Beer of the Weekend #208: Ayinger Weizen-Bock

After a long week of drinking beer it is time to drink beer.

The proper beer of the weekend is Ayinger Weizen-Bock, brewed by the Brauerei Aying of Aying, Germany.


Serving type: Four 500 ml (16.9-ounce) bottles. No freshness date or batch code.

Appearance: Poured into a weizen glass. The color is a hazy, deep gold or pale amber — very light for a weizenbock. Two and a half fingers of fluffy white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: Just like summer, though with a little alcohol boost. Clove, banana, apple, coriander, a little bit of orange citrus, and bubblegum. It smells exactly like a killer hefeweizen.

Taste: Very straightforward and heavenly; it mirrors the smell well. Clove, banana, apple, coriander, orange citrus, and bubblegum. The taste of alcohol is hidden well, but it is there warming the experience; as I said, it is a hefeweizen with a little kick. It brings to mind all the German weißbiers I had in Huntington Beach.

Drinkability: Not your average weizenbock, but I am not complaining. Another high class brew from a high class brewery.

Fun facts about Ayinger Weizen-Bock:

-Style: Weizenbock. Duh.

-Price: $3.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.

-Alcohol content: BA pegs the ABV at 7.1 percent, but the German version of Ayinger’s website (Weizen-Bock is not even listed on the English version) says 7.0 percent.

-Food pairings: BA really outdoes itself by recommending German cuisine, chocolate, and grilled meat. Here are some pairings straight from a man with German ancestry: meaty treats such as landjägers and Polish sausage, and classic south German/Bavarian fare such kraut, potatoes, and sausage.

-Ayinger started exporting Weizen-Bock to the states only in 2009. I am waiting for when they start importing their Winter Bock, which looks sinister as hell.

-This is kind of nerdy, but it is really bothering me: I cannot figure out whether the UC Irvine glass Zee German gave me is a pilsner or weizen glass. It looks a lot like a weizen glass, but it also looks a lot like a pilsner glass. Perhaps it is a hybrid. It certainly does not take away from the Weizen-Bock experience, so I’ll call it a hybrid.


The Quiet Man’s grade: A.

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