Faust Jahrgangsbock 2008

 Faust Jahrgangsbock 2008

0,75l 7%
Bottle 343 of 742
www.ratebeer.com/beer/faust-jahrgangsbock/162350/

Apologies again, dearest readers. Life is a bitch and then you die.. and thus work and life has kept me from beer. BUT, good things come to those who wait. So today I am trying a very rare speciality which I got from my esteemed coworker Felix... as he got a promotion (and I didn't but that's a story that has to be told at another time..:) )

I am not sure with whom Felix had to sleep to get this bottle but I am sure happy as hell he did and then gave it to me.

The baby in question is a numbered 2008 Faust Jahrgangsbock and holds the number 343 of 732 filled bottles. It comes in a nice bottle including a little booklet that explains that they brew this baby at Juhannus... the Summer Solstice each year, with a lot of dark malts and a bit of hops (Hallertauer Perle is the one they use).
This might be the highlight of my Faust series... though I hope that Felix can keep those babies coming each year for which I'd be eternally grateful to him... :P


In any case, the local waterhole keep told me that he tried last years Jahrgangsbock and liked it a lot so my expectations are pweeeeeettty high as I love everything coming with a Faust label...

So Felix, this one's for you!

Though I usually take pics with the malty goodness in a glas, I decided for my Stein today. Though It doesn't show the color, I figured that something more rustic is fitting for this potion of the Gods... The Stein used to sit in Leppävaaras William K. for me whenever I came there while I was still living in Lepuski and I bought it from the beer brewing Franciscan friars in  Kloster Kreuzberg.


The red, amber liquid pours nicely with decent light cream colored foam that stays happily even after in my Stein and waits for me.

The olfactory pleasing tonic smells of cognac, coffee, toffee and slight chocolate tones. Some dark fruity aromas are also present, altogether producing a very fine, tart-sweet combo. The Marzipan smell mixes with faint citrus.

Carbonation-wise this could use a bit more sparkle in my opinion as it is a tad too stale for me.
Tastewise, however, it makes up for it by far. The dark fruity sweetness is present and fills ones mouth nicely with bitter sweet aromas. The sweetness is way more present in the beginning and wains to bitter malty tones in the aftertaste. One doesn't really taste the 7% which is a good thing, also it misses the uber sweet tones that some Bockbeers have (which also is a good thing).

A true rare gem.

DMW