Weihenstephaner Korbinian - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.19/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a very dark amber color with two fingers of dense head. Good retention and great lacing.

S: Roasted and bready malts, prunes, and a tangy yeast. Fairly mild, but very nice.

T: Similar to the aroma, but much more intense. Roasted malts, cocoa powder, strong bready malts, and an underlying dark fruitiness. A tangy yeast component. The beer is fairly dry, allowing for a nice drink ability.

M: A touch on the thin side with creamy carbonation.

O: A very nice Doppelbock. Lots of subtle flavors combine to create a great beer. Easy to drink, yet complex.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:22:59 | More by coreyfmcdonald

mmmaaattt

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't think I like doppelbocks so there's that. I should stop buying them. I'll give this a 4 because I understand it's pretty good despite my not favoring the style. I'm a modern, rational guy and can admit such things. This was real sweet. Too sweet for me. If a woman tasted like this it'd be okay to me but not a beer. It's like when you make tea but put too much sugar in and you're already in the car so you just drink it but you're like tomorrow remember to put less sugar in. Had this out of a pint glass, after a Stone Espresso Imperial Stout. That's a beer for me. This tastes like something young people would like. I may be getting old.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:22:28 | More by mmmaaattt

Bowdoinbeerboy

Maine

3.3/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

This is one enormous beer, no lie, I am sort of regretting have 1L of doppelbock to drink right now.

This beer pours absolutely beautiful. It has a nice thick head that slowly fades to basically no head whatsoever.

The smell here is a little weird (as is the taste). I can't quite put my finger on it, but its almost sulphury and yeasty at the same time. I don't think its a sign of infection, I think that is just what their lager yeast is doing here.

Taste is very smooth with an all-malt backbone, no hop detection here at all.

I am glad I tried this beer, but it is NOT one I will buy again. There are just some weird smells and flavors here from whatever yeast strain they have used. Not nearly as good an example of the style as can be found out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 21:11:24 | More by Bowdoinbeerboy

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500ml served in an Allagash glass

A - Dark brown with a tight cream cap. Solid ring with minimal lacing.

S - Raisins, old cherries, brown sugar, sweet brown bread, wood, faint toasted bananas, red figs, toasted graham crackers.

T - Fruity malt, cherries, red fig puree, dates, raisins, toasted brown bananas, cocoa, has a simple syrup sweetness with an old woody character to it. Roasted caramel/toffee malts adds depth with chocolate and bananas coming out more as it warms. Finishes with sweet dark malts, and s slight cocoa bitterness.

M - Medium body, semi-creamy feel, low to medium carbonation.

Complex flavors that let the fruity esters sing while the malts are bold but in a delicate way. Alcohol is undetectable and this drinks smooth. Perfect for an April evening.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:23:52 | More by StaveHooks

bambam2517

Arizona

4.26/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Dark burgundy edges blend into a coffee brown body with a strong cocoa colored head. Smartly crafted carbonation.

S - Odd, but what I pick up first is sweet tomatoes. Also getting raisins, and some toasted nut in the background.

T - Alot of sweet-tart fruit. Raisin and date mostly. A little hint of toffee. Slightly malty.

M - Really great, there is nothing to get in the way of the flavors from start to finish. That is characteristic of everything Ive tried frown Weihenstephaner, and thats probably how you last as the worlds oldest active brewery. Expertly done!

O - A notch below Celebrator Ill agree, but still many footholds above the Bocks ive had from the States. A great offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 18:28:55 | More by bambam2517

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Tried this beer for the first time in a blind tasting with celebrator. Celebrator was definitely better all around, but it wasn't embarrassing at all for korbinian.

This beer pours a dark mahogany with clearish red edges. Bubbly head which which is pretty stubborn.

Smell is a bit sub par for the style. Certainly not 'bad' smelling per say, but not spectacular. Rich chestnut, dark dried fruits, some sort of solvent back drop.

Taste is a big improvement over the smell. Very sweet, but it nails the malt profile of a doppel. I wonder if this could stand more time in the fermenting tanks. Fig, apple, and raisin bread. Almost as good as celebrator, which is saying a lot for me.

Mouthfeel is thick and chewy. I approve.

Overall a really great example of the style. I prefer celebrator as it is less sweet, but it certainly doesn't deviate from the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 23:10:43 | More by CurtFromHershey

spoony

Colorado

4.26/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

From a 500 ml bottle into a perfect pint type glass.

A-The brew is dark brown with red, ruby highlights. A thin, tan-colored head drops pretty quickly, leaving no lace behind.

