Ramstein Winter Wheat Eisbock - High Point Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is insane. I grew up about 10 minutes from here, but it has been a long time since I have been up there. A huge thanks to Mike for sending this one my way. I dont know how I could live without getting to try it. Growler served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 05/09/2009.

Very dark brown on the pour, nearly opaque as I try to look through the haze. No head at all at first but slowly but surely a thin tan cloud rises up and over the top and settles down giving a touch of light foam along the sides and the bottom of the glass.

Tons of rich toffee and caramel initially on the nose, once it warms up though it becomes one of the most complex aromas I have ever encountered. Light alcohol notes, hints of dark cherries and fruit, light chocolate and almost a root beer like touch as it really comes up near room temperature. To say the aroma was inviting would be an understatement, this was intense. Smooth, full, thick body on this one really let the flavor just coat your tongue, and again this was an expierence all its own. A malt monster, caramel and light molasses notes led the charge until a soothing, candy like chocolate and toffee notes come in. But it was the fruit like cherry notes and rich cola flavor that set it apart. Unlike any eisbock I have ever had before, it was rediculously smooth and drinkable.

unreal how good this one really is. I am simply floored. I knew it was going to be a stunner, but wow. I would want this one on tap every day of the week, it is just that damn good. Big thanks to mIke for getting me this, soo worth it.

Serving type: growler

05-10-2009 15:21:44 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I'll call this a "growler." Filled by Bierkraft and put into a 22oz. bottle. Thanks to mikeyv35 for getting me this one.

A: Poured a dirty mahogany with a large darker tan head. Not too much retention or lacing, but it still looks pretty nice.

S: Superb. Lots of black licorice, sweet malt, dark fruit, cherries, hints of smoke, some alcohol, and bits of chocolate.

T: Very, very intense all around. The black licorice, sweet malt, and dark fruits (plus cherries) stand out as being the most dominant, but this one has a lot going on and only gets better as it warms.

M: Good amounts of alcohol, but nothing distracting too much from the taste.

D: Excellent drinkability. High alcohol and insane complexity make this one a slow sipper.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2010 15:09:10 | More by Thorpe429

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bman1113vr for sharing this beer.

12 ounce hand bottle. The beer pours a dark brown color with no head. The aroma is dark fruit and caramel malt with some alcohol. The flavor is dark fruit, alcohol, caramel and some chocolate. Medium mouthfeel and low carbonation.

Serving type: growler

03-19-2010 22:35:46 | More by Mora2000

MasterSki

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to BeerLoco for sending this my way - this growler has been about a year in the works so it was really exciting to finally see it in my fridge. Shared with Sean9689 and the better halves. Served in a champagne flute.

A - A hard pour yields a half-finger of tan foam that fizzles quickly to a thin ring. There are a few spots of lace and some legs as well. Body is a lovely transparent mahogany color with some orange highlights.

S - An intense bouquet of wheat, cloves, & banana layered over some dark fruits and a touch of spicy alcohol. It's a touch to much clove for my taste. Smells like a weizenbock on 'roids, which I'm guessing isn't too far from the truth.

T - This is where the beer begins to show its strengths. Dark fruits, caramel, chocolate-covered cherries, banana, cloves and some other spices. Extremely well-integrated and masterfully hidden alcohol - this could have been a 7% weizenbock for all I knew.

M - Low carbonation but with a light tingle, medium-bodied, silky-soft, sticky finish, and no trace of heat. Not sure what more I'd want from this style of brew.

D - This is extremely drinkable stuff - I was worried 64oz would be too much, but it went quickly with everyone seeking out refills. It's not quite as good as the Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock, but it was much more sessionable (as much as any Eisbock can be sessionable I suppose). Worth seeking out, especially as proof that high-gravity German-style beers needn't be malt bombs.

Serving type: growler

02-01-2010 16:12:11 | More by MasterSki

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.53/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Got this from PEBCAK, cheers Adam!

Tap filled bottle pours a ruddy mahogany with 3+ fingers of mocha head. Head drops sharply,makes violent hissing noises as it off-gasses & throws tracle colored strands up, as the head dies.

