Out of the Bottle: Great Beer with a Terrible Picture

At long last, I have time to actually write about beer again! Life has been crazy busy (there are things that take precedence over beer, believe it or not), so I've been kept away from my passion for a few weeks. It's time for to that to finally change! Without further ado, it's time to talk about how my second Weizenbock turned out.

First off, the picture doesn't do the beer justice. I haven't had time to take the usual daytime shot, so this one was taken in my not so scenic kitchen. But hey, you've got to do what you've got to do.

This beer is the result of my longest brewing day ever. As I found out, a triple-decoction mash takes forever and ever and ever. I try not to think about how many hours I spent brewing this beer. Thankfully, the results were totally worth the effort.

Let's start with the pour.

My Weizenbock has the proper hazy chocolate hue and a rocky cap that stays and stays. Head retention is exemplary and a nice bit of lace is left behind.

Moving on to what I'm sure everyone really cares about, the nose is exactly what you expect from this style. Banana, clove and a touch of bubblegum are out front, with a good dose of fresh sweetbread behind them. There's a hint of chocolate at work too. Letting the beer warm slightly definitely helps things along, as the aromas get stronger as the cold goes away.

Moving along, the beer is super bready. The mouthfeel is dense, grainy and carries the carbonation tingle this style demands. A malty sweetness is out front. It's bolstered by a nice compliment of fresh wheat bread and subtle chocolate. Bitterness is mild, and has just enough going on to offset the sweeter malts. The beer finishes a little dry, with lingering sweetbread flavors.

Would I brew this beer again? Hell yes. The super long brewing day was completely worth the effort. It resulted in the best Weiss I've made to date.

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