Berghoff Winter Ale - Minhas Craft Brewery

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A creamy tan cap tops a deep, crimson accented copper body in the Minhas brewery's Berghoff Red Bock Winter Ale. The head retention is fairly good, but it leaves only minor lacing behind. The nose is malty and toasty with a cusp of caramel, and some spicy and floral hops. It seems to utilize a fair amount of Vienna malt. It's medium headed towards medium-full in body, and the moderate carbonation lends a delicate caress to the tongue as it warms to become pillowy-smooth. The flavor nicely balances the spicy and herbal hops against the softly sweetish caramelized-sugar and toasted grain maltiness, and it's round from start to finish without any interuption or change in the flavor. Some more hops do appear in the finish as the maltiness slowly fades, but for the most part it's the same full flavor from end to end. It's very well done, drinkable, and satisfying. Well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2007 23:18:31 | More by NeroFiddled

orbitalr0x

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Red Bock Winter Ale picked this up as a single 12oz bottle. Pours into my glass a dark reddish brown with good clarity and a half inch of bubbly off white head on top of the brew. Aromas start with cereal grains that are lightly toasted along with some caramel and nutty tones. Light grassy hops. Nothing really going on here.

First sip brings a crisp toasted cereal grain malt that flows down with some caramel accents and light nutty flavors. A bit of a metallic taste as it moves along. This one finishes with some herbal hops on the way down and a light bitterness. Nothing really stands out here.

Mouthfeel is on the light side with a light creaminess and good carbonation. Goes down easy enough. A decent enough brew but comes across too light bodied for a bock. More like a bigger red ale. Either way it doesn't leave me wanting to come back for more.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2007 00:28:20 | More by orbitalr0x

shbobdb

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

My dad always insisted that the Berghoff brewery had one tap and many labels. I'm not sure I disagree, but that doesn't mean the beer they make isn't solid.

The beer pours a ruby-red, almost garnet with a bubbly macro-lager head that fades into a faint ring quite quickly.

The smell is fairly mild. The distinctive, slightly sour, and musty "Grandmother's house" smell that all Berghoff beers have is present. There is also a little bit of malt going on in the background.

The beer tastes quite good. There is a slight sour twang with a light bready note that spikes in a sweet middle, and has a dry finish. It is nice.

The beer is pretty much a beer for everybody. It isn't amazing by any standard, but at the same time, it is accessible to everyone. A macro-lover would say that this a beer that tastes like beer, while a craft beer lover would be able to pick out hints of munich and vienna malts.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2007 21:11:31 | More by shbobdb

chilidog

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As part of a sample pack, I bought the samplar For this beer. I guess according to the 12 pk. box the rotate a seasonal, with the same box.

So far the beer has taken some review shots, here's what I thought.
It poured a nice clean dark red. Good full slight tan head, lace was good. The body was medium.

The aroma, not strong but slight toasted malts, alittle metalic

The taste was crisp toasted malts, slight sweetness with a slight hop oil balance. Alittle biscuit or metalic sour dough.

The mouthfeel was alittle thin and the alcohol not to strong. I usually like abit more hardyness for a winter brew but thisone was very drinkable for an everyday seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2007 13:44:07 | More by chilidog

PBRstreetgang

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very clear rusty amber hue. Rocky off-white head of two fingers holds very well and leaves stubborn streaks of lacing. Weak nose, hints at toasty malt and a faint apricot fruitiness. First sip is sweet with dark Munich malt and Crystal. Slight roasty tones come through is a semi-dry aftertaste that delivers a propely subtle, spicy german hop profile. The overall flavor is balanced and very much what you might expect from a bock- only more mild than you might prefer. The body is a bit too thin and the carbonation is too crisp. Nice residual caramel and buscuity malt finish with balancing noble flavor/bitterness. If not so restrained, this could be a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2007 07:48:18 | More by PBRstreetgang

scaliasux

Wisconsin

1.73/5  rDev -47.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Appearance - Dark brown. Appears clear. Tall, tan foamy head. Looks good.

Smell - Pretty faint. Some caramelly malt. Might be just a hint of floral hops.

Taste - Not real pleasant. Starts with a chocolately malt, but overpowered by bitter finish. Alcohol flavor is noticable.

Mouthfeel - Creamy, but still pretty crisp. A little bit of carbonated bite.

Drinkability - Can't say I care much for this beer. Not really what I expect in a bock and not, for that matter, very good tasting. The beer, however, is made by a nice little historic brewer in a nice little historic town. (Although the brewery's recently been bought out by Canadian uber-swillery Minhas.)

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2007 00:39:19 | More by scaliasux

Redrover

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Update 12/30/10 - Was it change in receipe or a reduction in quality control has really hit this beer hard! Almost all aspects of this beer have been degraded. To bad!

Origanl Revuew on 11-04-06 rated A-

The new Berghoff Red Bock Winter Ale in a 12 oz brown longneck with an attractive label (notice the subtle snowflake motif). I'm not sure how it can be both bock & an ale...

The beer pours a clear red with some brown highlights. The head is a creamy off-white. Decent clingy lacing.

The nose is decent. I get malts, some floral spice notes and a bit of caramel and coco.

The beer tastes of sweet malts (Caramel), some plums, and a hint of peat. There seems to be some subtle spicing, but perhaps that is from the hops. A bit of chocolate emerges late. The beer has a fair bit of complexity. The distinctive Berghoff yeast strain hovers in the background.

The beer is smooth with a decent firm mouth. This could be a decent session beer. While I will miss the old winter hazelnut beer, this is not bad at all. I would love to try this on tap.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2006 00:50:34 | More by Redrover