Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock - Kulmbacher Brauerei AG

ElGuapo

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thick dark brown pour topped in a pillow of off-white head that sat around longer than I had expected. The aroma is initially sweet and malty, but it has some nice fruit smells in there as well as subtle roasty notes.

This one is a big beer. It has a lot of flavor with some kicks of warming alcohol from time to time. There is a huge backbone of sweet malts accompanied by some fruit flavors. Spices are mild, but help to balance a bit. The overall flavor is a bit too sweet, but it only hurts it a little. The roastiness of the aftertaste really dragged me in. I made sure not to miss this one when I saw it again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2003 16:02:03 | More by ElGuapo

daledeee

Iowa

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a very dark, nearly black, glass. Good head that ends up leaving lace. Smells very malty and maybe some caramel and coffee. Taste is roasted malt with a hint of coffee. Reminds me of a good Scottish ale. The alcohol is well blended for the strength.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2003 01:40:37 | More by daledeee

moulefrite

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First of the style for me so a tough one to review. Deep cola like color with amber hues and a glow of orange. Not much in the way of head or lace. This is a big, lumbering brew that reminds me of a dobbelbock that had a shot of bourbon dropped into it. Malty and very alcoholic on the nose, and in the mouth. I picked up the same raisin, chocolate, and nuttiness that I get from the German D-bocks, yet this baby leans towards being a cross between a beer and a cognac, or other fine,smooth warming spirit. A nice drink to welcome an incoming blizzard. If you drink more than two, make sure the blizzard has canceled all the next days activities!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2003 02:38:58 | More by moulefrite

Sigmund

Norway

3.8/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(330 ml bottle). ABV of my bottle was 9,2%, seems also to be brewed in a 7.5% version. Nearly black (= dark ruby when held to the light), good to moderate creamy tan head. Started drinking it too cold, surprisingly weak initial aroma, improves as the beer warms up - malty, but not very complex. Flavour is malty sweet with burnt notes - not nearly as cloying as EKU 28 (thank God!) but also less complex. Alcohol is well hidden. OKish mellow aftertaste. Good beer, but it doesn't exactly take my breath away.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2003 22:26:18 | More by Sigmund

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Totally, thoroughly, completely black in color, with a thick, creamy, cocoa-tan head, an utter delight for the eyes.
Aroma: bitter, yet soft, a bit wooden, with few associations I normally pair with beers, utterly unique...sweet, yet...damn, I give up, this is a toughie to pigeonhole! Big ups to anyone who can do it with confidence, unlike myself!
Taste: rich, sharp, full with flavor, toasty, chewy, boasting a magnificent mouthfeel, swimming happily amonst the senses, flooding, and utterly delighting the palate.
9.2% ABV, but it doesn't show it at first, ...wait..yeah, I spoke too soon, here it comes...warm and pungent, at the least...Excellent texture, full-bodied, a rich elixir, ever-so-tasty, dark, delicious, powerful...in a word? One word?
DAY-YUM!!!
Hell of an eisbock!
Cheers aplenty to jeffboo for giving me this bottle he brought over from a European sojourn!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2003 08:19:12 | More by feloniousmonk

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep, deep garnet hue. Nice clarity. Good sized beige head recedes to a thin coating quickly. Frothy beige rimming laces bountifully. Big and thick aroma. Prunes and figs. Molasses and cherry. Alcohol and sweet maltiness. Great nose. Big and chewy mouthfeel. Body, full. Flavors do not compromise. Big on molasses, figs and dates. Alcohol is present, but not overbearing. Big dark fruit tones. Cherry and plum come to mind. Brown sugar mixes in with some deep maltiness. Pretty nice flavor. I like this eisbock. It is good.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2003 03:29:32 | More by Bighuge

Jon

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep tawny with a small head that fizzles out as the beer stands. No lacing is evident on the sides of the glass. Nose is an assortment of sweet malt and dark fruit. Notes of currant, molasses, sugary-sweet malt, toffee and phenolic qualities appear on the palate. While this eisbock is sweet, it's never cloying but rather complex. An herbal vinous note becomes evident on the finish, but it hardly dominates. Additional alcohol presence can be detected on the dry finish, as well. Mouthfeel is turbid, oily, smooth and overall fitting for the style. This beer possesses very little carbonation. Drinkability is strong for a brew with such strength and character. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2003 03:36:48 | More by Jon

saltydog

New York

4.3/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I am really happy to see that this beer is being brewed and available again. This bottle was tasted last night at Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn. Appearence: Dark, purplish brown. Smell: Malty, sweet aroma. Taste: Malty, rich, plummy flavors..also figs, caramel. Mouthfeel: is rich, full, enveloping. Drinkability: It's a wonderful, fulfilling beer, but not one that anyone is likely to want to have more than one of in an evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2003 16:47:17 | More by saltydog