S-The smell is full of sweet, malty, dark fruits like prune and raisin. I smell some cocoa, some graininess, and a bit of molasses, too. It is nice mixture of scents and true to style.

T-The taste, like the smell, is a sweet malt bomb. There is more cocoa on the tongue, and some more roasted malty caramel and toffee flavors, but the predominant flavors are dark, dried fruits. Alcohol is well-integrated.

M-The feel is medium to heavy-weight, with light carbonation. Quite nice for style and a good match for this beer.

O-This is a good, nearly great beer. The flavors are sweet and intense, but not cloying or gummy. The feel is particularly well-suited to this brew. This is a nice, drinkable example of the style and perfect for a chilly fall or winter evening (even though I am writing on April 1...).

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 02:47:01 | More by spoony

hosehead83

Ohio

4.31/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a half-liter bottle into a wine goblet.
Dark chestnut in color, with ruby highlights around the edges. Nice-looking cap of light tan foam.
Aroma-Subtle dark fruits, sweet malts
Taste-Sweet toasted malts,plum, fig, brown sugar. A few more sips and I get an amazing flavor of wheat pancakes drizzled with pure maple syrup, then comes the sweet chocolate and ripe bananas. Very nice.
Complex and chock-full of character Korbinian is well-behaved for the 7.4ABV. An excellent German brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 21:27:28 | More by hosehead83

harrymel

Washington

4.14/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On the bottle: 0442

It's brown with nice cherry tones and loosely packed large bubbles that are light tan and quick dissipating, leaving a lightly etched surface. Banana, vanilla, toast, caramel, touch of cola and gobs of nougat. Taste is plenty of malt, a touch of salinity, some sweet malts and bready dough. Seriously, this is a like a sweet dough pretzel - really dig the flavor, so unique and works really well. Medium on full bodied with moderate carb and a slightly wet finish. This is really well done.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 07:48:29 | More by harrymel

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500mL bottle into chalice. 0442 coded on the back label.

A: clear. deep, dark copper body. head is white but has plenty of ruby hints to it. retention is good.

S: smells rich. smooth as well. a lot of sweet grain, but not at all cloying. a mild amount of smoke, a lot of caramel, a little butterscotch.

T: starts sweet, maybe even a bit fruity. grapes and pears. a husky graininess. mild alcohol towards the finish. lingering flavor goes back to that pear fruitiness.

M: carb is average, but fits. medium/full body.

D: a well-made, very drinkable doppelbock from a great German brewery. they could even make this thing a little bigger in my op. still tasty and worth grabbing if you can.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 13:37:52 | More by Jimmys

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A-dark brown color with a light tan head and decent lacing

S-dark malt, chocolate, brown sugar, tobacco

T-dark malt, chocolate, slightly smoky,dark fruit, brown sugar, mild bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth and creamy, velvety

O-Really enjoyed this beer, great flavor and feel, enjoyable for sipping on a cold day

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 21:14:16 | More by MDDMD

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Into a pilsener:

A: dark yet semi-clear brown body with a three finger white foamy head that moderately dies leaving some clingy foamy lacing in its wake

S: chocolate, toffee, raisins, brown sugar, light malts

T: sweet through the previously mentioned flavors

M: medium, sessionable, very sweet aftertaste, sticky sweet finish

O: wow, malt - bomb, close to it at least, there's no hops in this thing, I guess due to the style - so I'm not disappointed, yeah I would say this is dessert in and of itself, might come back to ....??

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 14:42:20 | More by kangarooAdam59

Ryanm1

Pennsylvania

4.73/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Grabbed this from my local whole foods. Normally I reach for the German wheat beers, but with it being March and the bock season I said why not. I was glad too. Originally cracked this open to offset the firey taste in my mouth from what I was cooking. Was taken aback as this wasn't what I thought it'd be. It was an excellent semi milky, sort of sweet, brown sugary brew. Brown in color as most bocks are there was a hint of malt in it, not the coffee, chocolate malt, but more of a toffee, carmely flavor. So smooth I didn't dare mix it with the rest of my spicy thai food dinner. Best doppelbock I've ever had!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 22:45:33 | More by Ryanm1

DavidST

Texas

3.76/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a tulip/pint glass, coded bottled date of 0442. This pours a dark brown on the edges and black in the middle color with a large foamy tan head. The smells are of dark malts, caramel, toffee, brown sugar. The feel is medium nice carbonination. The taste is pretty good, plenty of malts, brown sugar, toffee and caramel.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:24:41 | More by DavidST

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep dark mahogany with a thick tan head - real nice retention.

