Great Lakes Glockenspiel Weizenbock
"Our Weizenbock ale is named after the Glockenspiel of Marienplatz in Munich, Germany, which features 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures that chime and re-enact two 16th century stories each day." --label Polished persimmon with a gaudy glow when backlit with the rising sun. What a gorgeous hue! A thick chunk of pale caramel colored frothiness is a fantastic color match for the beer beneath. Although soft and whipped creamy, the crown is sticky enough to grace the glass with an acceptable amount of lace. Leave it to Great Lakes Brewing Company to design a weizenbock that smells exactly like a weizenbock should smell. Toasted and caramel malt plays second fiddle to bruised banana fruitiness and a perfect amount of clove-like spiciness. Glockenspiel is beautiful beer... as I was pretty sure it would be. For whatever reason, the flavor is much bolder and more complex than the aroma. If it's one thing that all world-class weizenbocks have going for them, it's a bold and complex flavor profile. Which is why I like them so much. The bass line is equal parts toasted-nutty malt and English toffee-like malt, which gives the beer an autumnish, Oktoberfest vibe. The melody is abundant fruit and spice, to the tune of a (hefeweizen) banan-o-meter score of 4.0/5.0. Clove esters deliver spicy warmth and the 8.0% ABV adds power and a meager hint of alcohol... that is fading into oblivion with time and warming. If it's one thing that GLBC rarely fails to provide, it's an outstanding mouthfeel. This one is medium-full and has a supple silkiness that caresses the mouth and tongue with each gulp. The beer is gone much sooner in the review than is usual, but I just couldn't stop myself. Great Lakes Glockenspiel (A Weizenbock Ale) is yet another home run for a craft brewery that makes a habit of hitting style after style out of the park (Grassroots Ale being the most recent exception). Here's hoping that this stuff is still on the shelves in Ohio next week. Failing that, I'll be sure to stock up big-time next spring. Highly recommended.