Firehouse Bock
Firehouse Brewery & Restaurant

 

This beer was the most faithful to style of all beers offered at the Firehouse, but it still wasn't necessarily a good example of the style. Like the other two I tried, it was a bit soapy, but it was the least soapy of them all.

The appearance, as poured into a frosted pint, was a dark coppery color with a thin white head. Only slightly less opaque than the stout. Everything looked decent, but didn't look as if it would be a redeemer for the other two crappy brews.

The smell was soapy, of course, but there was a bit of caramel malt involved. The taste was the same, but unlike the other two beers, I could taste something other than water! Caramel! Hey, that sounds a bit bock-ish! Still not a good example of the style.

The mouthfeel was a bit watery, but probably the best of the bunch. Drinkability is likewise.

Brown hue, chestnut highlights, it does have a good color to it, served with a finger of white head, it faded to a soapy collar, thicker around the edges. Spotty but prevalent lacing. The nose is largely clean, a little tickle of malty sweetness but the bouquet fails to say, “I’m a bock” or even “drink me.” Yet I took a sip. The palate has the same “hoppiness” (don’t think bitter) as the stout and the same lack of malt qualities. In other words, it is an odd drink. There is vague sweetness, crisp and too similar to a commonplace lager. There is little flavor going on. The bartender told me this was “brewed to be darker than [Michelob] Amber Bock.” Why? What? I’d drink Michelob’s version over this any day. The bizarreness is tolerable. Medium-light body, and again, thin, the carbonation was adequate. Easy to drink, not tasty, maybe it could be deemed refreshing but so is water. Skip it.