S: Smokeyness & some dark fruit, cherries & plums dominate

T: Follows the nose, along some boozey warmth & molasess & a bit of wheat twang up front. Dryness, rum raisin & a bit of leafy hops smeak through as this warms, plus a bit of candi sugar& wheat tartness. Finishes dry fruitty, boozey & warming with cherries, figs & molasess dominating the scene, plus some brown bread soaked in vodka & pralines

MF: Chewy with lively carbonation, plus a touch of silkyness

Drinks easy for the style & abv, but I'm sure this one would reward you with a stellar hangover if you stayed on it past a liter of it, beware! To me this is easily the most eclectic eisbock I've had & the star of the trade (so far)! I bet this would drink so great by a fire in ski country, went down a treat on a fairly warm night in the NC piedmont!

Serving type: growler

06-21-2009 03:55:32 | More by russpowell

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Thanks to jwcwattsrugger for sharing...

Pours black with a thin tan head that has a decent retention for abv.

The smell is of dark malts and toffee. Banana and pear add a nice fruity character. Clove and a subtle anise add a nice spiciness. Very complex and extremely inviting.

The taste is of dark malt, toffee and chocolate notes. A wheat tang and banana/clove, pear, some licorice blend together very well. Roasty, peppery notes weave in and out. Alcohol is warming, but fits in nicely without being too upfront or sharp. Sweetish finish.

Medium-to-full bodied. Velvety texture. Not overly syrupy.

An outstanding eisbock. Complex and potent, yet smooth and drinkable. A wonderful winter wheat ale. Thanks again John!

Serving type: growler

02-03-2008 15:31:40 | More by jwc215

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with a brown head. Nose is molasses, raisins, alcohol, smoky tone. Flavor is boozy, yes. Raisins, figs, soyish tones, fight over that and clearly show. Watered down coffee liquor tones are there too. Overall pretty intense. Feel is smooth on liquid. Carbonation is slightly nibbling, but overall a bit subdued. This is a nice beer. Due to the style rarity, I suppose I won't really ever have the kind of exposure to it that would leave me highly educated. But this certainly doesn't suck. Just be prepared for a unique drinker and something that is pretty intense.

Serving type: growler

04-24-2009 00:10:30 | More by RblWthACoz

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Much thanks to dickinsonbeer for this much celebrated growler...
Appears a hazy dark brown with black noted colors in the outskirts. A 1 finger medium tan head slowly fades out. Scattered spots of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, clove, and raisins...very much the same as the Winter Wheat.
Taste is of the aforementioned aromas that seem to be held together nicely in a cocoa dusted wheat base.
Mouthfeel is spicey, with hints of the fruit and chocolate and a stickyness that seems appropriate with this concentrated brew.

Serving type: growler

05-05-2006 16:17:18 | More by weeare138

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Beerloco again for this one, another 1 liter swingtop he filled up for me. IP trade at DLD.

Pours a pretty hazy and opaque dark brown, a few reddish orange highlights, tough to see through, big and bubbly light tan head forms and settles down to a very thin ring around the glass, no real lacing sticks.

Smell is nice, big and malty, some caramel, lots of biscuit, dark fruit, banana, big spicy character, some light sherry notes, cherries, toast, alcohol, a bit of earthiness, a touch of chocolate maltiness.

Taste is nice as well, not as intense as I expected for the weight, some banana smoothie, a bit of spice, big biscuit and bread character, a bit of fruitiness, wheat, strawberries, nice chocolate roastiness near the finish, decently balanced, a bit of warmth but the booze is well hidden.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low to medium carbonation. Pretty smooth for the ABV, just a bit of warmth. Just lacking the complexity I hoped for, but still really nice stuff. Thanks Alan!

Serving type: growler

04-28-2010 00:58:34 | More by Viggo

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark brown with a thin skim of tan foam. Not much in the way of lacing, but that's to be expected. Malty, caramelized sugar aroma with some dried fruit and vanilla notes. Toffee flavour up front with some raisin and alcohol, light chocolate and vanilla. Alcohol showed up towards the end and there was a hint of smoke present. Full bodied with low carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. Quite good and very drinkable for how robust it is.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2008 00:39:28 | More by DrJay

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap @ Al's of Hampden -served chilled in a cervoise.

