Bock Thread (2024)

Here's another goodie. Thankfully, the label leaves nothing for me to guess at.

 

How did we make it through the Super Bowl without someone making a beer called “Bock Purdy”.

 

Having to follow Reinheitsgebot might have scared off most US brewers.

 

I will probably forever say this, I really miss SN's Golden Bock in the spring...Glissade!

 

I H8 it when breweries do that! You're stuck with a bunch of beer you don't want just to drink one that you do.
Seriously, breweries need to stop doing this! I myself would have bought it if I ever saw it, but I've strayed away from variety packs since most are various forms of IPA's, artificially flavored, crappy sours and other beers I don't care for. Gone are the mixed style variety packs. I really miss those.

 

I believe that will eventually happen, you should get residuals. In the meantime, there's Mr. Irrelevant.

 

Irrelevant for this thread, too.

 

BIG Bock vs. Mini Bock (?)

I inserted a question mark in the title above since the term “Mini Bock” is a bit of an oxymoron. There are a number of Bock substyles, the below is a list from the BJCP style guidelines:

· Helles Bock

· Dunkels Bock

· Doppelbock

· Eisbock

· Weizenbock

What the substyles above have in common is they are stronger beers (e.g., > 6% ABV). The new beer that will be part of this side-by-side tasting is a new seasonal beer from Troegs. A description of this beer from the Troegs website (with emphasis in bold by me):

“Little ‘Nator Springtime Lager

Springtime Lager

We taste: crusty bread, stone fruit, delicate floral hops

Dive into the marvel that is Little ‘Nator. Simple but complex. Contemporary and classic. The rascally cousin of our revered Troegenator. We built this beer using the best malts and techniques for a crisp finish with a touch of hops. Layered with notes of crusty bread, stone fruit and delicate floral hops. It’s a lager-lover’s way to usher in the changing seasons.

ABV: 5.5%

Availability: Seasonal

Color: Light Bronze”

So, at 5.5% ABV this beer is a too little to be a bock per se. Troegs decided to describe this beer via “Springtime Lager”.

And likely by now you have guessed that the other beer in this side-by-side tasting is the BIG cousin: Troegenator.

Served in small tulip glasses:

Appearance:

Little Nator: Light amber with a thin khaki colored head.

Troegenator: Dark amber with a slight reddish hue and a thin khaki colored head.

Aroma:

Little Nator: Faint aroma of caramel.

Troegenator: Mostly sweetish toffee/caramel but with some fruity tones as well.

Taste:

Little Nator: Sweetish caramel flavor. A low – moderate bitterness.

Troegenator: Follows the nose with some toffee/caramel but there is more here: some toasted grains, the fruitiness (e.g., stone fruits) is more noticeable. A low - moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Little Nator: Light body with an off-dry finish.

Troegenator: A light-medium body with an off-dry finish.

Overall:

Little Nator: This beer is good. The flavor profile is one dimensional.

Troegenator: This beer is very good! This is the Doppelbock I drink the most since it is of high quality and reasonably priced.

If I was served Little Nator blind and asked what beer style it was I suspect my response would be a Vienna Lager. I much preferred the complexity of Troegenator.

Cheers!

 

Lupulin Doppelbock, 8% ABV. Pours dark brown and thin, with a two-finger beige head that left some lacing. Aroma is malty and bready. Taste is roast malt and caramel/toffee, faintly sweet, moderately bitter. Decent mouthfeel, overall excellentish. I prefer the BA version, by far.

4.15/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

 

With a name like that, what's the IBU?

 

25 IBU. It's actually the name of the brewing company - Lupulin Brewing Co. - Doppelbock.

 

IBU seemed higher than 28, but not a lot.

 

Ahhhh BOCK
'

'

 

It’s that time of year again.

 

Turning on my finder radar right now! I had to drive 25 miles to get it last year, and willing to do the same this year too.
@Whyteboar

 

Good dates? I've seen a lot of last year's still on shelves.

 

Dec. 20, 2023

 

November 23, 2023 is what I have seen/purchased so far here in the Twin Cities.

 

My memory is of Widmer Bros. pale bock (May bock) found on draft in the 80s. .

 

I think I saw ~ this date around here. Might have been 26 Nov possibly. Saw some Bavarian Pils as well having about the same date fwiw.