Online Tasting: Bocks (April 23-25, 2021)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by TongoRad, Apr 23, 2021.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Page 19 of 27
  1. b9d9

    b9d9 Zealot (670) Nov 9, 2020 Germany
    Trader

    Going on with another big boy

    [​IMG]


    Tucher Bräu - Bajuvator Doppelbock (7.5% ABV, 18.3°P)

    I don't like Tucher beers but this one is "okay". Smell is a cheap mix of (red) berries and korn/schnapps. Taste is exactly the same and very alcoholic at the end. Malt is slightly bready with a touch of chocolate and coffee.
    Overall unbalanced and a tough one - no recommendation
     
    #361 b9d9, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, jts211, Gutes_Bier and 31 others like this.
  2. FBarber

    FBarber Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,325) Mar 5, 2016 Illinois
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Alrighty, I am back and have the results of this side by side tasting ... a big shoutout to Mrs Gritty who was kind enough to indulge my hobby and pour these for me - so I am completely blind outside of using clear glasses. So the entrants in this tasting are 1) Goldfinger Brewing Co. (Downers Grove, IL) maibock - checks in at 6.3% ABV, 2) Dovetail Brewery (Chicago, IL) maibock - also checks in at 6.3% ABV, and 3) Hofbräu - maibock checking in at 7.2% ABV. All of these are verified fresh with the oldest being the Hofbräu which has a bottling date of January 2021.

    [​IMG]

    Appearance

    So in terms of appearance, as you can see one of these is noticeably darker than the other two - I believe, based on prior experiences, is the Hofbräu, but we will see if that pans out.

    At the risk of being completely confusing, I will refer to the beers by the glass they are poured in. The beer in the Ayinger glass pours a light golden color (this one is the lightest of the 3). Moderately cloudy nicely effervescent. That one had a huge, 3-4 finger white head on the beer. Head showed some lingering retention, but after a few minutes did dissipate leaving some sticky white lacing and a residual layer of foam on top of the beer.

    The beer is the Columbia glass is noticeably darker - more of an auburn color. Completely clear and effervescent. Thin white sudsy head forms then dissipates leaving just some splotchy foam on top of the beer.

    The beer in the Celebrator glass is more of a golden color, completely clear and very effervescent. Thinnish white sudsy head forms on the beer then dissipates leaving just a ring of foam along the outside of the top of the beer.

    Aroma

    The Ayinger glass beer has very subtle, mild notes of sweet bread, pilsner malt, floral almost mildly fruity hops coming through on the back end.

    The beer is the Columbia glass has notes of sweet malts, lightly toasted, spicy, grassy hops come through on the back end. Very traditional aroma on this one.

    And finally, the beer in the Celebrator glass has notes of sweet malts, light grainy notes, a touch of honey, with some floral, earthy hop notes on the back end.

    Taste

    The Ayinger glass beer is again, very mild, with notes of sweet bready malts, pilsner malts, light notes of honey, and grassy, spicy hops on the back half. I do get a slight warming-ness from this one as I'm drinking, but I'm not getting any alcohol flavors in the profile. Overall the flavor profile is very mild, and while I don't mean that pejoratively, I do mean it as an indication of something lacking - it needs more depth, more character.

    The Columbia glass has rich bready malts up front with a lightly toasted character to it. Light honey sweetness comes through with a spicy, herbal hop finish. The malts have lovely depth to them which produces a simple yet flavorful profile.

    The celebrator glass beer has rich bready malts up front, the bready notes come across as more rustic that has a touch of graininess to it. Honey like sweetness comes through along with floral, grassy hops on the back end. This is the hoppiest of the three beers, but mainly just because they seem to really come through most robustly. Moderate bitterness comes through on the back end.

    Feel

    The Ayinger glass beer is light to medium bodied. Very crisp but mainly because it is very carbonated with a prickly, lively feel to it.

    The Columbia glass beer is medium bodied, smooth, slick and rich. Mild carbonation. Somewhat drier on the finish.

    The beer in the Celebrator glass is light to medium bodied. Light to moderate carbonation produces a smooth mouthfeel.

    Overall Impressions

    So the beer is the Ayinger glass as solid, but it left me wanting more - a more robust aroma, more malt depth, more flavor. Its a solid effort, and one that is on the right track, but it just falls short.