The color is black, or as close to it as it gets with a very dark brown color at the base of the glass with a ring of light beige at the top for cream. The beading is pin sized with silly string stickage of lace. the smell is great, a plethora of aromas including deep ripe banana and slight stonefruit with a light accent of wheat sweetness and some yeast esters that are hard to put into words just toffee-like aromas from the malt w/ a pretty high alcohol aroma. The Eisbock is highly carbonated w/ moderately full body w/ slightly sweet/creamy texture with slight spice and biscuit toasted texture w/ a very very dry finish. Alcohol presence is mild in the overall feel w/ light tanginess of yeast in the semi-sweet finish.

The taste is fruity and earthy w/ some mild toasted grain and vegetal notes with a lot of wheat cereral-like flavorsfrom the dark wheat and mild fruity almost prune-like element with a light date and dark brown sugar quality. The eisbock finishes with a warming dry finish. A pretty high drinkability score for an 11% beer, but is is not to be taken lightly. The Eisbock has a smooth quality that makes you forget about how strong it is until halfway through, not one I recommend having more than 1 of. I sipped on this for a while, a pretty good example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2011 14:28:08 | More by Slatetank

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.72/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I got this tap filled bottle in a trade with Nutbrown. Thanks Alan.

Ah, another adventure in tap brews sent in convenient sized bottles. You're the man!

Anice hiss when I popped the cap, it pours a very dark brown, actually more like pitch black as no light shines through and I'm not seeing even a hint of any other colour. The foam started off huge and grew a bit more as my glass settled.

The smell has a lovely mix of sweet malt and fruit with a light tartness coming from the fruit...cherries. I like.

The taste brings on notes of wheat, sweet malt, semi sweet/tart taste of cherries, and a bunch of toffee goodness. Yum! Some alcohol here but given the abv, I don't find it intrusive at all. A great tasting brew indeed.

The mouthfeel is on the light side but the carbonation is brisk and that combination works for me very well.

Drinkability? Danger, Danger, Will Robinson! The drinkability is off the charts for me. Big ole 22oz bottle and I fear it will not last long as I'm already 3/4 done. If I lived where I could get this on tap, I'd be in *BIG* trouble. ;^)What a brew!

Hey Alan....wonderful choice!! Thanks a bunch!!

Oh and head retention and lacing are superb!

Serving type: growler

05-15-2009 23:19:00 | More by Bitterbill

tpd975

Florida

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

Ratebeer Wintergathering

A: Pours an amberish brown hue with with a small cream colored head. Lite retention and no lace.

S: Aromas of light wheat, banana, and some bubblegum. Caramel malt, sweet toffee, and a bit of booze.

T: Flavor is very much like the aroma. Banana bread with bubblegum notes. Candy malt sweetness, with hints of clove and bits of booze.

M: Medium in body smooth, the booze is present.

D: Not really. Nice flavors but it just don't quite come together.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 00:32:20 | More by tpd975

Gmann

New York

3.83/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich ruby brown color with a very small wisy off white head, not much of a head at all. The aroma is of dark fruit, booze soaked cherries and raisins followed by scents of clove and banana. Nice aroma, not overly strong. The flavor is of alcohol vapors, clove and banana, followed by a solid roast malt flavor. It seems to lack a depth of character. Some of the dark fruit pops up in the end as well as a sour cherry note. A moderate body with very soft carbonation; finishes with a sour bitter bite. Though I did get a bit of an alcohol presence in the taste, this eisbock doesn't taste overly boozy or cloying. It could use some more clove and banana flavors but the flavors that are there are good.

Serving type: growler

03-26-2010 03:09:58 | More by Gmann

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-Tap

A- RWWI is quite dark having a black look but is more of a very deep brown. Did not get any head or foam to speak so no lace as well.

