Brewed By: Stift Engelszell Trappistenbier-Brauerei in Engelhartszell an der Donau, Austrian
Purchased: 11.2oz/333ml bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2013 Vintage)
Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 9.7%
Reported IBUs: ???
So I had a really cool Engelszell glass, and then I broke it. FML. Anyway...about Stift Engelszell:
The beer pours into a hazy reddish-purple/brown body, kicking up three fingers of bready, dense, brown/tan/khaki head. The head doesn't hang along for long, quickly fading into a finger of sustaining suds. There's some glossy alcohol legs and minimal lacing. The beer looks to be hazy, and has that typical Dubbel/Dark Strong body that is probably a hazy reddish-orange color in bright light.
The aroma is a nice blend of dark fruits, medicinal funk, leather, and some Belgian Yeast spice. I'm getting raisins, plums, prunes, some purple grape, leather, peppery clove, medicinal funk, hospital room (<- I know, right?), and lots of Belgian Yeast goodness. Namely the clove, hints of peppery spice, and medicinal funk. It's fruity and earthy, and it has a rustic edge much like the Benno did.
This is surprisingly nuanced in the taste, with rustic leather and Belgian funk. There are tons of earthy notes and medicinal spice, with leather, clove, hospital room and bandages, peppery spice, and some hints of grain. The beer also features lots of earthy and complex dark fruits, ranging from plums, prunes, raisins, and some darker, overripe cherries. There's definitely some aspects of a stereotypical Quad, with hints of banana, honey, white sugar, and overripe fruits. The booze is well-masked. There's some subtle burnt sugars and caramel in the mix as well.
This is a full-bodied beer, but it's on the lighter side of full-bodied. Palate depth and duration are good, and the complexity is nuanced but present. It's well carbonated and hides the 9.7% very well. It's very earthy and rustic, featuring big spice, leather, and medicinal funk characters, followed by dark fruits, and then some interesting caramel sugars. I like this a lot...particularly as a beer to pair with food. It's very vinous as well. Up front: Leather, medicinal spice and hospital room, and dark fruits (raisin/plums/figs); mid palate rolls into clove, some bready/grainy notes, more spice and funk, a little hop bitterness; back end is fruity, vinous, earthy, leather, dry....nice.
Stift Engelszell is the only Trappist monastery in Austria, and was founded in 1293 by Bishop Bernard (Wernhart), and was technically settled in 1295. The abbey suffered spiritual and financial decline during the Protestant Reformation, until it started to receive support from the Wilhering Abbey from 1618 onward. In 1699, the abbey suffered a disastrous fire, and from 1720 to 1746 the abbey fell into the hands of various administrators. In 1746, Leopold Reichl, the last of Engelszell's abbots, began to rebuild the abbey. In 1786 Engelszell was dissolved by Emperor Joseph II.I had this beer on tap, and I thought it was really good, so let's see how she holds up in the bottle. The Engelszell Gregorius Trappistenbier is a "dark triple" punching in at 9.7% ABV. This one is brewed with water, malted barley, honey, hops, and yeast. My bottle has a bottle-on date of 2013/09.
According to Wikipedia, in 1925 Engelszell was re-founded as a Trappist monastery by refugee German monks who were expelled from the Oelenberg Abbey in Alsace after World War I. In 1931, Engelszell was again elevated to the rank of an abbey, but in 1939, the abbey was confiscated by the Gestapo. Four monks were sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp, and others were imprisoned or drafted. At the end of the war, only a third of the community returned to the abbey. Sine 1995, the abbot has been Marianus Hauseder, and there are nine or so monks in the community.
In May 2012, the abbey was approved by the International Trappist Association to become the 8th producer of Trappist beer. For more information, check out the abbey's website, or this lovely Wikipedia article.
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| Engelszell Gregorius Trappistenbier |
The beer pours into a hazy reddish-purple/brown body, kicking up three fingers of bready, dense, brown/tan/khaki head. The head doesn't hang along for long, quickly fading into a finger of sustaining suds. There's some glossy alcohol legs and minimal lacing. The beer looks to be hazy, and has that typical Dubbel/Dark Strong body that is probably a hazy reddish-orange color in bright light.
The aroma is a nice blend of dark fruits, medicinal funk, leather, and some Belgian Yeast spice. I'm getting raisins, plums, prunes, some purple grape, leather, peppery clove, medicinal funk, hospital room (<- I know, right?), and lots of Belgian Yeast goodness. Namely the clove, hints of peppery spice, and medicinal funk. It's fruity and earthy, and it has a rustic edge much like the Benno did.
This is surprisingly nuanced in the taste, with rustic leather and Belgian funk. There are tons of earthy notes and medicinal spice, with leather, clove, hospital room and bandages, peppery spice, and some hints of grain. The beer also features lots of earthy and complex dark fruits, ranging from plums, prunes, raisins, and some darker, overripe cherries. There's definitely some aspects of a stereotypical Quad, with hints of banana, honey, white sugar, and overripe fruits. The booze is well-masked. There's some subtle burnt sugars and caramel in the mix as well.
This is a full-bodied beer, but it's on the lighter side of full-bodied. Palate depth and duration are good, and the complexity is nuanced but present. It's well carbonated and hides the 9.7% very well. It's very earthy and rustic, featuring big spice, leather, and medicinal funk characters, followed by dark fruits, and then some interesting caramel sugars. I like this a lot...particularly as a beer to pair with food. It's very vinous as well. Up front: Leather, medicinal spice and hospital room, and dark fruits (raisin/plums/figs); mid palate rolls into clove, some bready/grainy notes, more spice and funk, a little hop bitterness; back end is fruity, vinous, earthy, leather, dry....nice.
Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)
I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is big, complex beer, and it has a lot going on. I would pair this with strong cheeses, grilled meets, duck, rustic foods, potatoes, carrots, peppery turkey, and big soups and stews. It's a very solid brew, and it's pretty damn available...I like that. I give it a lukewarm recommendation, and yeah.
Random Thought: I've never been looking forward to Monday more than this weekend! Hoory!
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