Weihenstephaner Korbinian - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Brauhaus Schmitz

Poured a dark brown with a beige head that left a bit lacing behind. Toasty bread aroma, malts, and hints of cocoa and dried fruit. Crisp and toasty taste, sweet malts, cocoa and nuts keeping it from being too sweet, hints of raisins in the finish. A bit light in flavor and body for the style I thought, but still a fine quaff.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 22:21:38 | More by Rifugium

TheSixthRing

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a beautiful, dark, deep ruby amber with a tan, 3 finger head, good retention. The resulting lace is decent and somewhat sticky.

Smell - Faint aromas of brown sugar, toffee, caramel and coffee.

Taste - Overtly sweet. Lots of toffee and sugar flavor. Coffee is pushed to the background. Fairly one-dimensional.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. moderate carbonation.

Overall - My 2nd foray into european double bocks, and this one's a bit disappointing. While I greatly enjoyed Ayinger Celebrator, this one is similar, but scaled back by comparison. Very sweet. Not much balance. I've found Weihensthephaner a powerhouse with their wheat beers, but this double bock doesn't quite make the grade. Not a bad beer overall, but I think the Ayinger has spoiled me in the Double Bock department. If I had to describe this one in two words, it'd be 'Sugar Beer'.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 05:56:53 | More by TheSixthRing

aracauna

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Foamer! Luckily I didn't spill a drop. Dark brown, not the black I was expecting. Nice small-bubbled off-white head. Aroma is fruit past it's prime. Flavor is light caramelly malts, no real hop presence but some odd funky spice. A bit sweet and syrupy. Mouthfeel is lively with constant steaming bubbles.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2002 22:38:38 | More by aracauna

aaronh

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark caramel color topped by a tan, lasting head. Sweet malt aromas immediately greet me upon pouring the beer. Slight hint of noble hops. Dark roasted notes in the flavor, coupled with decent bitterness. Mild sweetness is coupled with a grainy finish. Feels a bit thin on the palate, and the carbonation is much milder than expected. Decent drinkability, but this one still lasted me a while. More of a dark lager or bock than a dopple. Glad I tried it, but over-rated as far as dopples go.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2003 04:25:53 | More by aaronh

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big foamy and sticky off-white head over a clear ruby brown body. The aroma consists of sweet maple, toffee, roasted and smoky malt, dark and red fruits with prominent character(cherries, plums) and an enticing earthiness. It’s very fruity and almost smoky, but actually not that spectacular after a few sips, earthy grape bubble gum if such a thing exists. Body could be a little thicker, but carbonation is moderate and appropriate. Basically, the palate doesn’t seem to reveal the promised secrets from the sniffing, but this is still a very good beer if not great.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2004 05:34:44 | More by Rastacouere

wcudwight

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky dark brown with some red hues. Massive 3 finger head that recedes to 1/4". Smells of sweets malts and some dark fruits...raisins. Taste is heavy on the malts. Very sweet and caramel with a mild honey and fruit finish. Cherries maybe. Feels creamy in the mouth, but a bit too much so. Drinkable for the right occasion, but not for any and every occasion. Dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2006 12:26:17 | More by wcudwight

sweetbrew82

California

3.48/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16.9 oz. bottle into a pint glass; No freshness date to be found

P: Has a deep golden color to it as it pours from the bottle. It sits dark copper with a deep maroon hue, complimented by some slight orangish highlights. The light tan head stood 2 fingers tall, and was comprised of small, tightly packed bubbles. It showed good retention, and left some nice lacework on the glass as it receded to form a sheet of creamy foam on top.

A: Smells mostly of biscuity malts, with little hops, raisin, and a dash of cinnamon. Not nearly as pronounced as I would have expected, though. That scares me a bit.

T: Starts malty & sweet, while biscuity flavors are definitely the star of the show. I am a bit disappointed though, as it seems that the hops have died somewhere along the line. While I do get a bit of a leafy hop presence, they seem to be just skeletons of their former greatness. As a result, the sweet maltiness is way out of balance as there is no hop bitterness to level the playing field. Hops issue aside, there is also some dark fruit flavors that remind me of plums, prunes, and raisins. The finish is adequately dry, but there is a detectable astringent flavor that is a bit unpleasant. With all that being said, this is still a pretty good tasting beer. I can imagine how good this could be if the hops were still alive!

M: The mouthfeel is really good. It's silky smooth, a bit airy, and is gently carbonated with no "bite".

D: This is still pretty easy to drink, but considering that the taste is suffering a bit, I wouldn't want to drink another one at this time.

Notes: I was really excited to try the Korbinian, and while it wasn't awful by any stretch of the imagination, I was a bit disappointed. I will definitely have to give it another try sometime, as I think this one may be a bit elderly (why no freshness date?) Still, I can tell just by the flavors that are there that this could be a really good doppelbock. Stay tuned for an update...

