The Professor apologizes. One of Mr. Becham’s reviews seems to have been hidden in his box by a server he was unfamiliar with at the time. Here’s to reading even more in the future.
Reviewed by Tom Becham
Over the weekend I tried an interesting German lager called EKU 28.
The EKU comes from the name of the brewery, Erste Kulmbacher Union, and the 28 refers to the beer’s gravity in units of an old German measurement.
EKU 28 used to call itself “the strongest beer in the world”, a title which now changes hands almost annually. But at 11% alcohol by volume, it is still extremely strong.
The story of my acquisition of the six-pack of this beer, is in itself amusing. I snagged the last one from BevMo, knowing that they usually charge $19.95 for a sixer. I decided to just pay the money to taste a beer with a world-class reputation. Well, the bar code wasn’t in the computer, so the checker looked it up and entered the code for EKU Pilsner, which only rung up for $9.95. Naturally, I said nothing.
The beer itself pours with a very small head, which dissipates quickly. The color is an orangey amber, which resembles a brandy or whiskey.
The aroma is a strong one of alcohol, malt, some citrus (probably from the hops) and did I mention alcohol?
The taste is interesting. It has hints of toffee malt, some nuttiness (vaguely cashew-like), and a slight hint of tangerine in the palate, as well. A distinct alcohol bite makes its appearance at the end. The motuhfeel is rather syrupy, and a bit too much on the sweet side to my liking.
In all, a pleasant beer, but one to sip instead of guzzle, and not just due to the alcohol level, but the consistency as well. I don’t think it’s physically possible to gulp this one quickly! Save it for a cold night, book-before-bed nip.
All Writers at the Professor’s site are responsible for the accuracy of their comments. Tom Becham is from Southern California. His reviews are generally been for beers tasted at home from the bottle: brewpubs being few and far between in the area. He has tried over 200 different beers.