Bock
Messrs Maguire

 

A: Creamy head, dark amber colour, clear and no particles

S: Caramel and very malty.

T: Med sweetness. toffee and caramel with a very very slight coffee understone (mochachino?)

M: Carb is dead on, it has a crisp finish and the alcohol does come through in the end.

O: A great bock with rich malts coming through but found that the alcohol finish took away from the enjoyment.

 

 

Had on tap at Messrs Maguire in Dublin.

A - pours a deep rich amber. Not too much, but looks pretty good.

S - hops and malt, smells a bit complex. I'm interested.

T - fruit on teh front, followed by the malt and hops backbone. Very enjoyable.

M - very smooth, a bit syrupy by the end of the glass though - I feel like I'm beign a bit nitpicky about that tho.

D - overall, one of the better Irish craft beers Ihad on my trip to Ireland. I could drink a few and I wish I could find it in the states.

Served on draught into a pint glass in Messrs Maguire.

A: One finger head of poor cream and thickness, with a laughable twenty second retention. We're off to a bad start. Dark copper colour. Vaguely transparent.

Sm: Caramel, hops.

T: Hoppy body of indistinct, poorly balanced notes. Finish is slick. Slight hint of butterscotch. Thankfully, this beer lacks the metallic undertone of this brewpub's other beers - maybe the extra ABV helps to do away with it, but I'm no expert.

Mf: Nicely crisp with a lovely wetness boost on the finish. The wetness supports the flavour, but the beer avoids too much smoothness. '

Dr: If not for the price (4 quid), I'd have given this a C+. At 6.5% abv, this is your best bet in Dublin, especially near Grafton street. Drink it to get locked, but don't expect a treat.

Served on tap at the Porterhouse. Rich brown color with a thin head. Nice biscuity malt aroma. Taste is more of the biscuit malt that I expect from this class; no element of hops to speak of. Fairly clean finishing; this would make a nice session beer.

Sampled at MM. Arrived a crystal clear, brownish-red color with a light shine to it. A soft and thick off white head with good retention and limited lacing, but did not last through the full tasting.

The nose is limited but has a good malt aroma. Some munich notes with a hint of chocolate. Some yeasty aromas with a hint of diacetyl but light overall. Some minor hop notes but this one is malt forward.

The taste is similar but comes out more versus the nose. The malt comes out but has more of a balanced flavor. Some sweeter Munich notes with a light grainy pilsner flavors as well. Some candy and good yeast esters. Some plums and raisins that come out more as it warms. A bit sweet but mostly clean with hints of yeast. The diacetyl comes out, but light, as it warms.

The body is moderate. There is a creaminess that has a somewhat nitro feel. Very clean and easy drinking. Right on par for a traditional bock. Overall, I would like a bit more Munich and the yeast is a touch off but a good beer with minimal flaws.

On tap at the Porterhouse craft beer fest.

Pours ruby red with a nitro-style creamy head that laces. Chocolate and sour leaf nose. Taste is sweet; hard candy and cola notes that expand and develop. No hops to speak of. Some chew in the body, but light.

Some ale character, but the mouthfeel is in the right place for the style. Very drinkable.
Winner of the inaugural Michael Jackson Award for best Irish beer.