Holiday Bock
Dovetail Brewery
- From:
- Dovetail Brewery
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- Bock
Ranked #8 - ABV:
- 6.9%
- Score:
- 90
Ranked #11,889 - Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 6.13%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 11
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 19, 2024
- Added:
- Nov 24, 2016
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
90
Outstanding
90
Outstanding
This beer is brewed for the cold weather. It's 100% barley malt lager with reddish tones from the generous addition of caramel malt. Brewed in the summer, lagers through the fall, and is ready to keep you warm all winter long.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Qbert from Illinois
4.43/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Light brown with a tan head. Aroma is honey, bread, and almonds. Taste is similar with more bread and honey and a light touch of hops in the finish. Light to medium body with a nice creaminess to it.
Mar 19, 2024
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts
3.91/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This is heavy, sweet stuff. Capped off the visit to the brewery with a half liter pour. Should have gone smaller because this is really quite sweet and rich. A spiced holiday bock that’s missing a lot of the typical bock qualities. Rich malt profile and clearly lagered for a while but just too sugary and sweet to be truly enjoyable. Great looking beer but from the start the nose and flavor are just overwhelming. What a bummer. Had high hopes. Certainly fits the holiday seasonal category but again, just a lot going on.
Dec 23, 2023
Reviewed by Tilley4 from Tennessee
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
What an extremely well made Bock...just fantastic.
There's a touch of dark fruit mingled into the rich smooth maltiness. .makes it unusual and gives it a holiday feel.
Great example of just being able to produce a quality product without doing too much to it....it's clean...it's simple...it's delicious....
Extremely well done and I would recommend this to anyone that sees it...
Jan 01, 2023There's a touch of dark fruit mingled into the rich smooth maltiness. .makes it unusual and gives it a holiday feel.
Great example of just being able to produce a quality product without doing too much to it....it's clean...it's simple...it's delicious....
Extremely well done and I would recommend this to anyone that sees it...
Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts
4.02/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Can received in a ninja strike from @fbarber associated with Bif14
Poured into a stemmed Pilsener glass, clear copper liquid capped by a three finger fizzy foam cap , good retention , settles to a ring and thin island
Aroma is malty, sweet, hint of spice
Taste is malty , sweet , hint of spice
Light mouthfeel , gentle carbonation , semi dry finish
Good beer , thanks Gritty!
Dec 23, 2021Poured into a stemmed Pilsener glass, clear copper liquid capped by a three finger fizzy foam cap , good retention , settles to a ring and thin island
Aroma is malty, sweet, hint of spice
Taste is malty , sweet , hint of spice
Light mouthfeel , gentle carbonation , semi dry finish
Good beer , thanks Gritty!
Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia
3.92/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.92/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a beer advent exchange.
A - Pours an incredibly beautiful crystal clear amber with a half-finger tan head. Some lacing and viscosity on the glass. 4.0
S - Brown bread, nutty, slightly sweet, minor herbal hoppy notes, even some vinous or raisin notes. Lemony even clove-like. Very complex for me. 4.5
T - Malty with a little German hoppiness.
MF - Medium to medium light body with a almost dry finish slightly acrid finish. 3.5
Dec 11, 2021A - Pours an incredibly beautiful crystal clear amber with a half-finger tan head. Some lacing and viscosity on the glass. 4.0
S - Brown bread, nutty, slightly sweet, minor herbal hoppy notes, even some vinous or raisin notes. Lemony even clove-like. Very complex for me. 4.5
T - Malty with a little German hoppiness.
MF - Medium to medium light body with a almost dry finish slightly acrid finish. 3.5
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4.44/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Canned 11/10/21; drank 12/5/21 @ the Yarchives.
Cloudy brown/orange appearance.
A rough pour yielded a HUGE khaki head; strong lace.
Caramel, orange peel & faint smoke notes in the nose.
Creamy medium mouthfeel.
Brown sugar, cream & mild acorn flavors up front; mild caramel & faint allspice notes on the finish.