    The beer in the Columbia glass is a rock solid example of the style - classic, rich, flavorful - this is what I want in a maibock.

    And the beer in the Celebrator glass is a very nice beer, but at the end of the day, the malts are a big rough or rustic. I really want that rich sweetness and while this one heads in that direction it does so with a bit more roughness on the edges And because of that its a step down for me from the beer in the Columbia glass.

    Guesses

    So, having gone through all of these what are my guesses? I think
    • the Ayinger glass is the Goldfinger maibock,
    • the Columbia glass is the Hofbräu maibock, and
    • the Celebrator glass is the Dovetail maibock.
    My rankings would be: 1) Columbia Glass, 2) Ayinger glass, and 3) Celebrator glass.

    [​IMG]

    Results

    Sooo survey says I got the Dovetail and Goldfinger reversed ... its interesting because the Dovetail maibock is remarkably different than last year's version. Last year it had a bit smoke and was much richer and had more depth. This year, its technically sound, but just left me wanting a bit more richness, more depth.

    On the other hand, the Goldfinger maibock, was solid - I enjoyed drinking it, but I found it rough around the edges - needing a bit more refinement, which I guess is to be expected from a new brewery.

    As for the Hofbräu, what is there to say? Its such a lovely example of the style and up against two solid American examples it stuck out like a sore thumb as everything I want and expect from the style .

    I sincerely apologize for the long post, but its hard to be succinct with 3 beers in one post ...

    Might have one more in me after I finish these off ... we'll see.

     
    #362 FBarber, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, Chaz, brewskis and 33 others like this.
  3. CaptainHate

    CaptainHate Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2006 Ohio

    Very well stated. These beers aren't plug and chug creations. There's a reason the standards age a certain way and it isn't dumb luck.
     
    #363 CaptainHate, Apr 25, 2021
    officerbill, ChicagoJ, JHDStein and 3 others like this.
  4. Nugganooch

    Nugganooch Grand Pooh-Bah (4,480) Jan 13, 2011 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]
    Vitus - Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan. Beautiful beer!
    Damn I tore the label BA
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    #364 Nugganooch, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, Chaz, brewskis and 25 others like this.
  5. sulldaddy

    sulldaddy Grand Pooh-Bah (5,786) Apr 6, 2003 Connecticut
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Probably the last one for me tonight, but who knows!
    Hofstetten Granit Bock 7.3%. the label says brewed in 2013. I bought this beer yesterday for $3 in the local beer shop. Figured it cant be a bad value for that much coin. But not sure what to expect for an eight year old beer. I reviewed this beer about 12 years ago, not this bottle obviously! and enjoyed it. Lets see where this one goes. Onto the review!

    [​IMG]
    Sampling at cellar temp and poured into my .5L dimple mug. the beer pours a very dark cola brown color with some deep garnet highlights when I hold up the beer to a light source. Looks more stout like than I anticipated. A dense creamy khaki colored head of 1.5 cm foams up and fades slowly to a sturdy surface layer.
    The aroma is a bit of a whoa! moment. Lots of dark fruit with raisin and plums and also brown sugar and molasses. Definitely some older beer scents, but also more complexity than I expected. I also get a bit of chocolate and a tangy sweet note that I cant pin down. no hops, and no granite smell either? :wink:
    Booze is hidden on nose, but so far this seems more of an old ale than a bock.
    First sip reveals a medium body and very fine gentle rolling carbonation. Texture is smooth and beer drinks pretty easy.
    Flavor is similar to nose, sweet malts of brown sugar and molasses with a bit of raisin too. I also get that same tangy sweet character that I cant quite define. No hop character and no alcohol booziness on flavor or heat.
    I actually think this beer has aged fairly gracefully and enjoy what I have. worth the $3....yes!
     
    #365 sulldaddy, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, Chaz, brewskis and 30 others like this.
  6. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Well its been a busy day and it's not over yet. Took a little dinner break in the lab though
    [​IMG]

    This bottle is from the 15th of January! Of 2020:confused: Its one of the few bocks (all dopple, all at one store) I found so ii grabbed it without worrying about dates. Let's see how this one has held up over these 15 months.