S- Takes a while to open up. Smells of chocolate, ripe banana, dark malts. A whole bunch of wheat as well and some alcohol. Some cherry with warming.

T- Tastes like an eisbock with malts upon malts giving off a huge sweetness, No hops getting in the way. Chocolate and some cherry make a nice combination. A nice amount of wheat from the base beer. Some alcohol in this 11.5%er, well I kind of saw that coming.

M- Sweet and a bit boozy. The feel on RWWI is full and just grabs your attention. No bitterness at all. Very smooth actually with improvement as it warms.

D- Well the verdict is out and this stuff is top-notch. 11.5% is nothing to take lightly but barkeep, can I get another? Dangerously drinkable, I will look forward to having this treat whenever possible.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2009 05:23:21 | More by onix1agr

grub

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Viggo brought this one over. thanks eric!

1 litre swingtop growler. sampled april 27/2010.

pours crystal clear deep reddish brown with a very thin layer of very fine white head. the head quickly drops to a scant ring around the glass and leaves only a few spots of lace.

aroma is good. banana and clove. butterscotch and caramel. hint of alcohol. whole wheat bread. date and plum. bit of raisin. hint of smoke.

taste is good. white and whole wheat bread. banana and clove. caramel and butterscotch. date, plum, and raisin. light alcohol. low bitterness level. touch of smoke.

mouthfeel is nice. very low carbonation level. medium-large body.

drinkability is good. nice balance, but the low carbonation does detract from it somewhat. not quite as much depth and complexity as in some eisbocks, but still pretty tasty.

Serving type: growler

04-28-2010 01:31:21 | More by grub

Sean9689

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by Alex (Masterski)....thanks bro! Poured into champagne glass.

A - Pours black, very very slight fizz of head but nothing more.

S - Banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark fruits. You can smell the wheat in there too. All very well done.

T - Very similar to the nose. Banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, wheat, brown sugar. A nice mix of sweetness and there's no trace of the 11.5% at all.

M - Light, smooth, rich. A slight bitter finish but mostly sweet.

D - 11.5%? For real? This is crazy good and the alcohol is not there at all as far as I can tell (until I finish a couple of glasses, at least).

Serving type: growler

02-01-2010 03:07:21 | More by Sean9689

aerozeppl

New York

4.78/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Finally knocked this off my wants. 32oz Magic Hat mini growler.

A: Dark ruby color. Minimal brown head with no lacing.

S: Nice bananna and clove nose. It really did just smell like a slightly stronger version of their weizenbock. No smell of the alcohol at all.

T: Wow. Amazing. Not hint of the ABV at all. You get all the good things about a weizenbock (wheat, esters) without the usual downfall to the style which is the fusel alcohols.

M: Medium bodied. Little syrupy. Very smooth.

D: Wow. Amazing. No hint of the ABV at all. Probably the best eisbock I have ever had. Would love to try the rasberry one side by side with this one since it has been a while since I have had it.

Serving type: growler

04-14-2010 16:36:22 | More by aerozeppl

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.88/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Brewery filled growler.

Black hole body, topped by hefty cascading brown waves, which settle into three fingers of tight tan foam. Strong aroma dominated by bananas and plums. Wonderfully enticing even at arm's length. Mouthfeel is astonishing: full and lush and smooth, with a thickness bordering on solid. Taste is dark fruit, especially plum, a hint of bananas, and bits of chocolate. Drinkability is staggering: no sensation of alcohol, this may be the ultimate example of "dangerously drinkable".

Greg has taken an already outstaning beer, and kicked it up a notch. If you are anywhere in the vicinity, call the brewery and see if you can lay your hands and tastebuds on this gem, a true high point of brewing art and science.

Thanks again to yen157 and vidaloca.

Serving type: growler

02-14-2004 07:49:42 | More by RonfromJersey

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: When the server brought the Ramstein Eisbock I thought she brought the wrong beer. I have never seen a black Eisbock. With a frothy tan head on top of this beer it looked like a stout. I even had nice lacing. Again I questioned and was re-assured by others who had this beer it is in fact the Ramstein Eisbock. Interesting.

