Reutberger Josefibock
Brewery: Klosterbrauerei Reutberg
Town: Reutberg
Style: Bock
Color: light amber
Head: rocky, tan
Nose: slight malt
Body: full
Palate: richly malty with pronounced bitterness
Finish: long, dry, bitter
Served: on tap at the brewery’s Klosterbräustüberl in Reutberg
Impression: This is one deceptive Bock. At 6.9%, it is surprisingly drinkable due to its fair hopping. I’d had it in bottle form before and it was a warm afternoon so wasn’t planning on having it. Their Export Dunkel was going down well and a great match for my saucy pork meal but the Bock was on tap and I couldn’t resist it. It came out a shade or two lighter than the Dunkles but I wasn’t prepared for how much hoppier it would be. It still had plenty of malt backbone but the hops made for a very long dry bitter finish. As we hiked out, we saw a huge beer tent and it was their Josefi festival. Everyone was drinking liter mugs of the Bock. I was a bit envious and hope to return next year. A beer worth the walk!
This is one of my favorite dark beers in southern Bavaria but my favorite beers hail from Franconia.