Schwelmer Bernstein Bock

Brewed by Brauerei Schwelm
Style: Heller Bock
Schwelm, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Swing-top bottle: Copper coloured, medium-sized fluffy off-white head; sweetish malty nose, faint, but distinctive traces of aromatic floral hops; sweet-malty, slightly bitter flavour; sweetish-malty (again) finish with a lingering bitterness. Well balanced Bock, deceptive... It is very, very doubtful, if the two Bocks by Schwelmer (Dunkel (dark) and Bernstein (amber)) are really two different brews. Sampled parallel, they absolutely do not show any differences in the colour or in the quality of the foam; the nose is also very similar, maybe the Bernstein is a bit "hoppier", because the brewer added two or three milligrams more of hops to the "Amber"......................... 02/09: Quality seems to be even a bit better: Very stable creamy foam, amber coloured, fine "noble" hops in the nose, lingering, well balanced aromatic-hoppy and bready-malty finish. A pleasure.........

50 cL bottle. Pours clear and golden orange with a slowly diminishing white head. Roasted malty and spiced aroma. Smooth malty and roasted carame flavoured. Light dryness and mild bitterness into the finish. Nice breadish lasting finish.

Bottle, 6.5% at LCRBM08. Malty aroma and flavour. The flavour is also quite malty, nicely peppery, warming.

Bottled (thanks fonefan!). Amber colour with mediumsized creamy slightly off-white head, that leaves nice lace. Aroma is wooden, sweet malts, some bisquits and also some earthy and bready notes. Flavour is quite much the same along with some toffeeish notes as well. Also. Has a bit grassy notes towards the finish.

Bottled 50cl. Courtesy of pivnizub. Beautiful clear amber with a small head. Rather inviting aroma of dried apricots, melon, cherry, cork, crackers, ship rope, raisin, apple, pear and salt- complex. Fruity taste of dried apple, apricot, cherry and crackers. Remarkably salty! Low carbonation. Sweetish. Medium bodied. Cork and melon sneaking in. Good malt profile. Apple showing up on the swallow. Nice combination of complexity and drinkability. Long salty finish which is reminiscent of dried fruit. Overall impression: A salty fruity heller bock which reminds me of dried fruit. Plenty of character and pretty pleasant. Thanks a lot pivnizub!

Bottle from a trade with bierkoning. Thanks Edo! Pretty appearance of clear deep amber color and a big beige head. Aroma of malt, toasted bread, lots of caramel, some light fruitiness and light nutty notes. Sweet flavor of bread , malt, some caramelly sugariness and assertive herbal hops with light grass notes in a long lasting aftertaste. A very hoppy Bock. Overall a tasty well-made Bock.

A clear amber colored beer, with a thick beige head. The aroma of caramel malt, a little chocolate with coffee candies. The taste of dark caramel, sweet, bitter and some dark cherries. A little spicey. The aftertaste is long bitter but smooth.

Bottle, thanks Pivnizub!
Dark red amber - lives up to its name here, Tanned creamy head, low visible carbonation. Fresh aromatic hops cover a honeyish malt note. Good chewy fruity malt body, bread with honey retronasal, herbal and aromatic hop notes, mild spices. Sweet honeyish and caramelly finish, slightly cloying in the aftertaste.