7.3% Alcohol by Volume
Color of Body #311700

The spring semester starts tomorrow, and I am actually pretty excited about it. I have a couple classes that should be pretty cool (one is on interactive broadband media!), but the real thrill begins on Thursday when I have to go beg to each individual instructor for them to let me into their class. You see, I just transferred into a new major and wasn't able to sign up for any classes until a few weeks ago, when they were all taken. But luckily, I'm classified as a senior and I need every single class to graduate on time, so they should work with me. Otherwise, I'll be taking a lot of sports classes :) Anyway, today's beer is a strong, dark wheat beer with a high alcohol percentage. I've not been a big fan of Bocks in the past, but we will see how this goes.

Wow, it pours a ridiculous head. Like, an entire glass worth and super persistent. Lots of lacing. In fact, if you tilt the glass the head doesn't even move. It just hangs there, like a college student without work... Both the beer and the head are very dark, thick, and creamy. The Pikantus actually looks like a porter, it's that dark. There are scents of both clove, nutmeg, and oddly, both vanilla and chocolate. There is also a smell of clean glass, but I think that is just the smell from the frost on my glass. Duh.

You can definitely taste the alcohol in this one. That said, it's surprisingly smooth, with a very nice chocolate note. There are surprisingly few fruity notes. Much less than I was expecting with this beer after tasting bocks like Shiner Bock, which has a very unique taste. The Erdinger Pikantus Weizen-Bock reminds me of a Trappist Trippel (Flying Dog makes a really good one in that style) more than the other Bocks that I have had. This is just overwhelmingly filled with chocolate and holiday spice notes, so much so that you really don't taste anything else.

This is one of the first wheat beers that I have had that is alright to drink in the winter. Plus, I'm working on a nice winter break ending buzz after my first beer, which is pretty cool. To me, it tastes nothing like a Bock, but it has a very good flavor and is more chocolaty than most stouts. And it has a great sweet spot with its body that makes it heavy enough to drink during the winter and light enough enjoy in July. Pick it up for sure. 85/100.

P.S. If you are in the Knoxville area, head to Litton's for one of the best burgers you will ever have. There isn't much of anything on tap, but it's all gonna be ok when that burgery awesomeness hits your tongue.