Smell: Roasted dark malts vanilla, raw sugar, malts sweet sweet 'Malt Liquor' type nose with ripe fruit plum and a very gentle alcohol presence.

Taste: Roasty and smooth with the sweet Eisbock attribute that has the 'Malt Liquor' element but with so much more depth. This is the only Eisbock I have ever had that is dark and roasty with chocolate and caramel in the flavor too. A splash of fruit juice as well.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth with only a light warmth form the flavor and spices.

Drinkability: There is absolutely no way that this seemed like a 11.50 % ABV beer. It went down very easily. You'd put down two pint easily before stumbling to your feet to realize what it did to you =).

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2007 07:16:54 | More by Phatz

brdc

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to alcstradamus for sharing this one, out of a growler into a large glass, shaped like a tulip.

Deep brown, reddish highlights, short lasting tan head, some lacing.
Aroma is malty sweet as expected; caramel, fruits including prunes, raising and fig, bananas and burnt sugar.
Not as full as I expected, with a pleasant taste that is not as explosive as expected for the ABV. Sweet notes easily predominate, malty in the forefront, bananas and clove in the forefront, with the same fruits mentioned in the background. No alcohol to be found.
Carbonation is on the low end of the spectrum, not sure if it s because of the growler or intended to be that way, but does not compromise. There is an Angels share in front of me that shows less than a third of the bubbles, for the sake of comparison.
Nice one.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 16:29:22 | More by brdc

rtepiak

Poland

4.47/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

holy shit suprise. The first of its kind to have such definition. It may be that my palate has been excericed by two bottles of jolly pumpkin but this beer has so much dimensions its unbelievable. Pour is a deduced hef. Head isn't as big... Doesn't last as long. Nose is a mess of things... Toast, smoke, molasses, and earthy minerals in a lace of digestive notes. Licorice and banana equally fused. Palate is rich and lean and a touch of dough. A molasses hef. And astringent notes of mineral and acidic fruit hints. Dark fruit tart. Black berry and dry maple syrup. Bread finish of banana. Too dry to be associated to banana bread. Too roasted yet it still has a lot of carbonation. Its a big brew. With a lot of undertones. The best american eisbock i've had. Wheat rich... But not dominating.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 05:43:14 | More by rtepiak

koopa

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler picked up at the brewery and shared by beerloco at a mega tasting last night. Thanks Alan!

Appearance: Classic dunkel look...chestnut brown with a 1 finger lightly browned butter crown that displays moderate retention and lace.

Smell: Classic banana and clove action.

Taste: Same as nose. Hard to detect the high abv on this one as it drinks like a tasty dunkel.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low carbonation.

Drinkability: Damn good despite the abv.

Serving type: growler

01-23-2011 15:23:13 | More by koopa

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

3.38/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz, counter-pressure filled bomber.

Pours dark brown, cola-like, with a big, fizzy light-brown head. Head dies away fairly quickly.

Nose has (again) a cola-like dark caramel sweetness to it, some molasses, and a hint of cherry in there as well. Lightly boozy, if that makes sense. Some soy.

Taste has a bit more molasses, some soy in there as well. Odd. There's something almost meaty in the flavor. Almost salty, like fresh-baked pretzels, only a bit smokey. Tobacco maybe. Some brown sugar underneath, and light dark fruit that are promising but just overwhelmed.

Mouthfeel is probably a hair over-carbonated. Just a bit too fizzy. Medium bodied. Was slightly underwhelmed by this one, which is surprising, given the amazing rep I'd had from it. A previous growler was better, this one seems past its prime after only a few days in the glass.

Serving type: growler

03-23-2009 20:36:55 | More by JohnQVegas

Amalak

New York

4.13/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At Mugs Ale House on Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn they had a tasting with a cask of this brew. Black in color with a thick, tan head and a malty, wheat scent to it.

Good malt taste with a licorice aftertaste to it...slightly chocolate. Despite its high alcohol content, it's a nice balance that goes unnoticed. I'm not familiar with Winter Wheats, but this was quite good.

Serving type: cask

03-10-2009 21:45:30 | More by Amalak