Weihenstephaner Korbinian

My Weihenstephaner Korbinian came to me in a large 22oz bottle which I promptly poured into my tall 24oz bomber glass. She poured a rich earthen brown with tinges of burnt amber accentuating her sides and the curves in the glass. A small head of foam fades into a blanket on top of my brew. As I tease her nose, brussels lace trickles down the sides with each swirl. Rich roasted malts greet my nose with sweet caramel notes, prunes, faint chocolate, and wet earth. Her succulent and almost syrupy viscous body fills my mouth with sweet malts, caramel, fresh prunes backed by lightly sweet chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate maybe? A warm beer, she has a heavy body which thankfully doesn’t cloy too badly, otherwise she would be very hard to finish. As is, each quaff glides across my eager tastebuds and leaves a brisk, almost lemon-rind finish. For a very full body, I am surprised and delighted to find my Korbinian to have a pleasant effervescence as she warms. Malty sweet, succulent, with rich dark prunes, chocolate, spice, and a drying bitter citrus finish.
An excellent Dopplebock if I do say so myself. Ayinger’s Celebrator is still my favorite dopplebock to date, but Weihenstephaner proves that they haven’t lost their touch over centuries of brewing and perfecting their craft. History is best enjoyed with a beer in hand, even more so when that beer in hand is a part of brewing history itself.

(bottle) pours the darkest ruby red colour with a quickly diminishing light brown head. smell is sweet, with lots of dark fruits and hints of chocolate, caramel and a light roastiness. roast flavour is dominant, with chocolate, dark fruits and light woody notes in the background. medium to heavy, sweet palate with mild carbonation.

(bottle coded 0188): Pours a ruby-brownisn body. Big creamy off-tan head, lasting. Malty caramel roasted aromas. Some dark fruit, plum or so. Caramel, roasted flavors. A little coffee, a little semi-sweet chocolate. A tiny bit of nuttiness. Very good.

Gorgeous chestnust color though with a faded head. Pleasantly intense malt ball aroma and dusted malt, exquisitely well-rounded. Med-um-body that is slightly watery for a doppelbock, but posses a flavorful malty component, again of malt balls and some bitter-sourness on the finish. A solid example of the style. Perhaps some smoked Rauch malt is used as well.

Poured a deep, opaque dark brown to light black thickness with a 1 finger head, the head eventually settled into a slick of foam that coalesced around the shoulders; no lacing adhered during the tasting; nose of banana, clove, ginger, malt, toffee and molasses, complex, Flavors of the nose w/ the complexity seemed to strike a more even balance in the mouth. Mouthfeel was light considering the bold nose and flavors. Not much carbonation present and alcohol was very well-hidden. Definately worth a try.