Der Dunkle Reh-Bock
Privatbrauerei Reh

Opened and poured after the "best by" date (in German: Mindestins haltbar bis...), however this bier poured moderately dark into the glass with a small head (as most Franken bocks do). Taste: Yum! This is one of my favorite Franken Bocks. Highly recommended, if you can find it.

2017 Update: This time I opened it BEFORE the "best by" date. Still yummy!

 

 

 

Moving right along...Pours a beautiful deep amber, almost mahogany. Lots of creamy head and leaves great lacing behind. Has that typical German metallic-ness to the smell, full of robust malt characteristics, too. Didn't notice at first, but it has some kind of sediment floating around. Kind of unexpected...Huge, rich flavor. Fairly hoppy for a German bock, also. Mouthfeel is very thick, more so than expected. Finish is very long and slightly bitter in a good way, and feels "clean"...Nice beer. Not cheap, though, at $4.69/pint+9 oz. bottle. Worth trying if you see it, but not elite....Editing this review...After about 20 minutes of sitting out warming, this beer loses almost all of its harsher constructs. Let it warm to room temp (unless you're in a room in Louisiana during summer that isn't air conditioned) and it becomes excellent...I revised my review up a little for this.

Random 500ml bottle found at Knightly Spirits in Orlando, dated May 2009. Lovely winter scene on the front. Poured into a tall lager glass.

Pours an opaque chestnut, almost a mocha character to it. Leaves a 1/2 inch head, decent lacing and retention.

A malty nose, with notes of sherry, grape, black currant, plum and caramel. Smells pretty nice, actually.

A lovely malty bock, rich and hearty, yet smooth and drinkable. Fruity - the black currant really comes to the fore here - with a light warming alcohol bite to the finish. It may be July in Florida, but this is still going down well.

Creamy, with light carbonation and a medium thick body.

A fine bock indeed, certainly would be a great winter brew to enjoy around the Christmas season. Well worth a pick up.

Comes with a label that has a deer on it adn a wintery scene. 500 ml brown bottle

Pours a clear brown, no other way to describe it really, maybe a hint of red. The head is slightly off-white and it leaves some decent lacing.

The smell is a bit lacking, mild dark fruit, a hint of malt, nothing much.

The taste is better though, it has a nice robustness to it and a great fruity sweetness. There is a decent amount of bitterness as well in the backing. Definitely more of a roasty doppelbock.

It is a pretty flavorful beer in the end, I would recommend it