Fainting Bock
Goat Locker Brewing Company

A- Gave this a reasonably hard pour and am greeted with one finger of solid foamy goodness, it being antique white in color, and with colorful soapy looking bubbles reflecting in the light......there is a decent amount of retention, eventually becoming a snow drift around the inside of the glass. The beer is golden amber in color, quite clear and has quite an aggressive carbonated upward flow, with many columns quickly racing to the underside of the foam head. The lacing is quite nice as well, with a solid foamy film covering the inside of the glass upon a gentle swirl.

S- I detect a nice rounded malt sweetness that is of caramel and brown sugar nuances, some balancing dry barley grains, grassy feed type crop and as this warms, I get some mild, yet distinct red delicious apple and cleansing bosc pear. The finish lingers somewhat and has a generally malt based, baked pie kind of aroma (pie crust, apple, slight spice).

T- I quite like the flavors found here! Fairly heavy on the malt sweetness, that turns more into a burnt toffee and molasses as opposed to what I was finding in the aromas......its not as heavy as a German made brew but still good in this area. I also get bread yeast, biscuit and/or cracker dryness and the finish hits the back and top of my palate with a quick but sharp hopped bitterness before riding back out into a lingering malt sunset......

M/O- Good medium body and the carbonation is actually quite smooth on the palate. There is little in terms of alcoholic character, which I like, and the drinkability factor is high in my opinion. As I am enjoying with some salt and pepper wings, I can say that this cleanses the palate rather well and makes an excellent meal accompaniment, but certainly holds its own too. A decent version of the style and I will seek this out again in the future.....recommended!

 

 

 

 

 

 

473ml can - once again made at Dead Frog in BC - which they state right on the label - no shame! And cool story about the poor animal that inspired the naming of this brew.

This beer pours a clear, medium copper amber colour, with four fat-ass fingers of puffy, rocky, and chunky off-white head, which leaves some decent randomly rendered snow rime lace around the glass as it very slowly recedes.

It smells of biscuity and grainy caramel malt, a bit of red apple and generic citrus peel, subtle earthy spice, and gentle leafy, weedy, and grassy green hop bitters. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, a still biscuity graininess, some mixed pome fruitiness, additional orange and white grapefruit notes, ethereal black pepper spice, and more understated leafy, earthy, and wet grassy hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its somewhat mouth-expanding frothiness, the body a solid middleweight, and generally smooth, with a wee airy creaminess arising as things warm up a bit after some time out of the bar fridge. It finishes off-dry, that pleasant as peaches (though lacking any peach essences, FYI) maltiness ruling the day.

Overall, I'm getting much more of a well-made ESB joint feeling here, mostly due to the biscuity nature of the malt, and the noble-esque verdant hops. Add to that the lack of typical bock lager alcohol astringency, and you can see why I'm a little bit confused. Whatever, this is very enjoyable, easy to drink, and worth giving a go.