A phenomenal beer. I'd have another...and another...and another...
Dec 06, 2021Cloudy brown/orange appearance.
A rough pour yielded a HUGE khaki head; strong lace.
Caramel, orange peel & faint smoke notes in the nose.
Creamy medium mouthfeel.
Brown sugar, cream & mild acorn flavors up front; mild caramel & faint allspice notes on the finish.
A phenomenal beer. I'd have another...and another...and another...
Reviewed by Chris7482 from Illinois
4.36/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.36/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Deliciously smooth offering, just a great beer. I could drink this all day without realizing it's almost 7 percent. Great beer for the holidays, or for any time really.
Nov 26, 2021
Reviewed by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois
4.29/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
16oz tall boy poured into Saint Sixtus Goblet.
Appearance: copper / amber bodied beer with huge bone white head. Lots of lacing left on the side of the glass.
Smell: bready malt and spicy lager yeast with fruity esters.
Taste: Rich bready malt. Hint of caramel malt sweetness & even perhaps a light nutty flavor. Spicy lager yeast with fruity esters.
Mouthfeel: Creamy textured body. Drinks heavier than the listed ABV, but is not boozy at all. Finish is lightly dry; clean & crisp. Very drinkable & smooth.
Overall: That Dovetail quality is there for sure. Really nice malty Bock. I haven't had many beers from this style, but I knew it would be good because its from Dovetail.
Dec 05, 2020Appearance: copper / amber bodied beer with huge bone white head. Lots of lacing left on the side of the glass.
Smell: bready malt and spicy lager yeast with fruity esters.
Taste: Rich bready malt. Hint of caramel malt sweetness & even perhaps a light nutty flavor. Spicy lager yeast with fruity esters.
Mouthfeel: Creamy textured body. Drinks heavier than the listed ABV, but is not boozy at all. Finish is lightly dry; clean & crisp. Very drinkable & smooth.
Overall: That Dovetail quality is there for sure. Really nice malty Bock. I haven't had many beers from this style, but I knew it would be good because its from Dovetail.
Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois
4.49/5 rDev +10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.49/5 rDev +10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a clear, amber color. Thick billowy tan head forms upon pouring before dissipating until just a ring of foam remains on the outside of the beer. Pretty looking bock beer.
Aroma has notes of dark bready malts, spicy rye bread, light peppercorn notes and a hint of dark fruits.
The taste follows the nose with notes of dark bread, rye bread, some light dark fruity notes, spicy black pepper, and some light hop notes on the back end. The hops in no way impact the prominent bready malts. Very clean, smooth flavors in this one.
Feel is lighter-medium bodied. Ha a bit of a chewiness to it. Smooth, gentle carbonation. On the drier side on the finish.
Overall, I continue to be incredibly impressed with Dovetail's beers and this one is no exception. A delicious bock and perfect for the colder weather.
Nov 29, 2020Aroma has notes of dark bready malts, spicy rye bread, light peppercorn notes and a hint of dark fruits.
The taste follows the nose with notes of dark bread, rye bread, some light dark fruity notes, spicy black pepper, and some light hop notes on the back end. The hops in no way impact the prominent bready malts. Very clean, smooth flavors in this one.
Feel is lighter-medium bodied. Ha a bit of a chewiness to it. Smooth, gentle carbonation. On the drier side on the finish.
Overall, I continue to be incredibly impressed with Dovetail's beers and this one is no exception. A delicious bock and perfect for the colder weather.
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.45/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Had on tap and in can. Crystal clear chestnut brown with an off-white ring. Caramel malts, barley, dark fruit esters and toast in the nose. Taste leads with the sweeter side of the malt and fruit, before ending on a warm toasty note. Let it warm and the flavors will reward you with previously hidden depth. Typical bock body with good smoothness and malt, proper weight and texture. Perfect for a Christmas walk. The wife loved it
Dec 18, 2019
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