    Well, the nose is a surprisingly rich (given the charter about this beer earlier in the thread) with a lightly tart rum raisin rye bread thing going on. Really enticing and very evocative of the winter holiday season. I may have to work to find a fresher bottle that time of year in the future.

    Taste doesn't hold the line, and the age is definitely showing. A nutty bitterness leads the way for me over top of an ashy cigar tobacco/stale coffee thing. That rich bready aspect of the nose only.shows up here as a sort of watery dark.bread note. Decidedly stale tasting.

    Mouthfeel is thin and watery, I can imagine that the thinness could.be a benefit when this is fresh. The stale wateriness combines with that crisp body to give a sort of off brand cola vibe.

    Overall, I'm 2 for 2 on showing why a bunch of shitty out dated stock could really harm the chances of a style/brewery taking hold. If I was a total novice who was just sort of exploring this voluminous beer cave I would write off schlenkerla, ayinger, and the dopplebock style all together after these last two samples. Hoping that my 6-7 month korbinian can give me a good showing (I mean maybe the schlenkerla dopplebock is secretly fresh but I'm not holding my breath).

    Love to see all the excitement and the various local takes people are posting. Really appreciate the chance to explore stuff outside my lane that these tastings offer. Keep up the lords work advocates!:beers:
     
    #366 unlikelyspiderperson, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, brewskis, beergoot and 26 others like this.
  7. wawagrin

    wawagrin Initiate (138) Jun 17, 2016 Oregon

    Occidental Maibock canned 03/03/2021

    Thanks, all, for giving me a reason to bock. Occidental does a good job with the German lineup, and this Maibock may be my favorite of theirs so far. Poured with a nearly nonexistent and fast-disappearing head, but a brilliant glowing clear yellow-gold underneath. Honey malts on the nose with some floral/herbal noble hop. Nice. First sip is almost syrupy in mouthfeel, but with a solid grounding bitterness leading into a lemony dryness, ending crisp and demanding another sip.

    Making a mental note to stop by John's Market again to pick up more of these tomorrow...
     
    #367 wawagrin, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, Chaz, cheeseheadinMinneapolis and 21 others like this.
  8. FBarber

    FBarber Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,325) Mar 5, 2016 Illinois
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Ok, Im going to do one more tonight and its a doozy. A couple years ago now, I was traveling in downstate IL for work and came across a handful of bottles of Schnorschbock eisbocks that were on clearance. I picked up one of each of the bottles they had, but just never got around to drinking them. Well tonight is the night - Im going to crack one, and since its go big or go home ... I am opening the Schnorschbock - Eisbock 30. This monstrosity checks in at 30 % ABV and comes completely with leather embossed "Worlds Strongest Beers" medallion. This bottle is marked as a 2012 bottle with a best by date of 2035.

    [​IMG]

    Pours a dark purple tinged brown color that verges on black. Beer is mostly clear except for some yeasty floaters suspended in the beer. I tried to pour it carefully to avoid the yeast, but with a 9 year old bottle, I guess some of this is to be expected. This beer appears to be completely still when poured. Like, no carbonation whatsoever.

    The aroma is actually quite lovely. Notes of dark fruits, figs, dark bread, and honey with a noticeable, but not really unexpected alcohol note coming through the nose. Its really reminiscent of a Christmas pudding and in that sense its quite inviting.

    The taste ... oh boy. Wow. Its uh, both really interesting and incredibly unpleasant. So immediately up front you get a some light dark fruit notes, burnt brown sugar, and peach cobbler. That almost immediately transitions into a strong smoky flavor. That smoky flavor then kind of moves into a deeper, more assertive smoked ham flavor. From there the alcohol burn hits and immediately overshadows any other flavors you might get from the beer. The effect of this beer on the palate is similar to an Usman punch to the face. There is a strong alcohol burn that assaults the palate, but then immediately warms the chest as the beer goes down.

    Feel is thick, syrupy, and abrasive. There is very mild carbonation - its there, but almost imperceptible. It is quite dry.

    They describe this as toeing the line between beer and spirit ... and I guess it retains beer status since its technically an eisbock, but frankly its far more gimmick than either. I have a couple of the other lower ABV versions and I will be curious to see if those are more enjoyable to drink. Its cool to say I had one of the worlds strongest beers, but this is not something I would ever want to drink again.
     
