Pale Bock
Celis Brewery

12 oz. bottle poured into pilsener
(9/19/17 born-on date)

L: reddish gold/bronze, not dark enough for true copper but getting there, about 70%-plus clear with a consistent haziness, pushes up thick creamy looking head of beige foam over an inch tall; head sticks some at top; lots of activity keep it capped with a full skin and 1/4-inch thick collar; clears up quite a bit over time; it doesn't lace a ton, but I could sit and stare at it all day ... gorgeous

S: dusty yeasty dried apricot and some dirt hops; grain, sour grain ... as it warms the sweeter malt apricot turns into fruitcake into almost caramel sweetness, but the hops always keep it relatively tame

T: huge chunk of Old World dirt hops, bitter but not bitingly bitter but very earthy ... black pepper, too, but mainly dirt hops on top of a little dried apricot/caramel/toffee sweetness, then more of that earthy hop flavor in the aftertaste; could also be tasting a bit medicinal, and the flavor seems OK because it at least tastes like good hops, but there's a slight menthol coating that seems to linger well into the aftertaste ... like the inside of your mouth is getting a bit numb

F: full all around, decent weight ... almost a midweight ... with a lot of carbonation to give it a crisp bite, and drinking through the constant collar and skin softens it, so you get a lot of stuff going on

O: great beer, perhaps a bit medicinal because of that lingering menthol aftertaste, but as it warms the caramel malt begins adding more flavor and sweetness to the earthy hop base, and midway through the glass it levels itself into a super tasty back-and-forth play between the dirt hop earthiness and malty sweetness

RB transfer

 

A: crystal clear; deep bronze in color; 1 finger finely pored light tan head that receded to a wispy cap with a thick collar; very little lacing;

S: sweet malt;

T: very mild flavor; leans sweet, but there's a tinge of bitterness in the background; finish is all caramel;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: easy drinking;

Appearance: Medium amber color, with a faint haze, crowned by a moderate, fairly dense off-white head, that retains well. Thin, fine-beaded lacing adorns the glass wall with broken sheets, more covered, than not. Clouds of light, fine-beaded bubbles drift lazily to the surface.

Aroma: Toasted dark bread, caramel, toasted gran, dust, and just a hint of black malt.

Taste: Opens with toasted malt, and a bit of husk, a bit of burnt caramel, and some earthiness, though overall, everything is mild. As the taste progresses, the burnt and earthy notes become more prominent, but not at all overpowering. Late in the taste, there are some slight hints of dark fruit, perhaps sour plum. Finishes dry, with a suggestion of roasted nuts.

Mouth feel: Smooth and soft, perhaps a bit thin, with a hint of stinging carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: A quite decent session beer. Nothing is over-the-top, just pleasant and drinkable. Somehow, it seems well-suited to autumn.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce brown glass long neck bottle with a pry-off crown; served in a standard Pilsener glass.

 

 

 

From the can, it ours a slightly hazy darker amber with a just off-white head that is thick and slowly sinks. Nice scent of malt in the nose. In the mouth, the same. Lacing as well.

 

 

 

This has a depth of character. The flavor changes though the drinking of it. Starts out with grain tastes then changes twice until your left with an IPA mid-notes. My second favorite beer.

 

 

 

 

Substantial aromas of yeast and malt. Particularly crisp and bubbly. Moderate bitterness, mildly hoppy. Primary tastes of malt with a faint lingering earthy greenery.

 

Strong Caramel notes. Bubbly. One is a good change of pace. Two is two too sweet.