Seasonal Bock Farmhouse Lager
Hall Brewing Co.

 

 

the best of the hall beers so far, this one is actually pretty good, although i have my doubts about whether it is actually lagered. this has dark ale written all over it, ale! the color is lovely though, jet black, obsidian shine, and a lacy and ringed tan head that holds on well. the nose is indeed lager yeast, dark barley and some bakers chocolate too, but this is mineral heavy, especially in the taste, iron rich, bloody, scrumptious. i get that ahead of the grain, but the grain is nice, also rich, well roasted, and bitter, especially after the swallow. some cool layers to this when i dive in. cherries, maybe blueberries, like really good espresso that has fruit, i never get this depth from a lager, so if it is one, which the jury is still out on, i like it and i am impressed. time has done this favors too, as the alcohol is mellow, and the finish is long and burnt, like a texas smoker the morning after. very cool beer really at a fuller medium body and carbonated well enough. i get a little bit of the cigarette butt finish i got in the saison, a phenomenon unique to hall brewing and not awful. again, the best hall beer ive had to date. a far cry from the classic german bocks, but they also call everything a farmhouse, so perhaps nomenclature isnt their strong suit. sue them... wait... didnt someone do that?

 

 

Nearly opaque ruby red body with a thin yet persistent head. Prominent roasted grain character. Smooth, dark malt flavors and feel with a tingly carbonation on the tongue; light hop bitterness with an added twinge of alcohol.

An interesting bock that comes across more like a dark ale in many ways. It definitely has a lager smoothness to it, yet the malts and grains give it a Cascadian dark ale feel. Who knows what the ABV is (it's not listed on the label or the brewer's web site), but this one is unique and worth a try, especially if dark lagers/dark ales are your thing.