was fairly big and a light tan color, retains well, but not as pillowy as one might expect. The smell is one that I’ve been waiting to experience, almost a revelation. It smells like a wonderful Christmas cookie. It’s like a chocolate dipped banana plum, mixed with caramel and molasses cookies. Taste begins with some plum and a bit of dark fruit, plenty of Christmas spices as well, then ends up having a hint of burnt caramel and just a touch of coffee-like roastiness. Carbonation is on the higher side with just a little bit less than medium body. Alcohol is very well hidden in this one. I’m going to see if I can’t get more of this so I can enjoy plenty of it during the next holiday season, although I’m sure this is great in any weather.

12oz bottle. Pours dark brown with a very small, brown head, no ret, no lace. Smells dark and malty, slight alcohol. Tastes big and dark sweet malty, not overpowering though, very nice. Not what I was expecting from a wheat beer, but good and flavorful. Full body, good carbonation.

12 fl. oz. bottle via sammy (thanks!), served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass.

App.: Moderate cola, vanishing tan head, clear. Aroma: Lots of boozy currants, raisins, light coffee, milk chocolate, vanilla, minty herbals, some other dried fruits, a bit of wood and some light warm spices, some brown sugar and molasses. Palate: Medium+ body, fairly soft but present effervescence. Flav.: Some of the currants, clove and esters, a bit of wood and chocolate, a bit of molasses; quite tart...that’s not right, is it?; a bit of mineral and coffee to finish.

Surely this is infected. Would like to try a fresh bottle, because the nose is very promising.