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I normally don't drink this style, but like to grab beers off the shelf that I haven't tried. This poured a lovely dark maple sugar color, with a small head that has long since faded away...happens when you've been nursing the beer for over an hour. Aroma is strongly of alcohol, with an added earthy/dirt/wood sort of note. You do taste the alcohol, I also thought it was a bit sweet and syrupy at first, but it has mellowed a bit as it warms. I hesitate to call the mouthfeel heavy...let's just say it's decidedly more than medium. Actually this is not a bad sipping beer, but at that abv, I would recommend maybe only one at a sitting. Not a bad beer, but not one I need to have again anytime soon. pat

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2003 00:10:20 | More by PatandDavid

cokes

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Vintage unknown, but dated 31.12.03. This would appear to be a "best before" date. But this could easily go strong for years.

Deep and dark ruby-orange. This is what flourescent black looks like. Surprisingly healthy pale tan head.
The nose. Oh, the nose! Leather and shoe polish, and dried dates and figs, and toffee and raisins. Sweet bread, and toasted bread and doughy bread, and entire bakeries, including the asphalt on the parking lot. And the smashed brandy bottle therein.
Begins with a dusting of baker's chocolate, turning even more roasted and grainy for a moment before the vinous traits wash over the palate. Waves of toffeed green raisins, carameled prunes and bags of dried fruit. Molasses-drenched apple peels, dates and figs. Earthiness too. Tanned hide, and crusty boots. All awash in glorious pools of vanilla-tinged caramel nougat. Hay-like drying hops enter late, and provide some levity. Alcohol is not hidden, mind you. Forward in its strength, but smooth with sherry and cognac impressions. Cinnamon encrusted cedarwood on the inhale.
Not quite syrupy, but full. Not quite chewy, but rotund. Trickling carbonation keeps this from ungainly heft.
This is a beauty, indeed. A thinker rather than a drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2003 22:47:55 | More by cokes

gueuzegeek

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yet another one I shared with friends. This beer was dated July 11, 1996. It has been in my fridge for years. As soon as I cracked open the cap I could smell the current fragrance with a hint of maybe dates or figs. It poured a nice almost deep ruby brown. As far as the head, there was none to be found. In this case, this did not seem to be a problem. This beer was a really nice surprise, as it has a hefty 9.6 ABV yet really smooth with no overpowering taste of alcohol to be found. It had a very nice full mouth feel with a sweetness like treacle (sort of molasses-like). Too bad I had only one. My friend commented that it reminded him of Traquair House, so we had to open on of those for comparison! Not too far off, so if you like that, you will no doubt appreciate this. This one is richer.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2003 02:34:38 | More by gueuzegeek

Ellbert

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

This came in a bottle with silver flake paper and a silver foil around the neck and cap.

It poured very nicely with a nice head that discipated into a tiny head. It has a very dark red color, almost blood color when held up to the light.

It has a sweet smell, almost fruity. It almost smells stale.

The taste is very malty. It has a sweet taste that is later overpowered by alcohol. The sweet malt taste is left in your mouth afterwards.

The mouthfeel is fairly thick, almost like a porter but with more carbonation. Very nice.

The drinkibility isn't very good mostly because of the alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2003 01:30:28 | More by Ellbert

Wildman

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer came in an silver ice flake specked bottle. Little lettering refers to it being Original Bayrisch Gforns. Someone else can translate. It poured a very dark amber color that you can barely see through. It formed a light tan foamy head that left a solid wall of lace on the glass as it subsided. A medium amount of carbonation is present. An aroma of malt, caramel and for lack of a better word, dust. A heavy flavor of malt, caramel, toffee and others. A very meaty taste to it. A medium, viscous finish with sweet alcohol effect. Definately a sipping beer for cold nights. Probably why they put the snow flakes on it.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2003 01:01:32 | More by Wildman

bierman2000

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A true sipping beer that is very thick and meant to be enjoyed as sherry or an apertif. Very malty and licorice as well as other dark fruits come out in this dark beer which is high in alcohol and very warming. It gets even more complex as it warms and it has an almost chocolate, roasty Barleywine character. As tried in Austria very fresh and very strong in a nice old bar/tavern in winter.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2003 09:58:01 | More by bierman2000

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

New bottle review on 13APR06....
Got another bottle of this, now showing 9.20% as opposed to the earler 9.60% abv. Label is great: mostly white adorned with snowflakes and with a patchwork, triangular pattern of diffraction gratings which produce a great rainbow effect. Has "mindesten haltbar bis" (best by date) listed as 1522892. What's that mean??
Anyhow, pours a clear but dense, dark mahogany color. Head is creamy a rich, beige colored, and stays fairly well at about 1/8". Lacing is decent as well. Unlike my earlier sample, there was no residue or chunkies in this bottle at all. Lovely aroma!! Verry malty, rich and sweet. No hops seem evident here, but it does emit an alcoholly character. Body was medium, and it was medium-plus as far as smoothness goes on the tongue.

