Broken Top Bock
Deschutes Brewery

Broken Top BockBroken Top Bock
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From:
Deschutes Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Bock
ABV:
7%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.57 | pDev: 11.76%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
25
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 20, 2014
Added:
Mar 01, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
(Retired) Available: April to June 2006
Alc. by Vol.: 7.0%
IBUs: 26
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by russpowell:
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

4.2/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours ruby red with a 2 fingers tan head, drops lickity split. Minimal head retention& no lacing

Smell: Iron & malt

Taste: Caramel up front, fruitty, slight iron taste. Some alcohol as it warms, finishes fruitty, dry & assertive

MF: Chewy, smooth& very good carbonation for the style

Pretty quaffable, good bock, might've suffered by comparison to the last bock I had, the super yummy ft collins spring brock!
Apr 27, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by jakecattleco from California

Jul 20, 2014
Photo of BeerTruth
Reviewed by BeerTruth from Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
22 oz. bomber poured into a nonic.

Pours a dark ruby, almost brown with a two finger khaki colored head that quickly dies down to a thin layer of bubbles. Some stickiness, but nothing too impressive. Smell is of bready malt, caramel, butter, and some woody notes. Molasses and brown sugar make an appearance in the nose as well. Biscuit flavors up front with sweet caramel malt and a hint of pepper. A bit of chocolate malt and cane sugar flow over the tongue with a nutty and metallic finish. Watery mouthfeel with a light to medium body and a fluffy carbonation. A good bock, but not the best. Give it a go if you have the chance.
Mar 14, 2008
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
2007 Release Sampled December 2007
Pours with an initially, almost three-finger thick, lightly browned, tan colored head that sits atop a dark, weathered amber-brown colored brew. When held up to the light the beer shows a brilliantly clear, bright, yet concentrated, ruby red color. Quite malt focused, with an almost berry like, malt aroma. Concentrated, somewhat rich, malt notes of toffee, lightly browned, toasty malt, browned bread crust, a touch of brown sugar. This also has some nice, subtle hop aromatics that contribute to the light berry like fruitiness as well as provide a hint of an herbal edge. A nice and inviting aroma, not as rich and powerful as a Doppelbock for sure, but still nice and malt focused.

Chewy, yet not too thick, this has lots of rich malt flavor to it without being overly sweet. The sweetness has a certain savory quality to it, what with the concentrated toffee notes and richly caramelized malt sugars. Towards the finish the malt character leans towards a touch of dusty cocoa, toasty, drying dark malt notes as well as a clean, almost concentrated dark fruit note. The hop character, while not huge here, is definitely noticeable; flavors of soft herbs is noticeable from the get go and even picks up a bit of steam towards the middle with notes of menthol and grassy pine flavors. This finishes with a soft, yet noticeable bitterness that I would not quite characterize as biting. Like a good, regular strength, Bock should be, this beer has a chewy heft to it without being thick; it is still fairly quaffable and would be a perfect beer to pair with dinner (it is not a sipping beer).

I really like the depth of malt character that this achieves, yet it is not too thick, and it has a nice backdrop of hop character too. Quite the tasty Bock!
Dec 08, 2007
Photo of GClarkage
Reviewed by GClarkage from California

3.8/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
08/05/06- Purchased at Osco in Billings, MT.

Presentation- 22oz bottle with no freshness info. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

Appearance- Light to medium brown in color. A bit of a dark red color at times. Almost a full inch head upon pour. Leaves above average lace streaks.

Smell- Scent of light caramel, roasted malts as well as being super bready in the nose.

Taste- Sweeter than most from this style. Chewy and bready. Very deep roasted almost burnt malt taste. Light chocolate and maybe a bit of coffee flavor rounds it out.

Mouthfeel- Thick and viscous while being a bit too carbonated.

Drinkability- Overall a pretty good bock. Seemed fairly thick and strong for a traditional brew of this style. Very good flavor though. Thumbs up for Deshutes once again.
Mar 08, 2007
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.36/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Dark crimson with molten lava trim, a much darker hue than expected. I've seen doppelbocks that were lighter than this. The peanut shell colored cap started out at three fingers after a spirited pour and is tight-bubbled enough to lose less than a finger per minute. I see no more than a thick, short collar of lace at the moment, but I'm sure more is on the way.

The nose is okay I guess, even though it doesn't smell very bockish. The brewery says that Broken Top is a 'malt forward' lager. So why is the aroma so malt backward? I pick up a modest earthiness (probably malt-related) and a light fruitiness. I hope the flavor has more going for it than the nose.

