30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken's Bock
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken's Bock30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken's Bock
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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Maibock
ABV:
8.3%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 9.87%
Reviews:
344
Ratings:
531
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 13, 2019
Added:
May 29, 2010
Wants:
  21
Gots:
  67
Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhart are the men who launched a thousand breweries. Their writing on the art of homebrewing and steadfast promotion of beer culture helped propel the craft brewing movement. Charlie and Fred agreed to work with us on this special ale in honor of our 30th anniversary. This Imperial Helles Bock is a testament to the ever-evolving brewer’s art. Bold yet balanced with distinct toasted malt character, moderate sweetness and clean and floral hops.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by CrellMoset:
Photo of CrellMoset
Reviewed by CrellMoset from Virginia

4.02/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Imperial Helles Bock, on tap and served in a 10 oz. snifter at 12th Street Taphouse, Charlottesville, VA.

Appearance: A translucent copper, pure, a very attractive hue, capped by a nice finger of slightly beige head. The retention leaves a little to be desired - the top of the head was a smidge beneath the rim of the snifter when it arrived, and faded to a thick soapy collar and a wispy surface dusting after a mere few sips. A few stray columns of larger-than-average effervescence adds a nice touch. Very little side lacing of which to speak.

Aroma: Caramel and medicinal phenols dominate this one, with a few stray hints of spicy hops. Pretty mild, this one, and extensive agitation manages to coax some citrus notes, a few deeper toffee hues, and some stone fruits, peach, nectarine.

Taste: Lots of citrus and candied tropical fruits in the mouth. Not terribly vibrant, tasting sort of like a hoppy imperial wit - honey toffee sweetness, plenty of stone fruits and citrus, slight spice, grassy hops, and the faint warmth of alcohol in the finish.

Mouthfeel: A great feeling beer - of course - with a slightly chewy mouth that's wonderfully smooth and slightly creamy in spite of some assertive carbonation. Never let it be said that Sierra Nevada can't get the process steps down.

Drinkability: The 8.3% is both detected and felt, but kudos to Sierra Nevada for pulling off something ambitious. The only other "imperial" Helles Bock-esque beer I've had was Southern Tier's Krampus, which was definitely a Christmas Tree-bomb. This one manages to retain more of what I think a traditional HB should be all about - that light malt base, the fruit esters imparted by the yeast rather than the hops, and - when the hops do come through - the vegetal spice. One worth seeking out, though I don't know if I'd get a bottle of it (those are pretty durned expensive).
Jul 11, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of Rub_This_BBQ
Reviewed by Rub_This_BBQ from Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L for a aged lager thought would be clear but had slight haze deep amber color
S: pure sweetness and booze
t: was worried with the smell taste would be same but does not have burn or alcohol notes. Carmel and dark rasin fruit cake some alomost stout like notes
M low carb and sticky Sweet
o great as 7oz pour on draft and great sipper
Mar 13, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Jan 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by heysuz from Indiana

Jan 05, 2019
Photo of davida1225
Reviewed by davida1225 from Maryland

4.64/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bought a few of each one of this series & kept them (cellar, racked) for future reference. This one really paid off!

Poured with nice carbonation, but not too much. Color is light caramel, aroma is subtle. No oxidation in smell or taste, and the beer has mellowed quite well. Any cloying sweetness is gone, with a nice malt profile remaining; very nice balance with the hops, which obviously have receded in the profile. A very enjoyable beer, and I'll be sharing my one left with a special friend (who can appreciate it).

After seven years, this beer has aged very well. If you've got a properly kept bottle, you can open it with confidence for a special occasion.
Dec 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.61 by kbuzz from North Carolina

Nov 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by csfcmitchell from Texas

Jun 29, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

May 21, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by duceswild from Heard & McDonald Islands

Apr 09, 2017
 
Rated: 3.88 by baklo from North Carolina

Nov 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by calcnerd from Pennsylvania

Jun 03, 2016
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Maintaining phenomenal carbonation after all these years. Color was in between concentrated orange and light auburn. 3/4" white head. Aroma went with the noble hops, pepper, lemon, floral tones.

Tastes like spring, its floral openings, the mild noble hop, the bready malt that isn't toasted but thick enough to carry an above 8% abv like it isn't oppressive. Its a diversionary road for Sierra Nevada, but still an enjoyable one. Any of the caramel bread notes are unsweetened, not overly cooked or roasted, just bready, doughy.

Keeps all the lemon bread and earth from weighing you down. Well made.
May 30, 2016
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.56/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had a properly aged bottle from the cellar. Beautiful burgundy pour with a solid finger of white foam. Smells strongly of toasted and caramel malts, good candi sugar accents with floral hops. Taste immerses you in all the dark fruits, with some booze warmth, toast, biscuit, and caramel malts, toffee, earthy spiced and floral hops round out. By far the most complex maibock I have ever had yet so clean and impeccably balanced. Crisp body, clean feel, deep darkness and complexity with the maltwork. Not sure how this is rated so low, it is a wonderful creation, though perhaps the 2 years of age helped out
Apr 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.37 by RBorsato from Virginia

Feb 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by MunsonRoyE from North Carolina

Feb 13, 2016
Photo of frasergrove
Reviewed by frasergrove from California

4.09/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Deep hazy burnt orange with notes of gold. Fluffy head of tiny bubbles. Highly oxidized noze (as it is 5 years old), toffee, caramel, sweet malty notes. Smooth and sweet, marmalade and caramel with underlying earthy notes. This beer has aged well, and is quite delicious. Perhaps a year ago on so would have been the primo time to pop it.
Dec 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.62 by RUN-4-B33R from North Carolina

Dec 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Sep 12, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
From notes. This pours a clear golden amber with a rich frothy head. The aromas combine malt with hops and maybe a faint touch of fruit. The flavors combine nice malt esters ride into your mouth on top of rich caramelly malt sweetness. It has a little more hops than a German Helles bock but the hops nicely balance the malt sweetness and help make the whole thing work. It is easy to drink. They need to make more of this.
Aug 04, 2015
Photo of Resuin
Reviewed by Resuin from Massachusetts

4.19/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 750 mL bottle into an enlarged snifter. This was bottled in 2010 so has over 4 years of age on it.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, caramel color with a hint of red. Pretty murky looking. Leaves an off-white head of a finger or two that lingers a bit before fading to a white later atop the beer. (3.75)

Smell: Some nice must/peat, caramel, bread, spicy yeast, big malt character. Nice balanced aroma which is big on the breadiness. (4)

Taste: Balanced caramel flavors, yeasty bread, some mild spices: cloves and pepper, lots of malt, toffee, that musty/peatiness, surprisingly some light floral hops. Really high drinkability, nice finish - not much of a lingering aftertaste. (4.25)

Mouth-feel: Fairly full, thick body with a low but present carbonation. Works really well with the flavor.

Overall: Wasn't sure what to expect with this but its a really well balanced helles bock and the age has imparted some positive flavors which I enjoy. Sweetness is there in good balance and really plays well with the breadiness from the malts. The hops are mostly faded but still play a minor role. I'd definitely drink this again. (4.25)
Feb 02, 2015
30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken's Bock from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 531 ratings