Mars
Paniza Brewing Co.

Mar 29 2025

473 mL can, day 13 of the 2022 Toronto Brewing beer advent calendar; dated Oct 6 2022 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a foggy brownish-bronze colour with ruby red highlights; it's capped with less than a finger of tight, creamy tan-coloured head that vanishes within a minute or two. A thin collar and filmy cap linger upon the surface, with scant lace deposition. The aroma is quite sweet, including notes of caramel, fig, raisin, toasted bread and toffee.

Malt-forward, as I'd expect from a dunkles bock: flavours of toasted bread, digestive biscuit, caramelized sugars and toffee flit across the taste buds, with hints of red licorice candy, fig and molasses by mid-sip. Finishes with date fruit, caramel and some herbal hop bitterness that doesn't last; hints of dark fruit, molasses and biscuit persist into the aftertaste. Not exactly 'boozy', but there's no hiding that this is a strong lager. Medium-bodied, with moderate carbonation that lends a firm bite to this brew's smooth mouthfeel; fair drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.68, a B grade. Journey to Mars is a solid dunkles bock, but my review should be considered with a grain of salt for a few reasons. First, this is not a style that I drink or review all that often, and second, it's also not a style that I have much affinity for. That being said, I think this is a well-brewed one - I enjoyed my glass, have no major complaints, and would consider purchasing it in the future if I were in the mood for a malty, strong lager.