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 02:35:04 | More by sweetbrew82

WhiteOak

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Bright, clear cola red-brown. Dark tan foam settles down quickly to a minimal head.

S- Burnt sweet milk, saddle blanket, wet toasted grains, stewed dark fruits.

T- Sweet caramel malt, brown bread, stewed dark fruits, honey puffed taosted wheat, yeast.

M, D- Sweet malt is integrated into a toasty, somewhat creamy presentation.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2010 20:34:47 | More by WhiteOak

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into an imperial pint glass.

A - Pours a nice brown color with some strong reddish and ruby hints on the ends. There is a nice brown head that is one inch tall with some medium and active bubbles.

S - Earthy and grassy malt aroma. Toasted malt character as well with some slight sweet notes. Smells like wort.

T & M - There is some toasty grassy hints and some grassy notes. There are some sweet malt notes in the taste as well. There are some slight noble hop notes and bitterness.

D - It is good but not near my favorite beer. ABV is a bit higher but not crazy.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 03:07:32 | More by JoEBoBpr

rfbenavi80

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Rheinland Restaurant in Independence Missouri.
Served in a Pilsner glass.

A- Pours a dark chestnut brown with 1 1/2 fingers width of very frothy light brown head that took its time leaving.

S- Sweet Malts. Not much else.

T- Malty. Dark fruits are there, but hard to pull out individually.

M- Thick, it coats your mouth and the throat going down.

O- Good. Would not label it great, but good.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 21:38:00 | More by rfbenavi80

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.4/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A burgundy brown beer with a small, bubbly head leaving rings on the surface.

Smell was full of 'dark' fumes, caramel cigar tobacco and molasses. A big malty smell and some roasted, burned notes. Nice and complex.

Taste was a bit of a letdown, there was the sweet maltiness combined with the caramel, roast and mild molasses taste. However the body was rather thin and carbonation was lacking. This was unlike any other doppelbock I have had, which were all very full-bodied and more pronounced in malt and caramel flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2007 12:24:41 | More by Absumaster

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A brown body that is fairly translucent around the edges. Small off white head that doesn't last long, not a lot of lacing.

Lots of chocolate and some roasted character in the nose and a somewhat metallic odor.

Taste is dominated by chocolate and roasted malts. Very sweet in the finish.

A pretty thin, light mouthfeel.

Fairly drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 06:46:17 | More by Hojaminbag

tweeder263

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours out a dark brown brew that shows ruby light through it. Smells of a bit yeasty,,licorice, but very mild scents.Has 2 finger head that seems to quickly disappear to a light bubble layer.Taste of sweet malt that seems to end dry,,very mild hop taste and quite a bit of alcohol in the breath.As the beer warms it becomes sweeter. Mouthfeel is ok,,a bit thin.Drinkability,,,hmmm,,, not bad possibly dopplebocks arent my style ill search out a few more and see if its true.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2006 01:30:08 | More by tweeder263

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Weihenstephaner- Korbinian

Appearance- dark ruby/ brown. With a thick bubbly, heavily carbonated head. An exact Coca-Cola look-alike!
Smell- very subtle hefe notes. Pepper/ clove/ spice with a touch of chocolate.
Taste- a blend of cocoa toasted malt with a light spice/ candy hefe.
Mouthfeel- light and sweet flavor is slighty weak.

Overall- Just a tad above the bland mark. The beer is just too weak. I drank it both cold, straight out the fridge, and warm. The flavor has plenty of potential but I had to drink the entire 16.9 oz to really get a grasp on its taste. Nothing special here.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2006 22:19:30 | More by NJpadreFan

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Thin creamy tan head on a dark brown body with some lighter brown hues.
S- Hints of alcohol, dark fruits, sweet caramel, hints of metallic, sweet grass hops.
T- Really sweet caramel, light warming of alcohol, light bitterness on tongue from few grassy hops, kind of a big metallic flavor to it, light toffee in the aftertaste, and hints here and there of dark fruits.
M- Medium body with low to medium carbonation.
D- I think this one may be off. I can't tell how old it is and it just seems the metallic is way to strong for this brew. Also seems like some of the flavors are lacking and may have a few off tastes to them. I am going to try and try this another time when I am out of town (so I can get some fresher stuff) and see how it is then.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2007 09:34:53 | More by BlindPig

Moxley

New York

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured a nice deep ruby red with a thin tan head that settled quickly.

S - Nothing but a sickening sweet, sweet malt and the only way I can describe it - a faint sweaty locker room smell...not good.

T - Thank God this beer did not taste like it smelled! Lots of malt up front with definite maple and brown sugar undertones. Slightly sour, grapefruit-like finish. Very interesting beer.

M&D - Low carbonation with a bready, chewy like texture. Slimy mouthcoating.

