Saint Arnold's Bishop's Barrel No. 4 Review

Brewery: Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Beer: Bishop's Barrel No. 4
Style: Weizenbock | ABV: 9.9% | IBUs: ~40
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

For the fourth beer in the successful Bishop's Barrel series, Saint Arnold has brewed up a big Weizenbock brewed with cocoa nibs and aged in Woodford Reserve barrels.

The majority was brewed a year before bottling, with 10% of the final product being a fresh batch to bring back the weizen yeast character which had faded in the barrels. The cocoa nibs employed came from Tejas Chocolate.

Here's how Saint Arnold describe the finished product:

The taste starts with bourbon and a rich maltiness. Chocolate and a light banana flavor emerges, reminiscent of a banana split made with chocolate ice cream.

I've been a big fan of the Bishop so far, let's see if the streak continues.

Appearance: An inky black body that lets no light escape, save a few highlights of brown if you force the issue. Up top, just over a finger of tannish head that fades in average time, leaving great lacing.

Aroma: A mix of dark malt, musty dark fruit, licorice, vanilla, bourbon, lots of oak, and a hint of booze as it warms.

Taste: Just like the nose. A big, bold mix of very dark fruit, licorice, vanilla, leather, bourbon, and oak over a solid backbone of dark malt. Clearly related to the other beers in this series. The alcohol is masked masterfully, never showing its head. Lots of barrel in the finish, along with dark fruit and dark malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied and velvety with smooth medium carbonation and a full finish. Nice slickness from the alcohol throughout.

Drinkability: Drinks just as you’d expect given the alcohol content.

Verdict: As with most beers in the Bishop’s Barrel series, the barrel really is front and center here. It’s more than just barrel through, with plenty of big and enjoyable Weizenbock character complemented by the barrel. Without the barrel it would be a good beer, with it, it’s something more.

Grade: A

Note: While this review is being published in November, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in August.

Samuel Adams LongShot Weizenbock Review

Brewery: Boston Brewing Co. | Beer: Samuel Adams LongShot Weizenbock
Style: Weizenbock | ABV: 7.2%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Each year the Boston Brewing Company (makers of Sam Adams beers) puts on a homebrew contest and releases the best employee and public entry in a nationally distributed six-pack. Two weeks ago, I reviewed one half of the 2007 Samuel Adams LongShot offerings, LongShot Grape Pale Ale. You can read a bit more about the contest in that review.

This week, we turn to the 2007 winner in the public category, Rodney Kibzey's Weizenbock. Weizenbock is a top-fermenting, unfiltered wheat beer with a strength closer to that of Bock (hence the name). The profile is typically that of dark fruit, spices, bready wheat, and darker malts. According to the bottle, Rodney himself describes this particular beer as "deep amber in color with a full creamy body and a dark fruit and clove aroma." I'm sold, let's try some.

Appearance: Murky brown body with amber highlights and a healthy and creamy ivory head that settles nicely with good retention

Aroma: Sweet bananas and herbal cloves over a nutty and earthy malt base

Taste: Similar to the aroma, banana, dark fruit, and cloves dominate here. However, the nuttiness and roasty malt come out more in the taste than in the nose. Pleasantly, that 7.2% booze comes through every now and then in the back

Mouthfeel: Creamy with medium to high carbonation for good contrast

Drinkability: Even with a somewhat high ABV and its strong flavors, I could easily throw one or two of these into a session

Verdict: Complex and unique, Rodney has really brewed up something special here. I guess with these contest winning brews, the real test is whether people would actually buy them again. Well, I can confidently say that if this was a regular or seasonal offering, I'd happily pick up a six-pack or two a year. After trying this year's winners, I can't wait for next year's!

Grade: A