Smells of caramel, malt, raisin, and slight herbal notes.

Soft caramel and raisin notes up front not overly sweet kept in check by the hoppy herbal bite masked somewhat by the carbonation. Lively mouth with carbonation, yet silky smooth creamy mouthfeel as it rolls around. Slight nutty finish. This is a real nice drinking beer. It doesn't have the huge flavors of some American craft counterparts, but the complexity is layered and subtle; it drinks real easy.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 00:48:58 | More by Chickenhawk9932

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer is chestnut brown with a thin khaki hued collar. The aroma brings malt, yeast, light spice, brown bread. Rich and smooth with a mild sweetness. Hints of plums and raisins. A beautiful beer. Like every other Weihenstephaner brew I have tried, Korbinian delivers the goods. A great example of the style. A pleasure to sip and savor. I'll definitely be having this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 02:01:59 | More by Huhzubendah

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Weihenstephaner Korbinian

16.9 oz bottle poured into a Weiss vase. Served chilled...

A) A deep brown color with a little bit of a reddish tint. Just slightly over a finger of light tan head. The head slowly faded until nothing remained. Just a little bit of lacing initially.

S) A fantastic malt bomb. Sweet, I mean caramel and brown sugar, maybe a little bit nutty and just a hint of booze.

T) The taste follows the aroma very nicely. Again, caramel and melting brown sugar. There was something in the flavor that reminded me of Levi Garrett chewing tobacco. A little bit of booze. This is definitely about the malt. Nice aftertaste.

M) Pretty thick, full-bodied. This one is smooth with soft carbonation. Sticky, kind of syrupy, coats the palate. Nice mouthfeel.

O) This is a top notch dopplebock. No question about it, glad to recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 23:39:35 | More by RoamingGnome

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.21/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

P: Effervescent dark mahogany cola body with frothy cappuccino head that leaves lush lacing on the sides.

S: Malt forward sweetness. Sweet toasted caramel malt, dark fruits, sugar plums, sugary pecan pound cake or fruit cake and caramelized brown sugar. A delicate spice character and chocolate syrup.

T/M: A malt fest in my mouth that delivers a hefty palate of sweet flavor. Taste follows the nose and has a more developed bitter fruit peel and spice profile towards the end. Roasted malt creates a smokey undertone. Full velvety body with a sizzle of carbonation. Coffee, bourbon and baking cocoa in the back of the throat with a big swallow.

O: I love this brewery. This is a huge explosion of malty goodness that leaves your palate wanting more. I would love to have this in a six pack. A beer I will surely revisit.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 00:01:07 | More by Hopswagger

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.94/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a shaker pint.

Look: Dark brown with ruby coming through in the light. Cream colored head, light lacing.

Aroma: Slightly metallic, malt, toffee, caramel come through.

Taste: Sweet malts bring a nice toasty, warm buttery caramel and toffee body. Subdued grains linger with a faint papery finish.

Mouthfeel: Barely sticky, but medium weight.

Overall: Just has that export feel about it. Maybe I'm getting too used to fresh American craft brews. This is not bad at all, though and the 7.4% ABV is hidden well.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 12:18:34 | More by JuicesFlowing

FosterJM

California

3.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

1740th Review on BA
Bottle to GI Chalice
500 ml bottle

Purchased from Binnys Naperville, IL

App- A solid brown color with a bit of a woodstain like tinge to it. The center was a bit denser with a lighter edge to it. The beer had more of a traditional bock look to it. A bit thick in the glass.

Smell- This was aromatic and a bit sweet. Smelled like rum soaked raisins and a balanced rye bread malt to it. A nice smelling beer. Not really what I remembered but seperate from other Bocks I have reviewed.

Taste- This was very good. A solid representation of the style. The beer opens with a good amount of dark fruits. Moves into a fuller candy like caramel flavor. The malts seem to take over

Mouth- Almost full bodied and a bit of a low carbed creamy feel. This sat nicely on the palate and was a bit lighter, but retains its fullness on the taste and the drink.

Drink-Weihenstephaner makes a good beer here. Flavorful, balanced and tasty. Has a bit of a quad like flavor with the raisins and fruits. Good value beer at $3.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 20:41:35 | More by FosterJM

scottfrie

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle into pilsner glass.

