Jul 10, 2013

Weihenstephaner Korbinian

It may be hard for some of us to pronounce, but any time I see the Weihenstephan(er) name on a bottle, there’s a pretty solid chance that it’s going to make the ride home with me. The brewery, or rather brewing monastery at the time, was founded by St. Corbinian in 725. Let that sink in for a moment. 725. It really makes our little U.S. craft beer culture seem a bit on the young side — immature at times even. We’ve certainly got some growing up to do, but that’s a post for another time. Back to the beer.

Weihenstephaner Korbinian, undoubtedly named for their founding father, is a 7.4% ABV doppelbock that rests in the brewery’s cold cellars for an “extra long’ period of time. The end result is a beer that rivals my favorite (Ayinger Celebrator) in terms of quality and flavor. Korbinian is rich and earthy, but without the typical sweetness often found in its peers.

Appearance

Korbinian pours a dark, cola brown in color with a creamy cap of light tan foam.

Aroma

Bready malt, caramel, a subtle roast, hint of chocolate and a light sweetness arrive with a measure of earthiness.

Taste

Oooh… this beer is tasty. Korbinian has got a wonderful earthy character as bready malts, burnt caramel, a touch of coffee, a little plum and a hint of chocolate slide smoothly over the tongue on their way to a sem-drying finish. It’s got a small amount of malt sweetness, but not as much as some examples of the style. The finish also has an appropriate amount of warmth that lingers softly in the chest after each sip.

Overall

This is a great beer and in such contrast to Celebrator. Where one is sweet, the other is earthy. I would l ove to get these two down for a side-by-side tasting one day. Korbinian is a great drinking beer with just the right amount of warmth and sweetness. I will definitely be buying this one again.

Rating: 4/5

More: ,