Barrel Licked Bock
The Fort Collins Brewery

Barrel Licked BockBarrel Licked Bock
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From:
The Fort Collins Brewery
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Doppelbock
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
89
Avg:
4 | pDev: 8.5%
Reviews:
55
Ratings:
61
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 12, 2015
Added:
Apr 07, 2009
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jlindros:
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from bomber to pint glass

A: Very clear brownish red mahogany color with creamy 1 finger head that has good retention

N: Nose like a porter with some smoked malt, sweet malt, dark chocolate little oak and vanilla

T: Taste starts kinda sweet and has lots of smoked malt, it has a bacon like taste, a little caramelized brown sugar, rich sweet maltiness, some nice alcohol in the middle that lingers, some thick bread like biscuit

M: Mouth has a thick frothy and syrupy mouth coating

F: Finish is pretty sweet and smoky, a little sticky and slight taste of molasses, a little sweet sour yeastyness, not much for bitterness and its tough to drink with the high alcohol, sweetness and smoke, very rich and heavy dark beer
Aug 09, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.7 by Visionaryindian from Ohio

Nov 12, 2015
Photo of Brenden
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio

3.69/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
The color of this beer is a deep red, in the medium-dark range but shining brilliantly. If anything, I'd call it garnet, transparent but for the darker hues. The head is a bubbly tan froth that rests at about a finger. Retention is good, and the lacing left behind is in good quantity.
There's an underlying note of toast and nut to the strongly malty presence, while a light grassy and almost woody hops presence is only enough to balance. The main elements, though, are a sort of vanilla and brown sugar note, somewhat syrupy in ways, along with the wood and a bit of spiciness. I get the bock underneath, but at points it's a more just barrel. Still, they use the barrel well, bring out the complexities, and don't completely overshadow the beer. It comes out better in the aroma overall.
The feel is good, about a medium body with crispness and smoothness in kind. There's a bit of dryness from the barrel to counter the sweetness it also offers.
Feb 26, 2015
Photo of falloutsnow
Reviewed by falloutsnow from Illinois

4.02/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle from Friar Tuck's in Savoy, IL
No bottled on date
Poured into a tulip glass

Fort Collins' Barrel Licked Bock is a surprisingly delicious doppelbock, wherein the aging on oak seems to resolve all my initial problems with their "normal" doppelbock: the smokiness is present, but subdued, allowing the fruit esters and malt flavors to add complex new elements to the beer. The ethanol content is well-hidden, with smoothness being key. Definitely one to pick up if seen again.

Pours a 1cm tan head, made up of small to medium-sized bubbles, that has fairly poor retention and leaves marginal lacing. Beer's body is an attractive red amber color, transparent, with sluggish carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is not as aggressive or expressive as I would expected, but still enjoyable and appetizing. As from their original doppelbock, the scents here feature smoked malt, but toned down due to the aging on oak, so that a bit of oak is noticeable as well. Other aromas include prunes and dates with a hint of toffee.

Taste opens with interesting fruit esters, moderate malt sweetness, and oak flavors; fairly unique, like oaked prunes or dates in a malt bath. This transitions gracefully to smoked malt, oak, caramel malt, chocolate malt, and slight roasted flavors in the mid-palate. Back of the palate picks up smoke, oak barrel, and caramel sweetness alongside some continued fruit esters and a more prominent chocolate flavor. The mix is fairly exceptional, like someone took the smoked Aecht, caramel and fruit Ayinger, and chocolatey Great Lakes doppelbocks, blended them successfully, and aged the result on oak.

Beer is medium-heavy to heavy bodied, with fairly light carbonation. Carbonation could be a bit higher to make the aroma more expressive, but assuming this was somewhat sacrificed in oak aging and to make the beer have a smooth and gentle mouthfeel. Ethanol had only faint traces in the back of the throat and nostrils; rarely did I even notice I was partaking of a 10% beer. Finish is dry and a bit sticky from residual sugars.
Jun 18, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Apr 24, 2012
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours brown body with little head, the brown becomes darker in the last glass of the bomber. Rich, boozy aroma. Initial taste is rich malty, an old ale, with some citrus, fig, grape, charred oak, a little whiskey. The finish is Little disappointing, as we are back to the base bock that doesn't not quite deliver the perfect punch, rather a little astringent and wimpy. I respect the whiskey, I had and enjoyed it straight.Bomber from Florida mail order shipper.Still smooth.
Apr 06, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by rbrefbeerman from California

Mar 24, 2012
Photo of DavoleBomb
Reviewed by DavoleBomb from Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured into a snifter.

