Bock
Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe

Sampled a pint of this relatively rare brew (in these parts) at Beer Revolution in Calgary. A dark reddish golden brew just shy of bronze with an inch or so of beige head, on the light side of bock color-wise. Does make up for this feature on the nose, with a decently assertive medley of butterscotch, light rum, brown sugar, and (interestingly) lemon greeting the drinker, with a menagerie of pear and baked apple, walnuts and pecans, caramel candy, milk chocolate, and faint coconut on the palate. I was pleasantly surprised by the rich malt complexity in here, with a semi-chewy body, silky smooth mouthfeel, and tame carbonation. Citrusy American hops make a fleeting appearance in the otherwise malty, dry, earthy finish. Wonderful dark lager flavors with considerable sweetness that does not become overdone thanks to skilled hopping. Will keep an eye out for this one next year.

 

 

20oz pint at the Underground, strangely tapped well in advance of the Lost Coast tap takeover coming in January.

This beer appears a hazy medium copper amber colour, with two fingers of puffy, tightly foamy, and generally creamy beige head, which leaves some nice limestone quarry lace around the glass as it slowly ebbs away.

It smells of bready caramel malt, a mild hard water flintiness, a touch of warming spice, and earthy, leafy, and weedy noble hops. The taste is semi-sweet caramel malt, a touch of toffee, gritty pale malt, ethereal holiday spice, and weak grassy, earthy hops. A hint of warming alcohol evolves as it warms.

The carbonation is quite light and frothy at best, the body a sturdy medium weight, and really quite smooth and clean for the style. It finishes on the sweet side, the malt persisting, while a burgeoning booze warmth belies the standard ABV proclamation.

A decently flavourful rendition of this springtime (!!!) staple, perhaps the drinkability affected as such by the lack of uptick in alcohol. If so, doesn't that just make this an amber lager?