Mocking Bird
Elora Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the brewery; dated Dec 18 2025 and served barely chilled.

Pours a clear reddish-brown colour, taking on more of a brick red hue when held to the light. Gathered atop is one inch of foamy, cream-coloured head that vanishes within two or three minutes, replaced with a modest collar of suds and a patchy film on the surface. Lace deposition is sparse, but it looks ok otherwise. Malt-forward, somewhat sweet aroma that includes toasted grains, biscuits, caramel, nuts and date fruit, with a very subtle hint of smoke.

The flavours are along the same lines: toasted bread, biscuits, caramel and molasses, with hints of raisin, date and red licorice candy. Toffee, toasted nuts and some herbal hop bitterness develop late in the sip, with a touch of bitter chocolate and smoke rounding out the back end; the aftertaste is sweet and a bit boozy, with herbal hops, biscuit and faint smoke lingering on the palate. Medium-full in body, with gentle carbonation that meekly nudges the surface of the palate, resulting in a smooth, somewhat fluffy mouthfeel. Finishing one can is no problem, but one serving per evening should be enough for most folks.

Final Grade: 3.92, a worthy B+. Mocking Bird is a pretty darn solid example of one of Ontario's most underrepresented styles. I sometimes complain about bocks being too sweet and one-dimensional, but I think Elora has done a good job with this one - the malt flavours tend to dominate, but there's a pretty decent range/variety of them, and the herbal hops prove to be an adequate counterpoint. I also appreciated that ephemeral wisp of smokiness, as well as its fulfilling mouthfeel. For bock-loving BAs, this is an easy recommendation.