Loads of malt here... toffee, caramel, brown sugar... a great sweetness reminiscent of a dessert. Lightly hopped here, with some floral notes. The malty sweetness lingers, yet is not cloying, and the 9.2%abv is nowhere to be found in the flavor. Luscious!!

Prosit!!

overall: 4.35
appearance: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4.5

*** ***

Original review of 22APR03....
Sampled from an 11oz bottle dated 28SEP96....hmmm...just yesterday... Starting at 24% Stammwuerze....that's a thick one! And regarding that date, 28SEP96 - I checked my travel journal for '96 and, of course, I was in Deutschland at that time. More strangely, though, was that my Family and I actually visited Kulmbach that day. How bizarre!! We had a nice time at the Plossenburg Castle, looking over their exquisite display of tin soldiers and other tin-related artifacts. Didn't have any local bier then, though.

Poured a deep, dark chestnut color, with very little light able to penetrate the liquid. Head was fine and tight, yet thin, with minimal lacing. I had noticed other reviews mentioned some "chunkies". Well, "Iceberg, dead ahead!" It did have its share of "particulate matter" hovering about, now didn't it?

The nose was a rich, strong, sweet, malty caramel concoction, with more than its share of alcohol aromas wafting about. In all honesty, I like it!

The body checked in at a medium, though I thought it could have been pumped-up a bit more. Perhaps a visit with Hans und Franz is in order? Nevertheless, it did pass smoothly across the tongue, just how I like it!

The 9.6%abv warms you from the get-go. Loads of syrupy-sweet malty flavors hit you, with caramel and toffee notes swirling around, dodging the alcohol.

A pleasant offering, to say the least. This one is for sipping, especially on a cold, raw day. Thanks are in order to my NY connection, Malto. This rare bird is much appreciated. Vielen Dank, und Prosit!! (3.5/4.5/4.0/4.0/4.0 - 4.00)

532

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2003 14:15:35 | More by Bierman9

TXHops

Texas

3.85/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

-Original Gravity: 1.101
-Final Gravity: 1.029
-ABV: 9.6%
-ABW: 7.4%
-Attenuation: 69.5%
-Real Extract: 10.32 P
-Calories per 12 oz: 335

Man, I can smell this stuff through the dime-sized opening in the bottle as soon as the top’s removed. A huge, HUGE aroma of sweetened bread dough completely fills my nose, and any other nose that happened to be within 5 feet of my chair at the time. That’s amazing considering the fact that this is a lager and that I smell malt sweetness, not hop esters… It smells like EKU 28, but without the alcoholic smack. The porter like, almost black body becomes a translucent reddish brown in front of a light. The almost-white head is relegated to the edges of the glass by the foam-killing alcohol below. The bottom of the bottle is full of chunks of trub so big,, they’d turn the average beer drinker’s stomach. They were large enough to illicit a quiet groan from me, but they didn’t slow me down…

The flavor is massively malty, almost meaty. It tastes like beef and bread mixed together: like unseasoned, sweetened meatloaf prepared with soy sauce. The body, while quite viscous, is lighter on the palate than I would have thought and there’s no hint of alcoholic heat in the mouth. All that changes when the beer hits the gullet though—a few fast sips induce an almost heartburn like warmth in the tummy. A touch of drying oxidation has begun to set in with this bottling (like Venom’s my sample has 28.09.96 stamped on the label). I would have thought that 7 years in the bottle would have resulted in cardboard-like madeirization, but the oxygen didn’t take quite that toll yet. Instead, the result is a slightly drier, less thick beer than I expected.

Even in the aftertaste, this beer somehow managed to avoid being cloying. That’s astonishing, considering the fact that many English brewers START their best bitters with a gravity LOWER than what this beer finished with! In my book, any beer that can age or more than 6 years and still taste great, is deserving of a fine score… This beer isn’t exceptional, but it’s a treat nonetheless…

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2003 20:17:51 | More by TXHops