3.0 A: Hazed dark brown color. Not quite one finger of creamy tan head formed. Retention wasn't very good, even for the ABV, but a very short ring of lacing was left.

4.5 S: I was wondering whether "oak barrels" meant bourbon barrels, but it certainly doesn't seem like it. I'm actually a bit glad it's just oak cause this has a very nice aroma on it. As advertised, there is plenty of porky roastiness. Moderate oak aroma with a mild vanilla component. This is particularly clean for a dopplebock. There isn't a huge breadiness or caramel component like some. Rather, this contains a highly complementary mix of plum and date fruitiness, caramel and toffee, and molasses.

4.0 T: Deceptively light in body, but I'll address that in the next segment. Just thought I'd mention it first here since it has implications for the taste. This is quite dry for a dopplebock, which is to say that it isn't super sweet. For that, I'm quite happy. Lots of dark fruits in this - plum and dates reign supreme with raisin, currants, and prunes a couple steps behind. It's not nearly as smoky as the nose suggested, but it's still present and it adds nicely to the profile. Caramel, molasses, and toffee in descending order. Moderate oak and the vanilla is a bit easier to detect.

3.5 M: Medium body. I think the lighter than usual body benefitted the taste, but I do like the thick, rich, and creamy mouthfeels of a more typical D-bock. Carbonation is a hair lesser than I prefer, but it's fine. Some creaminess, but I want some more.

4.0 D: Easy to drink and tasty with a great nose. I'm more than certain that this is the best beer I've had from FC. I'd pick up another bottle if there weren't hundreds of thousands of other beers I need to try.
Mar 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 24, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Nov 26, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by sobeleg from New York

Nov 17, 2011
Photo of Yeastcakes
Reviewed by Yeastcakes from Colorado

4.95/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Bought in Spring 2010, drank in fall 2011
A – crystal clear, amber, 2 fingers of medium bubble sized head.
A – fig, raisins, some hint of the burbon in the barrels.
M – nice and thick body, low carbonation (although that could have been due to drinking it a room temp)
T – There is an great balance of the bourbon and the complex malt tastes. The malty sweetness, figs, raisin and bourbon form a great combination.
O – This is a great beer. For a barrel-aged beer it has great balance. The bourbon is present but not mind-blowingly obvious.
Nov 13, 2011
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a clear russet color with a couple of inches of foam on top; leaves a couple of strands behind on the way down

Smell: Peaty caramel, with smoke, oak and dried dark fruit tones

Taste: Rich caramel, followed by the smokey peat character; by mid-palate, the dark dried fruit adds complexity; a bit sweeter still, after the swallow, but the oak presents itself in the finish to keep the cloyness in check

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Overall: Nicely complex and fairly well-executed; just a tad too sweet to enjoy the full bomber

Thanks, FlandersNed, for the opportunity
Aug 06, 2011
Photo of Vierenner
Reviewed by Vierenner from Ohio

4.41/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
What a surprise. Visited a little beer & wine shop in Oxford OH, and found this delicious beer. Always on the lookout for sweeter, less hoppy beers this one easily met my needs. Pours a beautiful ruby color with a rich, somewhat persistent head. A complex bevy of sweet flavors is offset with a mild hop bite, or perhaps sour raisins, I'm not sure. Hardly even sense the alcohol ... smooth!
Apr 02, 2011
Photo of robwestcott
Reviewed by robwestcott from Indiana

3.82/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
thanks to LusciousJackson for this one.

poured cold and fairly aggressively from the bottle a deep mahogany brown to a dogfish head signature glass with a thin, short lasting tan head

big aroma of earthy hops, dark toffee and oak.

wow - what a nice bold brew. earthy hops forward, but in a good way... sticky sweet caramel, dark fruits and vanilla notes.

medium to light bodied, creamy, light carbonation, sweet - almost cloying, but not quite.

drinkable - hmmm... maybe just a bomber.
Mar 23, 2011
Photo of speter
Reviewed by speter from New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours a murky brown with a small but persistent off-white head that leaves decent lacing.