A: Pours a nutty, ruddy, brown color with two fingers of fluffy dark tan head. Head faded into a thick dense film that lasted the whole beer through.
S: Coppery smelling and metallic with notes of dark roasted grains, toasted oats, nuts and mild coco powder.
T: Sweeter, spicier and hopier than the nose. Complex notes of roasted nuts, toasted malts, faint char, earthy hops, milk chocolate, plums, faint banana yeast, leather and wood fill my palate. The finish is sweet and sticky with notes of caramel and burnt sugar, and the aftertaste is bitter with herbal and earthy hops. I get hints of black cherry juice as well.
M: Very smooth and silky mouthfeel, soft carbonation, medium-full body. I can detect the alcohol but just barely.
O: Not as good as Ayinger IMO but definitely a well balance and easy drinking beer. I’d gladly drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 00:58:06 | More by scottfrie

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Really have enjoyed beers from Weihenstephaner. Their Hefeweiss is one of the best beers of all time IMO. I think I have had this before but passed on the review for whatever reason.

A- Poured into a pint glass with a very dark brown body, just some red around the edges of the beer. A nice cap of foam forms on the beer to about two fingers in size displaying a light brown hue. Head retention is decent. Lacing is plentiful and appears thin but forms a nice creamy shield down the glass.

S- A good mix of German yeast and darker malts. Spice, banana esters, raisins and dark fruits seem to come from this yeast strain. Nutty, slight roast and toasted malt hints.

T- More from the yeast here with a pretty nice dose of banana and clove as well as the dark fruit raisin spice I have come to expect from certain European breweries. Some Doppelbocks have way too much yeast presence but this one makes a good impact while still being balanced. The balance comes from caramel sweets, toasted nut and lightly roasted malts. Raisin and spice grows with each sip but still tastes great with the brown sugar toasted malts.

MF- Silky and very smooth, something I also have come to expect from this brewery. The beers go down like water but feel so satisfying. Creamy overall and moderate carbonation, supporting the flavors nicely. Slightly spicy bitterness.

I expected this to be good and it really is. Maybe not quite as complex as some of the great Dopplebocks but very flavorful and extremely drinkable. I would buy this again and suggest it to anyone that likes stronger German beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 00:45:27 | More by cbutova

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle. A deep amber/brown with a couple fingers of rich light mocha head. Foamy retention with loads of spotty lace. Smells sticky and burnt with fresh floral notes and earthy citrus flavors that emerge as this is agitated. The nose has a nice robustness to it. The taste is sticky sweet initially with notes of cocoa, caramel, dark roast and nuttiness. Citric hops really gives this a green tightness that then begins to take over the profile and leaves this dry and bitter on the finish but the sweetness does pick up again as this warms. The feel is medium to fuller with a firm sharpness up front and then more of a smooth texture the rest of the way. Tiny bit of warmth but this drinks nicley for 7%+. This was a really nice Doppelbock with the type of rich flavors and smooth feel that I look for in the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 18:01:02 | More by Kegatron

WunderLlama

Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled 22 oz bomber poured into a pilsener glass

Pours a beautiful deep dark mahogany brown color. Dark brown / ruby color when held to the light. Clear in color with three fingers of hardy foam which settles into a nice tan layer with staying power. Small lacings on the glass close to the foam.

A nice roasted malt smell with reminders of chocolate. A deliciously sweet taste of rich malt. Not cloyingly sweet. Chocolate with the faintest essence of coffee & roasted nuts. No heavy alcoholic taste. Pure malty goodness with no hoppy bitterness. Clean after taste.

Good body. Heavier than medium but not too heavy. Smooth. Active carbonation on the pour which quickly settles down to a nice tan cap.

I was in Freising this spring and kept seeing the signs for the home of Korbinian. Weihenstephaner dominates this Munich suburb near the airport. I like malty Bavarian biers and truly enjoyed this selection. It is smooth & sweet but not too sweet. Great choice for after dinner. A delicious beer that I will enjoy again. Oldest brewery in the world and they got it right.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:12:26 | More by WunderLlama

MickeyBeer

Illinois

3.76/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22 oz bomber poured into a tulip glass

A- Pours a beautiful deep brown color with hints of red where the light comes through. Clear in color with about two fingers of light tan head.

S- A nice roasted nutty smell with hints of toffee and chocolate.

T- A sweet malty taste with roasted nut flavors. The alcohol is pretty well covered here by the sweetness. No real hop presence.

M- Medium bodied and overall quite smooth. Medium carbonation with a crisp finish.

O- I enjoyed this beer but I probably wouldn't have more than one at a time. It is very sweet and in my opinion is a good after dinner beer. The ABV% can certainly pack a punch and a 22 oz bottle can leave you with a nice buzz.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 17:53:34 | More by MickeyBeer