Glad to try this one, not my favorite but an interesting beer on all accounts.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2008 01:30:01 | More by Moxley

heygeebee

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a deep maghogany. One finger head looked like it would stay forever but did not.

Brown sugar on the nose, some caramel. True to Doppelbock style tho, quite complex

Taste is really malty and sweet. First-up thought is that it is just sensational, as the complexity unwinds on your taste-buds. That however does not last long.... there are some caramels on offer, and some toffee, but in the end just sweet, too sweet. On the verge of cloying.

Mouthfeel borders on Blackcurrant cordial sadly.

Overall, a tad dissapointing, given other scores/reviews...

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 09:20:20 | More by heygeebee

projectflam86

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a deep Carmel brown color with a thick beige head that leaves some nice lacing.

S- Lots of dark brown sugar and malty sweetness in the nose. A bit of spice and earth.

T- Some dark fruit and malt with a diacetyl finish. I also picked up on some metallic flavors with a bit of a musty aftertaste.

M- Medium bodied with decent carbonation.
The alcohol is fairly well hidden.

D- This one was ok, but it didn't really wow me.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 14:03:48 | More by projectflam86

choyhosoi

California

3.35/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a glass.

A-Pours a dark brown color with a thin lace head.

S-Nice sugary tones that also have some grape/raisin scents.

T/M/D- It has a different taste that has a little bite. A taste of bitterness mixed with alcohol but at the same time it is somewhat smooth. It leaves a lingering taste on your palate and that is the only thing I dont like. All in all a good brew I would try another.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 02:57:26 | More by choyhosoi

Codnasty

California

3.35/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a dark brown with a 1.5 inch tan head into a pint glass. Smelled a bit like soy sauce and rum raisins. Tastes like spiced fruits and a little bit of hop bitterness at the end. Had a nice carbonation and was very easy to drink, if I can get this in a boot at the pub I will for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 23:47:35 | More by Codnasty

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 16.9 oz. bottle. Has a dark brown color with a small head. Smell is of malts, caramel, and dark fruits. Taste is very mild compared to the smell. Some malts, caramel, and alcohol is present. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has average drinkability. Overall this is a pretty good quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 13:45:52 | More by tone77

kojevergas

California

3.3/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

1 pint .9 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a nonical pint glass in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given the brewery and its current ratings. Called "Dunkles Starkbier" on the label.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger head of nice cream, slight khaki-biege colour, nice thickness, and good retention. Colour is a very dark ruby-brown (?). Nontransparent. Non-opaque. No yeast particles are visible, but it's nontransparent and this is the top of the bottle. No bubble show, though none is expected given the style.

Sm: Very nice clean amber malts, light but subtle indistinct hops (amber hops are most notable), slight vanilla, cream, light (in presence) dark malts, and some caramelization. A mild strength aroma. Not horribly appealing, but fairly inviting. Mixed signals.

T: Amber malts and hops, light caramelization and even toasted malts, clean malts slight dark malts, hints of vanilla, and light underlying cream. Pleasant for a doppelbock, albeit strange. I like it but it's sort of bizarre. Kind of simple. No real complexity, though some subtlety is present. Imbalanced. Decently built.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with slight underlying cream. Undercarbonated. Not quite thick enough. Doesn't seem to match the flavour profile.

Dr: Admittedly, I don't care much for the style, but this this is a nice brew within it. Somewhat pricey as an import. I'd try it on draught. Its richness of flavour makes it notable, but I have trouble truly getting into it. Pretty drinkable; the ABV doesn't come through. Its faux-amber character distinguishes it from other doppelbocks; it almost feels like a marzen mixed with an amber with doppelbock hints. Interesting, but not ideal.

Low B-

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 04:52:53 | More by kojevergas

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

goodbyeohio

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

dark chestnut brown with red light-inspired glowing tinge. heady, minimal lacing. hazelnut, mocha, licorice, and dark-as-night malty nose. taste brings out the best of the aroma without expected bitterness. some mild hop notes. plum and clove drop by for the finish. mouthfeel is light with a crisp, lagery aftertaste. good and drinkable in its fluffiness. however, this watery body is unexpected and consciously disappointing for the style. ill have no problem finishing it though. bitterness evolves as i continue to drink. a hit-or-miss brewery offering something that falls in the middle of their lineup.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2005 21:19:27 | More by goodbyeohio

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.25/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours ruby/copper with a large persistent creamy head.
Strong sweet malt with a bit of Vegemite (not good!), some toasty notes. A hint of noble hops and some light caramel and chocolate.
Very similar flavours: sweet toasty malt, light noble hops, some toasty notes. Sweet alcohol in the finish is rather cloying.
Good rich body, but needs more carbonation to dry out the finish a bit.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2009 10:43:19 | More by CrazyDavros