S: Roast malt, raisins, prunes, brown sugar and a nice hint of smoke.

T: Follows the nose. The front is sweet like a traditional doppelbock, while the roasty notes dominate the center. The finish and aftertaste are beautifully smoky. Less smoky than a Bamberger beer, but strong enough to match the other flavors in this big beer.

M: Creamy and full-bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. The finish is drier because of the smoke. The alcohol is extremely well integrated. (I would have pegged it 8% at the highest.)

D: This is so flavorful and big as to preclude drinking more than one in a session, but I look forward to getting more.
Nov 17, 2010
Photo of ToddT
Reviewed by ToddT from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A- Dark brown hazy liquid topped with a small off white head. Head falls slowly and ends up as a ring but it leaves some nice lace on the glass.

S- Smoke, caramel, biscuit malt, molasses, vanilla, caramel, and some wood notes in the background.

T- Caramel, and molasses with a background of vanilla at first, biscuit malt takes over in the middle and cover up the initial sweetness, then the finish is dry and woodsy with some lingering final notes of smoke and malt.

M- Medium in body and low in carbonation, a bone dry finish to this one.

D- Pretty drinkable, a little on the sweet side for me, the 10.2% ABV doesn't show up anywhere.

Interesting beer, not really my taste , but a decent effort.
Oct 29, 2010
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had this on-tap at the Brick Store Pub. I was quite impressed with this beer- particularly on draught. Very nice and much better than I expected it would be. I think many don't like smoked beers, and if not this might be a little bit of a shock if just expecting a dopplebock. I happen to really like rauchbiers, and this one is actually quite good. Pours dark brown with garnet highlights and a creamy dark head that leaves some spotty lacing. Smells slightly smokey and exhibits notes of fruity apple, cherry, and plum followed by some molasses notes from the malt. The taste is surprisingly good. Super smooth and balanced with firm malt notes, smoke, and fruit, with some oak and bitter components from some earthy hops that actually work here in a nice triad with the malt and smoke. Quite interesting. Extremely smooth, slightly tangy, and a nice wisp of smoke throughout, without it being dominant. Very nice beer.
Aug 28, 2010
Photo of bamadog
Reviewed by bamadog from Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Thanks to my buddy Jeff V. for picking this one up on a recent work retreat in Oxford, OH. The review is from notes taken on 6/1/2010 and poured from the bottle to a wine glass.

Appearance: Pours a solid brown with nice and vibrant ruby highlights; starts with a 1/2 finger light tan head that fades immediately to nothing other than a faint and thin web; body is perfectly clear; virtually no carbonation other than one faint line of bubbles, which is not necessarily unexpected in something that's spent time in a barrel; a few spots and washes of lacing are left behind.

Smell: Smell is actually quite smokey and peaty, and meaty, almost like jerky. It's quite potent and I'm not quite sure if I really like it.

Taste: Very much like the smell, the smokey and meaty flavor is very dominant and even comes across as a tad salty (if that's possible); there's a sweet cola-like sweetness that creeps in and continues to become more potent as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Body is of medium weight; carbonation is low, but not really flat; a moist stickiness is left ont he roof of the mouth and it really holds those smokey and jerky-like meat flavors.

Drinkability: Meh. Not bad, but not something I will seek out. The smokey and salty meat presence don't really across well in this beer and it's a bit of a turn off.
Jun 03, 2010
Photo of biglite351
Reviewed by biglite351 from Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
A - a good deal of orange showing through, but dark through the center of the glass. White head falls very quickly to nearly nothing. Mildly cloudy as opposed to clear.

S - has most of the usual bock sweet smell, however it seems a bit more grounded than the typical double, probably due to the oak.

T - mild doppelbock flavor with about half of the expected super-sweet feel they have. Noticeable caramel taste. The oak seems to ground this well.

M - light coating, but you can feel it on your teeth. Very mild tingle on sides of tongue.

D - due to the lack of the over-the-top sweetness of the usual doppelbock and the grounding of the oak, I could drink this as my all-nighter.
May 30, 2010
Barrel Licked Bock from The Fort Collins Brewery
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 61 ratings