East Brother Festbier

East Brother Festbier by East Brother Beer Co. was evaluated as a BJCP 2015 4B Festbier. Pours a brilliant very deep gold with a medium-sized head of tiny white bubbles that fades fairly quickly but returns when swirled. With such a brilliant clarity the beer shows a beautiful upward cascade of rising bubbles that’s very visually appealing. The aroma is of freshly baked bread and moderate bread crusts with just a hint of floral hops. The flavor extends with bread doughy notes and a lightly toasty character, echoing the moderate bread crusts of the aroma. The hops in the flavor come across as floral, with just a hint of black pepper, and they are all very well balanced. The malt character has a hint of sweetness – not quite dry, but still well attenuated. Hop bittering is medium-low – with the balance towards the malt. Medium body and a smooth and creamy yet crisp finish with a slight honey note lingering. This beer is barely within the style guidelines as a Festbier; it’s at the high end of the malt, in particular, but it works very well as everything is really nicely balanced, producing a world-class example of this style. This is a perfect beer to go with a family grilling session – especially bratwursts.