Nimbus Smoked Rye Bock
Nimbus Brewing Company

Sampled on tap at Nimbus; June 2011
The beer arrives from the tap with a lightly hazy, amber color that clears up quite significantly as it really warms up. It is topped by a pale colored head that is thin and wispy and disappears fairly quickly. This has a malty complex nose to it; a slight smoke note mixes with a toasted, slight caramel malt character and there is a big toasted whole grain cracker here as well. Overall the nose seems quite savory, with a complex maltiness, backed by a touch of sweetness; all of which make for a good smelling brew.

The beer tastes sweet as it first hits my palate and there is a slightly herbal, hint of bitterness to the flavor. The sweetness seems to be contributed by both a hint of caramelized malt character as well as by the smoke that is here in the flavor. The body is fairly chewy, though it is not overly thick for a beer of this strength. Spicy touches of rye are found in the finish and boost the grain complexity of this beer. There is a definite sense of alcohol in the finish, though I wouldn’t call this a hot beer, but I can certainly feel the effects of this pint. I like that the smoke character is just enough to boost the complexity of this beer significantly, but there is also quite a bit of toasted malt and whole grain flavor in this beer as well.