    #368 FBarber, Apr 25, 2021
    Jack_14, RobertB412, Chaz and 34 others like this.
  9. Jaycase

    Jaycase Grand Pooh-Bah (3,858) Jan 13, 2007 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Last maibock for the evening is this local offering from Dovetail Brewery. They are well known in the area for their lagers and deservedly so imo.

    Pours light amber and a bit cloudy. Flavor primarily bready malts intertwined with a honey sweetness. Giving me a bit more depth of flavor than the Goldfinger offering. I'm enjoying this one and think it's a nice local representation.

    Love seeing @FBarber 's blind tasting of the same beers. Well done, sir! Both in agreement that Hofbräu is the clear winner but good to see the locals representing as well. Cheers all and keep on bockin'!


    [​IMG]
     
    #369 Jaycase, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, keithmurray, brewskis and 25 others like this.
  10. Jaycase

    Jaycase Grand Pooh-Bah (3,858) Jan 13, 2007 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    :rofl: Thanks for taking one for the team, Jorge @FBarber
     
    #370 Jaycase, Apr 25, 2021
    brewskis, officerbill, JSullivan and 7 others like this.
  11. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    You're a true hero on this thread. Way to take the hit for the team:whale::fire::poop::beers:
     
    #371 unlikelyspiderperson, Apr 25, 2021
    brewskis, officerbill, cjgiant and 5 others like this.
  12. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    A long day is over, its drizzly and I'm gonna have a quiet evening camping out over the river. Let's see how this freshest of my dopplebocks fits in there.
    [​IMG]

    The inestimable @zid provided the key to this date code (84 00) as Sept 28, 2020 making it just any of 7 months old.

    Its lighter than celebration with a nice rich head.

    Nose is not super robust but is nice dark bread.

    Taste has a roasty edge over a full crusty body. Some subtle spice and soft raisin/prune notes. Its pleasant enough but it has a hard boozy hit that is really kind of intense.

    The body is nice and light, not anything like the dark ales I'm more familiar with. Really shows its place as the heaviest of lagers in this mouthfeel department.

    This is a nice beer and d something different but its nothing that is going to get the dipole bock into my regular rotation. I will be looking for fresher celebrator near the holidays and I'm interested in finding a regular bock to try as well.
     
    #372 unlikelyspiderperson, Apr 25, 2021
    RobertB412, Chaz, brewskis and 25 others like this.
  13. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    So, after giving it its fair share of undivided attention, I grabbed some Buffalo chicken salad with hippy sauerkraut (made with burdock, ginger, and seaweeds in addition to cabbage by the lovely folks at Pickled Planet) to eat with tortilla chips. This rich spicy treat definitely enhanced my dopplebock drinking experience. I feel like I understand the appeal of the style just a little bit more
     
    #373 unlikelyspiderperson, Apr 25, 2021
    ChicagoJ, beergoot, larryi86 and 12 others like this.
  14. jts211

    jts211 Savant (1,109) Aug 5, 2018 Pennsylvania
    Trader

    LOL...yeah fair to say :slight_smile: The particular style isn’t in my wheelhouse. I did find that I enjoy Troegs Troegenator and Ayinger Celebrator though! Troegs I had before so I knew I’d like that one. Celebrator was a first and was my favorite! Needless to say, These will be purchases I make more often because of this tasting, :slight_smile:
     
    #374 jts211, Apr 25, 2021
    ChicagoJ, Premo88, FBarber and 5 others like this.
  15. Crusader

    Crusader Pooh-Bah (1,725) Feb 4, 2011 Sweden
    Pooh-Bah

    Thanks for providing the information and label picture. Interesting to see that the abv on that label is 7.5% with the same OG (stammwürze) as Celebrator, 18.5. It seems they have reversed course a bit in the doppelbock abv arms race.
     
    #375 Crusader, Apr 25, 2021
    Premo88, FBarber, TongoRad and 3 others like this.
  16. jts211

    jts211 Savant (1,109) Aug 5, 2018 Pennsylvania
    Trader

    WOW! Just curious, Did you finish this bottle yourself?
     
