Brewery: Schneider & Sohn
Country: Germany
Size: 33cl
ABV: 12%
Price: 33kr
Systembolaget: 88095
Eisbock is a great example of a happy mistake. As legend has it, this beer style was created by accident after a barrel was left outside overnight in the winter and froze. When the barrel was bought inside the next day and the ice removed, it was found that the beer that was remaining had condenses in taste and strength. Removing the ice after freezing a beer causes eisbocks to have very high alcohol levels, which would usually fall between 9 and 14%. I have not tried many eisbocks in my time as it isn’t a widely made style so when I found this I knew I had to have it in the German tasting.
It was, for want of a better word, muddy brown in colour. It was thick and creamy when poured and really coated the glass well. There was a lot of sediment evident after the beer was decantered. The head was big and held well. The aroma bought big notes of deep, drying fruit, alcohol, strong esters and sweet malts. There was also a slight beach saltiness noted. The taste was very similar to the smell, with the condensed dark fruits enveloping the tongue like a fruit blanket. The alcohol hit the throat hard, as the burn lasted a long time after swallowing. The mouth was left with a delicious taste of plums and heat after swallowing.
I really liked this it must be said. It reminded me a lot of a Belgian quad, with the deep fruits blended nicely with a heady hit of alcohol. This isn’t really a beer to have on a Tuesday night after work, but on special occasions, I will be going back for more of this one.