Hermannator Ice Bock - Vancouver Island Brewery

aforbes10

Iowa

4.58/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow, what a treat. This was brought to our beer tasting club by one of our resident Canadians. She'd been talking about it for ages so we finally got a chance to see if it lived up to its name (preview: it did). Poured super dark crimson and clear with a tan colored head. looks great. Smells plummy and ethyl alcohol-like and fairly inviting. Taste is sweet caramel with some chocolate flavor. alcohol really quite understated. smoe roastiness and dark fruity flavors like dates and prunes. A thick cough-syrup and water texture thats very easy to drink and enjoy. Probably the best Eisbock i've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2007 14:10:58 | More by aforbes10

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours as deep an amber color as I've ever seen. Its like an incredibly infused tea color. A 2 finger head falls to absolutely no head over top. The nose is rich toasted melanoidan munich malt with a thick caramel sweetness hanging over top of it. I think these two aromas are strong enough to keep any fruity fig notes from coming through. Flavor is strong, but not as bold as I was expecting. The initial sip brings a thick caramel that sits over a deep toastyness. This moves towards a very deep caramelized prune and fig. The finish is lightly bitter, fading quickly. Feel is thick with a light carbonation...very filling. Overall, this is a nice brew. The bottle says its 9.5%. I'd expect a touch more alcohol in an eisbock, but I'm feeling it a little in my cheeks. This is one to find if you happen to be in B.C on Vancouver Island. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2006 02:59:41 | More by kmpitz2

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I love the new 6 pack with smaller bottles as it makes easier to drink one without the alcohol ( 9.5 abv) taking effect. This is an improvement on last years beer as that sweetness has been decreased and the smoothness has been increased. Lots of nice cakey flavours and a malty finish that makes the alcohol hide its face. Very drinkable and very refined.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2004 22:06:24 | More by canucklehead

49degrees

British Columbia (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Back again for another year, this all new 2002 Ice Bock is brewed to commemorate their 15th Anniversary, and as such, was limited to a run of merely 10,000 bottles. Its more than worth the search as it hits the Ice Bock concept straight on the head.

This sweet and full bodied beer is highlighted by exceptional blend of malts and carbination resulting in a true warming beer that has an interesting punch. Pours very clean and perky with a decent sized head full of large bubbles which give way to a strong collar and minimal lacing on the glass.

Aroma wise the sweet malty smells come through as does a certain amount of bitterness, but the sweetness is what really sets this one apart.

A great drinking beer, that would definitely fall into a warming ale more so than Young's Winter Warmer, (but that's another story).

This one is sold exclusively in 650ml bottles with a foil based labels which have a tendency to peel back while still on store shelves. It's a great little beer that won't last long. Get it while you can.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2003 21:27:05 | More by 49degrees