The Point Einbock

Stevens Point Brewery

Style: Heller Bock

Package: On draft at Common Roots Cafe in Minneapolis

Sampled in a pint glass

Rating: Not so Hot

The Point Einbock pours an orange-copper color, with a 1/2-finger head that rapidly diminishes to a thin collar of weak-looking white foam. Easy to see through when held up to the light. Little to no lacing.

The aroma is sweet, primarily of honey and grains. Imagine honey-nut Cheerios as a beer – but less appetizing. Very light spicy hops bouquet.

Taste is quite pleasant, much like the aroma but featuring more nuttiness, some caramel, and a little nutmeg, besides – meaning the yeast did a little extra work here, and the taste isn't quite as clean as it should be. The sweetness overcomes the level of hopping, and the end-product is an unbalanced beer.

The carbonation seems a bit on the low side. The sweetness of the beer lingers on the tongue and begins to seem sticky and higher carbonation would probably prevent this from being an issue.

The more I drink, the more this beer just sticks to my tongue,

The Point Einbeck would probably be a pretty drinkable beer, if the carbonation and hopping levels were both higher. Instead, it's sweet and sticky, giving me the impression that I'm drinking syrup, when what I really want is beer.

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