EisPhyre - Capital Brewery

barrelman

New York

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you DaPeculiarDane for this trade! Opened the package and poured this out into 3 tulips to share with the brewhouse staff. Thank you also cold, December weather for making this possible! At least 1.5 years in the bottle. Maybe someone else can glean a bottling date.

Appearance is constructed of perfect amber hues with a generous amount of head considering the triple pour and high ABV.Great lacing as I get down.

Aroma has me floored (You might have to take anticipation into account). What I first thought was some butterscotch (not my favorite) soon developed into complex caramel maltiness. Caramel, toffee, and dates swirl together with an underlying tone of stollen from my childhood Christmas brunches. Let's hear it for fruit cake!

After thinking that there is no way that the taste can live up to the aroma, I find myself to be correct, but not by much. What I taste is a straightforward punch of malts with no diversion from rich, sweet, textures. Amazing. A slight nip of alcohol burn accentuates the profile and makes the experience even more enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is great.

Drinkablility is exceptional. After 1/3 of a bottle, and no lunch, I'm flying. This is an amazing brew from my hometown brewery. It is good to get reacquainted with them. I will save my remaining bottle until the birth of my first child or the birth of the second child of a dear friend.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2007 18:07:50 | More by barrelman

Hoolie5

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +21.7%

05-16-2013 16:52:38 | More by Hoolie5

milliCAN

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

05-16-2013 00:03:25 | More by milliCAN

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

03-28-2013 03:31:36 | More by t0rin0

Oboogie

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2.7%

03-18-2013 23:40:43 | More by Oboogie

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

03-13-2013 04:58:32 | More by Zachtheporter

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From: Binny's, Glen Ellyn, IL
Date: None on bottle, "0181B10827" stamped on bottom
Glass: Ayinger Celebrator doppelbock glass

Capital has (had? not sure if this will be produced again with the change of brewmaster) an incredible eisbock that also exists between the line of strong doppelbock and eisbock. The caramel-colored malts are allowed to show their full strength here, with plenty of caramel, sweet bread, dried date and fig, and brown sugar. There's also a slight buttery diacetyl that effectively wraps around all the flavors along with the hearty caramel-flavored malt backbone. As with all the beers in the Capital Square Series, this was both highly enjoyable and a fairly good value at around $12 per four pack. It's unfortunate to know that these are gone, leaving a bock-family void in their place.

Pours a 1cm tall head of light tan to beige foam, composed of small-sized bubbles, with average retention, lasting about a minute. The head recedes to a thick ring around the perimeter of the glass, leaving little lacing in its wake, nothing more than a few scattered spots. Body is a fairly dark, rich copper color, with light bringing out reddish-orange hues, and even some modest yellow around the perimeter of the glass. The body is rather hazy, perhaps 30-40% opaque. Carbonation is visible, sluggish in appearance and low in number.

Big, bold aroma of sweet, brown bread, caramel and toffee, dried dates and figs, brown sugar, and slight buttery diacetyl, creating a very expressive beginning to the beer and enhancing expectations for taste.

As the aroma promises, there are bold and strong malt flavors in this beer, with overall dominant flavors of caramel and toffee, dried dates and figs, sweet brown bread, mildly spicy hops and/or ethanol, and a milder dried berry aspect. Front of palate picks up deep, dried brown fig, date, raisin, and brown sugar sweetness with some mild breadiness as well. Mid-palate finds further intensity of these flavors, along with caramel, toffee, slightly buttery diacetyl, slight spiciness from hops or ethanol, and some dried blackberry or raspberry esters. Back of palate continues the entire malt profile, but slightly increases the dried berry esters, and allows for mild ethanol flavor to appear. Aftertaste is of caramel, dried dates and figs, sweet bread, mild hop bitterness, and slight ethanol.

Beer is medium-heavy to medium in body, with carbonation of medium-low intensity. The result is a fairly heavy, slow-sipping beer that foams up extremely gently on the palate. While a bit more carbonation wouldn't hurt this beer at all, it remains at a very good sipping-beer feel. Mild ethanol heat in the nostrils and burn on the back of the throat, this is fairly well-hidden and restrained in a 10% beer. Closes semi-dry, astringency probably from ethanol than hops, with substantial stickiness lingering across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 17:24:56 | More by falloutsnow

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.09/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from buzze40, 12oz bottle into a tulip.

