Plank Bavarian Dunkler Weizenbock

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Pours a nice somewhat hazy (from sediment or something - not bothersome) amber with a fairly thick and persistent white head. Crisp aroma is mainly malty with an undertone of fruit. Flavor is richly malty with hints of apple and banana and just a touch of caramel. Texture is sharp, tingly and fizzy.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

It pours a chocolate-brown color with thick light tan head and copious lacing. Sweet aroma of molasses, raisins, caramel malts, tangerines, and light spices. The mouthfeel is sensual, smooth, and full-bodied. Flavors caramel malts, light molasses, raisins, citrus, and spices. Very excellent for the price.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Aromas of bananas and clove greet my nose as I pour this beer. A soft pour produces a three-finger thick, dingy, light tan colored head that just crests the lip of my 25cl tulip glass. The beer s a hazy, dark plum color that shows lots of haze and a amber, plum color when held up to the light. The aroma is quite wholesome somehow and is incredibly appetizing. Fruity, wheat driven notes of plums, concentrated apple, some tamarind and perhaps a touch of raisin are accented by sweet clove notes and a touch of appetizing tartness. The spiciness here is just not cloves, but also takes on edges of allspice and a woody almost pepper note; really the combination of rich fruit notes and sweet spice aromas remind me of a rich, German spiced, sweet bread. Nicely complex, definitely characteristic of a traditional Weizen and it has an appetizing richness that is requisite for a Bock.

Nicely carbonated with a zesty carbonic texture. This is not quite as sweet as I was expecting and it has a full wheat tartness to it that is quite nice. Eminently quaffable, yet still has a richness when compared to a typical Hefeweizen. This has a soft creaminess to it that is just balanced by the carbonation; actually even on the light side for a Bock, but this works for something labeled a Weizenbock. The tartness accentuates flavors of plums and some apple notes. The finish is quite smooth with only a slight hop bitterness, instead what it really has is a rich, maltiness to it that is not sweet, perhaps a depth from a decoction mash. Malt driven flavors (without the typical sweetness) of browned bread, Maillard rich caramelized bread crust and grain-driven wheat flavors.

This is way too quaffable for a beer of this strength. If I was to complain I would say that it is lacking a richness and a malt sweetness that one expects in something labeled a Bock. On the other hand I do like how drinkable this is and how nice the dry, yet rich malt character is.