It does and it doesn't. The good thing is that the beer is identifiable as a bock on the palate. The bad thing is that it isn't an especially stellar version of the style. For one thing, it's too light in the mouth. I'm aware that it's a lager, but it's supposed to be a big lager, dammit.

Broken Top tastes quite a bit like an especially malty English pale ale. Probably because of the fruity, tea-like flavor that I usually attribute to English hops. I have no idea what hops were used here, but I wouldn't be surprised if they came from County Kent. The dominant flavor is a toasted maltiness that is, unfortunately, unfit to appear in a starring role.

I'm not thrilled with the mouthfeel, mostly because I was expecting something a little more lightly chewy. It starts out on the light side of medium and finishes on the medium side of light (and that's being kind). More mouth presence would have helped, but it wouldn't have made me a repeat customer.

Broken Top Bock continues the Deschutes tradition of naming some of their beers after geologic formations (Black Butte Porter, Cinder Cone Red). Broken Top is a stratovolcano near Bend, Oregon. Too bad this bock isn't as solid as the rock it was named after.
Dec 07, 2006
Photo of loren01
Reviewed by loren01 from Washington

3.33/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours dark brown color, good sized tan head, slight lacing down the glass
S: Malty, sweet and also a slight yeast smell
T: Good malty flavor, caramel mixed with slight chocolatey taste
M: Prickly on the tongue, a little overcarbonated.
D: Pretty tasty beer, but didn't knock my socks of either like some of their beers do. I suppose I would buy this again wouldn't be one of my regulars however.
Oct 27, 2006
Photo of rowew
Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

3.56/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Presentation: 22 oz bomber, nicely designed logo. ABV clearly marked, no freshness info.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color that is ruby when held up to the light. Decent sized head fades but leaves a thick lacing.

Smell: Thick malt sweetness, a bit of yeast.

Taste: Sweet, caramel malt seems to dominate. Light hop flavors come through in the finish.

Overall impression: Tastes much better than it smells. I was a bit concerned when the aroma seemed lacking, but the taste is solid for a bock - plenty drinkable, but a bomber should be plenty.
Sep 27, 2006
Photo of Deconstructionis
Reviewed by Deconstructionis from West Virginia

2.74/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
This is a brown beer with very little head and very low carbonation. The smell is strong, malty and sweet with no detectable hops. Taste is very sweet with a roasted malt bitterness rather than any distinguishable hops There is noticeable alcohol warmth which helps a little but not enough in cutting the sweetness in the aftertaste.. It becomes somewhat cloying before the glass is finished. It's medium/ full bodied and that combined with the sweetness makes it a beer where one is more than enough.
Sep 18, 2006
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours a dark brown color, nice carbonation, head dissappears quickly though, some lacing afterwards.

S - Scents of sweet malts and caramel.

T - The taste is malty with a slight caramel after taste, nice clean finish.

M - Medium body.

D - Drinkable. I really enjoyed this brew, very tasty.
Sep 16, 2006
Photo of bcm119
Reviewed by bcm119 from California

3.87/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Deep mahogany with a thin tan head. Plush, raisiny nose with baking spices and a hint of alcohol. Characteristic bock malt profile with black bread and dry dark fruit flavors. Body is a little thin. Has a long toasted grain finish with enough hop bitterness to keep it clean. I wasn't expecting much from this beer so I was pleasantly surprised. It hits pretty close to the mark, but its a little too thin in the middle. Very drinkable though.
Aug 26, 2006
Photo of woemad
Reviewed by woemad from Washington

3.92/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Big-ass 22oz bomber purchased at Huckleberry’s in Spokane. One of Deschutes’s Bond Street releases. Cool label.

Poured a dark garnet color with an inch of off-white head. The head didn’t stick around too long, but a foamy ring tenaciously hung on for the length of the beer’s stay in my glass.

This had a nutty, slightly oaky scent to it, along with a brown sugary sweetness. Very malty smelling beer, as one would expect from a bock.

This beer has a mildly sweet caramel taste to it, along with an earthy nuttiness. Not a lot of hop bitterness to this one.

Mouthfeel for this is a little bit light for the style, but not to a depressing extent.

Not a bad domestic bock at all, and better than a lot of them. I’d drink this again.
Aug 23, 2006
Photo of alexgash
Reviewed by alexgash from Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Beautiful label on my bomber says 6.5% abv. Clean crimson maple syrup with a small, yet dutiful, dirty cream head. Nose is vegetal caramel (caramelized vegetables?), brown sugary biscuit, and light maple. Hop spice backing. Cookie malt with lean sweetness. A tad cola-ish maybe. Herbal hop bitterness breaks through. Finish is mildly soapy sweet with lasting (nice) bitterness. Body is a little thin for the style. All in all, a nice beer from a great brewery.
Aug 08, 2006
Photo of Westsidethreat
Reviewed by Westsidethreat from California

2.98/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A: Crystal clear amber coffee with a decent khaki head made up of medium sized bubbles. Only a ring remains.

