Rock Bockstah
BarrieHaus Beer Co - Tampa

Poured from a crowler filled on 10/8/20; consumed on 10/25/20

Pours a crystal-clear, deep sunflower gold body capped with two fingers of craggy, soapy, off-white foam; solid head retention leaves spotty, paper-thin islands of cap, a slight, frothy collar, and spotty/webby lacing spread around the walls of the glass.

Aroma opens with fig contrasted against delicately toasted malt and hints of yeasty clove and orange zest before a more stiff, toasty malt and touches of oaky caramel form the middle; dark fruits course through the back end as bread crust, white bread, honeysuckle, and a fluffy alcohol heat closes.

Taste features a saturated amalgam of dark fruits drying to flaky caramel malts at the front of the palate as candied raisin, lightly smoked toffee, and splintery wood accent: floral hops develop over the mid-palate with low-lying grassy hops and hints of fig in the backdrop; dehydrated brown bread crusts ease into the back end while impressively vivid and earthy honey lingers against a fresh bread dough base as the finish fades.

Mouthfeel shows a medium body alongside a prickly, moderate carbonation fluffing quietly into the mid-palate, where a pillowy hop prickle stimulates the back end as an equally soft, semi-oily grit adds a deceptive texture to the finish; a warmth peeking in through the back end and through the swallow accentuates a rounded malty character, leaving a brilliantly subtle yet firm impression.

A near-perfectly attenuated construction levels a direct and potent malt focus with light hop accents, offering a concentrated and approachable profile to a stronger Bock beer; this supreme understatement still manages a veiled, boozy warmth to provide just enough natural bite to a Maibock which otherwise flows together seamlessly.