    #376 jts211, Apr 25, 2021
    Premo88, Jaycase, officerbill and 5 others like this.
  17. SawDog505

    SawDog505 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,922) Apr 9, 2010 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah

    [​IMG] This is the only Bock I could find in the entire store and it is a bold and boozy Bock! Poured into a 16 tulip glass, pours a very attractive chestnut brown with a half finger off white head that leaves some thin lines of lace, with solid retention. 4.5

    Aroma is fig, dates, caramel, toffee, biscuit, and did I mention oaked vanilla whiskey. 3.75

    Taste follows dark fruit, biscuit, toffee, caramel, vanilla, and woody whiskey lingers long after each sip. 3.75

    Mouthfeel is a solid medium, maybe a touch dry, low carbonation, and it is a sipper that is complex enough to hold your attention and make you wonder if you will ever get your palate adjusted for the entire 22 oz bottle. It gets better and more balanced as it warms. 4

    Overall I am excited I got to try this one, but not sure I would go back and purchase again. I feel the 9% should have been higher and it would have hidden the Whistle Pig better and kept it from dominating the other flavors. 3.75 Cheers all.
     
    #377 SawDog505, Apr 25, 2021
    Jack_14, RobertB412, Premo88 and 26 others like this.
  18. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,132) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]

    Schlenkerla Urbock

    This is a love letter to the brewery that made me obsessed with beer. The brewery is "Heller-Bräu" Trum, but we all just say Schlenkerla - which derives from the name given to a person dangling their arms when they limp (owner in the late 19th century, Andreas Graser supposedly had an accident at the brewery which resulted in a limp). Their main product is their Dunkles Märzen, but their second most famous product is their seasonal Bock which is ceremoniously tapped on the first Thursday in October each year at their popular Bockanstich. It is brewed with 100% smoked malt made by the brewery. With an original gravity of 17.5, this beer is a regular Bockbier rather than a Doppelbock. There was recent talk here that this beer wasn’t a “traditional” Bock due to the smoked malt, but Schlenkerla would argue exactly the opposite - that this is a more traditional Bock than most… and they’ve named it “Urbock” or “original Bock.”

    It has a wonderful head. It’s a deep, dark brown that has the appearance of a watery amaro. It smells of smoke and in this particular case a touch of oxidation. The taste starts with smoke, quickly transitions to a rich malt character - like a sweet dark bread, and then finishes dry with some firm bitterness slowly sneaking in. One of the most attractive aspects of this beer is its smoothness. This beer manages to give the impression that it is big and bold, while also being supremely balanced - and it manages this balancing act masterfully. The result is incredible drinkability if you are a fan of Rauchbier.

    Not only is this my favorite bottom-fermented Bock, it’s easily one of my favorite beers.
     
    #378 zid, Apr 25, 2021
    Jack_14, Premo88, Gutes_Bier and 30 others like this.
  19. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,132) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The hangtag says "beer" but that label states: "spirit distilled from Eisbock beer." I would think that as soon as you distill a beer it is no longer beer but a spirit. Schorschbräu was a deliberate player in the strongest beer arms race. :thinking_face: @jesskidden - This all probably exists in the fuzzy zone, but what am I missing?
     
    #379 zid, Apr 25, 2021
    Premo88, FBarber, TongoRad and 1 other person like this.
  20. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yeah, that caught my eye, too. It was imported under the TTB classification #699 - "OTHER SPECIALTIES & PROPRIETARIES" so not any of the legal "malt beverage" classes. The label approval did not include the hang tag - wonder if that was added later, w/o approval?

    I've always assumed that that #699 kinda "catch-all" classification of alcoholic beverage pays the Federal Excise Tax at the Distilled Spirits rate of $2.70/proof gallon rather than the Malt Beverage (Beer) rate of $3.50-18/barrel, but never delved deeper into it.

    Eisbock itself has a murky legality - technically illegal for US brewers to do it (but they do, most limited to in-state distribution to avoid the TTB) but imports are allowed. IIRC some are imported as beer, others using that 699 class.
     
    #380 jesskidden, Apr 25, 2021
    Premo88, Chaz, Jaycase and 8 others like this.
Page 19 of 27
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.