S: Malty molasses, sunflower seeds and caramel.

T: First sip and I expected much more. The flavors are very subdued. Like a decent bock but very much watered down. Very subtle chocolate and nuts with blackstrap sweetness.

M: Light bodied with out a lot of carbonation.

D: There is nothing wrong with this beer except for the fact that it doesn't have much flavor. Really not worth going into further.
Jul 28, 2006
Photo of Ego
Reviewed by Ego from New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
purchased from liquid solutions.com

eyes....
1.5 fingers of white crisp looking head, medium soapy looking, straight up brown with amber highlights. retention is spotty but the lacing is very clingy. well, I am tired of looking at it, time to get this closer to my piehole....

nose...
sweet nutty aroma, a hint of smoke, tasted malty goodness, almost too sweet (reminiscent of a lot of dopplebocks actually)

taste etc...
the carbonation is a bit prickly which is nice, this is pretty full in the mouth but not "chewy", the ABV is no where to be found (at cellar temp) which adds to the drinkability here. the nose is a bit more pronounced compared to the actual flavor. on the back end aftertaste there is some nice chocolate tones to round this one out. the one good thing here is that it is not uber sweet like I thought it might be from the nose.

verdict?
tasty enough but not great, not worth going out of your way for...
Jul 15, 2006
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

3.82/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a one finger cream head that fades to a ring leaving no lace. Deep mahogeny color. Light carbonation and heavy bodied. Slight malty nose. Starts sweet but not cloying, nice balance with the hops gives it a bitter chocolate flavor. Smooth, easy to drink. $3.65 for a 22oz bottle from Liquid Solutions Tigard, Or.
Jul 09, 2006
Photo of DogFood11
Reviewed by DogFood11 from California

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a tulip it was easily managed to produce a frothy, soapy off white head that leaves trail lacing. Deep copper to brown solid body.

Lets get right to the meat and bones of this brew. Malts! the malt profile was a real treat. Porter type roast, toasted grain? yeah I think so but what makes this a bock is it has some fruity depth and a caramel backdrop that thins it out and makes it close to a gem. Hops are on the spicey side, laid back in the end.

Notes: The herbal hop presence is what makes this good and interesting. Decent.
Jun 04, 2006
Photo of ElGordo
Reviewed by ElGordo from Oregon

3.6/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours from the 22oz bottle a deep reddish brown, topped by a good two inches of khaki-colored head that subsides in a minute or two. Aroma of rich roasted caramel malt, toasted bread, molasses, and a touch of Euro-style hops. Palate is a bit overly sweet. Caramel malt is the dominant flavor, with bready flavors complemented by German lager yeast. Finish is crisp and sweet. Body is a little thin for a beer of this strength. Overall, quite tasty, but something is missing. I'm not sure what, but I bet by the time this rolls out again next year it will be closer to perfect.
May 25, 2006
Photo of RoyalT
Reviewed by RoyalT from Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance – This is a dark brown in color with some wonderful reddish-orange highlights and a nice, retentive dark white head.

Smell – The rich malts aren’t quite toasted but they’re getting there. They show a lot of depth. The sugar is refined mixed with brown. This is a very simple bouquet as it should be.

Taste – The nose comes right through to the tongue. The flavors are simple; pure liquid malt with brown and table sugar.

Mouthfeel – This is bigger than light-bodied but nowhere near medium. The carbonation is light as is the bitterness.

Drinkability – This went down better than most American efforts at the style. Nothing incredible but nicely done.
May 21, 2006
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
22 oz brown bomber, no freshness date.

A- Good froth action at first pouring, the head slowly dissipates into a thin tan lace but does seem to leave a light trail down the glass. Deep and dark tawny brown hue shows off its clarity when held to the light.

S- The maltiness has some depth, aromas of toasted grain ... a tad earthy and steely with a hint of sweetness.

T&M- Solid crispness within a thick medium body, very malty upfront. Lots going on; sweet, toasted, caramelized, melanoidan, earthy, steely. Then an herbal hop drops sufficient hop bitterness and a touch of flavor to balance things out. Finishes a touch sweet with a faintness of herbal hops.

D- Pretty damn tasty, one bomber is more than enough though. Paired well with braised ox tail and roasted red bliss potatoes.
May 06, 2006
Broken Top Bock from Deschutes Brewery
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 25 ratings