1698 Bottle Conditioned Ale

1698 hits with this weird, appealing funkiness up front—bottle conditioning does that, gives it a slightly wild character that pure fermentation notes wouldn't. There's dried fruit underneath, maybe apricot, but it's restrained. The malt backbone is there but doesn't dominate; instead it feels more like a vehicle for those secondary flavors that keep appearing as it warms. By the end of the glass you've basically had three different beers, which is either your favorite thing or a distraction depending on what you're after.

Steinbach Bräu Fastenbock

Steinbach's a different animal—dense malt sweetness right out of the gate, like bread crust and subtle caramel. It's clean in a way that suggests solid German brewing discipline; no wild cards, no surprises hiding in the background. The IBU's barely noticeable, which means the bock's malt character owns the space completely. It's the kind of beer that tastes exactly like what you expect after the first sip, which is either reassuring or boring depending on your mood.