Deep red, off white head almost no lace and a film of retention. Nose is grapey, dark fruits, doughy, sweet bread and toffee. All malt, and quite sweet as is expected. Taste had sweet bread, toffee, some dried fruit. Light bitterness in the finish and is surpassingly not too sweet in the finish which really aids the drink ability. Alcohol is masterfully hidden. Quite a beautiful eisbock, I'd stock up on these.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 03:16:42 | More by liamt07

TX-Badger

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.7%

01-14-2013 19:30:48 | More by TX-Badger

Thirstygoat

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

01-12-2013 22:36:03 | More by Thirstygoat

bismarksays

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

01-02-2013 08:04:45 | More by bismarksays

matjack85

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found this single 12oz brown bottle at the Binny's store in Glen Ellyn, IL for $3.29, so not a cheap beer. That comes to almost $20 a six pack if bought separately. No freshness date.

The beer poured a nearly clear bronze color, but only produced a ½-finger of light tan head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing at all.

Concentrated malt smell along with brown sugar and molasses.

This stuff is malty to the max. Roasted, almost burnt malt flavor, caramel, hard candy sugar, sweet brown sugar, dark fruits, and a good dose of alcohol make up the flavor profile. No hop flavor or bitterness at all.

This is thick and full bodied with medium carbonation.

I guess it fits the profile for an eisbock, but this being my first one, I have nothing to compare it to yet. Definitely a sipper to be enjoyed slowly and savored.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 04:29:50 | More by matjack85

ssimpson89

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

12-07-2012 04:33:35 | More by ssimpson89

GRG1313

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%

12-02-2012 05:24:06 | More by GRG1313

archi348

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

11-15-2012 04:32:12 | More by archi348

imperialking

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.7%

11-13-2012 19:08:28 | More by imperialking

Brunite

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.7%

10-23-2012 14:03:03 | More by Brunite

CarolinaKev

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -2.7%

10-21-2012 09:03:55 | More by CarolinaKev

Duff27

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage

Short off white head on a murky copper colored body.collar left throughout. Nice lacing, especially for the style.

Sweet boozy aroma, some toast.

Booze and almost a smoke flavor come out towards the end of each sip. Toffee. I must say. Very drinkable for nearly 10%abv.

Thicke mouthfeel, lower end of carbonation which works well.

I really liked Eisphyre, nice and drinkable. Worth a try for dopplebock/eisbock fans.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:49:50 | More by Duff27

GeoCait

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

08-31-2012 20:25:42 | More by GeoCait

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.7/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one many moons ago from a trader I can no longer remember. If it was you, cheers for the brews!

From a bottle into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, fizzy, off-white head with lousy retention. Head fades quickly to a ring only. A slightly hazy maroon red in color with no carbonation evident. A very slight ring remains, but it looks relatively flat by the end.

SMELL: Caramel, toffee, and lots of sugary aromas, especially brown sugar. A hint of red fruits as well. A light alcohol scent as well.

TASTE: Caramel, toffee and some nice red fruits up front. Lots of berries and malty, sugary sweetness. Bold and lingering finish of sweet candy, red fruits, some light, bitter hop notes and a touch of alcohol. Flavorful stuff, and quite sweet.

PALATE: Medium-full body and medium carbonation. Creamy smooth on the palate, goes down fine and finishes slightly mouth-coating. A bit of heat lingers on the palate.

OVERALL: This was a solid brew. More of a doppelbock than an Eisbock, as it really wasn't as boozy as most eisbocks might be, but that is beside the point. Flavorful, interesting and enjoyable, I'd recommend this to anyone. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 19:56:07 | More by Jeffo

danthehopslamman

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

08-15-2012 03:39:59 | More by danthehopslamman

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2.7%

07-18-2012 17:16:51 | More by FreshmanPour77

ms11781

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.7%

06-30-2012 02:29:27 | More by ms11781

TonyTalon

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -2.7%

05-26-2012 04:13:05 | More by TonyTalon