Sol Bock
Harriet Brewing

Sol BockSol Bock
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From:
Harriet Brewing
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Maibock
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 10.36%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
12
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 25, 2016
Added:
Apr 26, 2012
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of garymuchow
Reviewed by garymuchow from Minnesota

3.79/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
More towards amber than pale gold. Pretty clear but not brilliant and smaller white head.
Some grain and a little hops in aroma.
Same with taste but more apparent. The hops play nicely here fading in and out of each take. Sometime more in flavor other times showing up in the bitterness. The graininess is a nice flavor not showing any age at this point.
Smooth lager with moderate feel and carbonation.
Nice drink overall.
May 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by jera1350 from Minnesota

Jul 07, 2013
Photo of KarlHungus
Reviewed by KarlHungus from Minnesota

4.61/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
This beer arrives a clear spun gold color. The head is half an inch of bright white foam that recedes into a small cap of lacing. The aroma is of baking bread with some nice grassy notes in the background. The taste is similar to the aroma. Bready, grassy and spicy with a mild bitterness in the finish, and a very pleasant mineral quality that enhances everything else. The mouthfeel is medium bodiex with lively carbonation, and a velvety texture. Overall, this is exactly what I want a maibock to be.
Jun 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Humulus85 from Minnesota

Jun 03, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by joh02034 from New York

May 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by FreshmanPour77 from Minnesota

May 16, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by sacrelicio from Minnesota

Feb 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by trstar87 from Illinois

Jun 04, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by nheinzie57 from Illinois

May 30, 2012
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Harriet SolBock Maibock. Available only at the brewery, debuted at SolBock Revival 2012, April 21, (unfortunate that there was virtually no "sol" that day), the official "hard open" of the Taproom, and for sale currently in growlers or on tap in aforementioned room.

I do like a good maibock from time to time, but would never consider it a "go-to" style for me. I'll still turn to one if the time is right, and it's well made. So, let's look at this one:

Bright golden color, slim white head. This is the second day for this growler. I opened it last night, but didn't feel like writing just then. My memory tells me that the head was larger in a fresh pour.

Aromatics: a mostly malty affair, with plenty of cereal grain, and whiffs of honey. Traces of malt sweetness.

Taste: Bright, full of flavor on the palate, big, shiny hops, and major malt, but all done in light, sunshiny fashion. Medium-bodied, light and highly drinkable, but with constant flashes of tastiness. After a while, it comes back to me, and I get it, as the hop bitterness gets more prominent, and stays long on the palate. This is not even close to a "traditional" maibock in any sense, and Harriet calls it a "Harriet-style" maibock, as the single hop employed is the tropical fruit-y American hop Amarillo. Long lasting bitter touch to match the buttery sweetness. German-style IPA? Or just a clean malty lager, with persistent hoppiness? Mmmm and ahhh, zesty, malty, and a joy to consume.
May 22, 2012
Photo of zeledonia
Reviewed by zeledonia from Washington

3.21/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at the new Harriet taproom. Poured into a special "Sol Bock Revival" glass.

Pours medium golden yellow, very clear, with one finger of white head. Good retention, nice lacing on that dedicated glass, and some little bubbles racing each other to the surface.

Smell is faint, with a bit of toasted malt and some distant hops.

Taste is kinda bland. Bitterness is higher than I'd expect for a maibock, and I don't get much else from the hops other than the bitterness. And I just don't get much flavor at all. Tastes like a mildly bitter lager, without a whole lot more to it.

Medium-bodied, slightly chewy, good carbonation.

An okay beer, but a bit of a disappointment compared to most of the other Harriet beers I've had.
May 05, 2012
Photo of FightingEntropy
Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Tried a sample of Sol Bock on site when I picked up some growlers and it seemed worth a try. For some reason, I am not a fan of maibock as a style and maybe I should stay the course. The sample had promise, but I'm not as crazy about this beer at home.

Golden ale that turns amber without back lighting. Nearly white head falls to a film. Nose is bready with prominent citrus and spice of the advertised Amarillo hops. Light body is toasted caramel and bready malt with an overlaid spice from the hops. In maibock, there's a mineral or musty flavor that I don't enjoy. While Sol Bock is well brewed, I won't be trying it again in a growler but could be convinced to try it on tap.

In spite of my maibock bias, this is a good beer that I suspect will do well locally. It's smooth plus a bit of punch from the Amarillo and 6.5% ABV, which will make it popular with a lot of folks. Listed on the website as Harriet-style Maibock, it's different enough to be a great addition to the local spring beer line up.

Picture at http://pintsizedrevelations.blogspot.com/2012/04/sol-bock-harriet-brewing-minneapolis-mn.html.
Apr 26, 2012
Sol Bock from Harriet Brewing
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 12 ratings