Bock Thread (2024)

I'm drinking a 32oz can of Lakefront, Winter Bock - Test Batch. 6.8% ABV
Look: Transparent light brown. a Ok light tan head that dissipates quickly
Smell: low aroma levels but follows the taste
Taste: slightly sweet caramel, then a touch of toasted bread. next a hint of stone washed dark fruit. The finish has a little nutty roast. not bad rather smooth.
Feel is low carbonation and slightly thin body.

Taste is it's strong point. I will give it 3.87/5 overall
https://untappd.com/b/lakefront-brewery-winter-bock-test-batch/5681468

on a side note Lakefront has a new beer coming out: My Turn: AJ, Dunkelweizen
at 4.9 % abv I passed on trying it out a few weeks ago, not my style of beer. This beer will be distro'd

 

Samichlaus - Eggenberg



yum! Nuff said.

Here’s my review from a while back.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/285/776/?ba=SLeffler27#navigation

 

Arts District Brewing - Ludwig
SMOKED Dopplebock
,yea i did it so what

 

Tap 6: Mein Aventinus on the right
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/72/224/

Aventinus Eisbock on the left
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/72/1934/

I have wanted to do this side by side for a while. An interesting pair, as one is a more concentrated version of the other. A couple of my favourite beers, unfortunately, my local bottle shop (LCBO) tends to carry either one but not both at the same time, but after a bit of a pilgrimage I got some of each recently.

Focusing on the differences:
Appearance: Eisbock - a clear amber brown. Weizenbock - somewhat clearer
Smell: Eisbock – spicy caramel malts. Weizenbock – similar but somewhat attenuated. A bit sharper.
Taste: Eisbock - Banana bread, figs, raisin and molasses. Weizenbock - Molasses and licorice. A very slight hint of smoke. A fruity dry finish.
Mouthfeel: perhaps the biggest difference here – Eisbock – smoother, fuller and creamier. The ABV very apparent. Weizenbock – lighter body, slightly more carbonation.
Overall: Basically, the Eisbock is a stronger, smoother Weizenbock, as you would expect as one is concentrated version of the other.

They are both top example of their styles and well worth a try.

Be careful if you try this at home at 12% and 8% respectively that’s quite an alcohol punch to start the day.

X-posted to the Side by Side thread

 

Bierkeller Weizenbock, the first time they've done this style AFAIK. The party celebrating this beer and their Helles Bock was postponed to tomorrow because of rain and high winds. Did not deter me.

 

Bierkeller Helles Bock
The good news is, it's 75 degrees here and I'm drinking a beer. The bad news is, I have to ride my bike home up hill. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

 

How's come no branded glassware?

 

You go guy!!

 

Eisbock - Kuhnhenn

Earthy honey roasted almonds, brown sugar and a strong presence of lightly toasted malt. Old leather book bindings. The flavor has a mild sweetness and faint bitterness. Alcohol is strong yet mildly warm. Caramel, wheat bread with caraway. Warmth real opens the beer up. It has an almost dense body and tightly woven fine silk texture similar to a neck tie. This beer reminds me of my paternal grandfather, bulky fur in a privet library surrounded by leather bound books and cigar smoke. I’m enjoying it with a musty Roquefort cheese, and missing the old man big time right now. He was more of a bourbon guy, but no matter there. He never danced with me either, but the song is fitting none the less.

 

Human Robot (Philadelphia, PA) - Assimilator Doppelbock. Nice rich malty flavor

 

Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock Lager

Wanted to be sure to open this one while there’s still a little chill in the air. I may have missed the boat outside, but my basement is still quite chilly.

Raspberry Eisbock pours a lovely raspberry-hued brown with a half-finger of tan head that quickly settles into a wisp and crown that leave fairly solid lacing.

Huge raspberry dominates the aroma not leaving much else poking through. If pressed, a distant hint of forest rot can be found far beneath, but the nose is really all about that berry juice.

The taste, on the other hand, is a revelation. Huge alcohol slaps you in the face, with shoe leather, earthy bitterness, rot, molasses and cough syrup, and the raspberry explosion from the nose just one more element along for the ride.

The feel is also exceptionally slick. The soft, but lively carbonation contained within the liquid slides around within one’s mouth unexpectedly.

It’s rare to find a beer that’s supremely well crafted, delicious and unique. This one deserves the accolades it’s received and is, perhaps, underrated despite them. One of the most exceptional beverages I’ve tasted.

 

Hofbräu Maibock

Prost!

 

Creamy

 

Earlier today in the NBW thread I posted:

I’m Bock!

Yuengling has decided to bring their Bock beer back after being in hiatus for many years. I asked myself: have you had this beer before? And frankly if it wasn’t for the ability to search old posts on BA I would have answered no this question. But as it turns out I posted about this beer waaaay back in 2012. Will this beer as brewed in 2024 taste the same as that 2012 version? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But as far as I am concerned enough time has transpired that this counts as a new beer.

In the ongoing thread about Yuengling Bock there is some discussion whether this is a ‘genuine’ bock beer but the fact this is a low(er) ABV beer is enough to state this is not a Bock beer by German standards. From my perspective it is an American Bock beer akin to beers like Shiner Bock, Genny Bock,…

Permit me to first discuss two topics here:

· What defines the American Bock beer style

· What is the history of American Bock beers

American Bock beer style

Well, according to the beer competition style guidelines (e.g., BJCP, Brewers Association) there is no such thing as an American Bock beer style. Well, that is not going to stop me from discussing this topic. In my opinion (and that of beer writer Chris Colby) the American Bock beer style is a beer brewed by American brewers to ‘mimic’ the Bock beers as brewed in Germany. In a nutshell, an American Bock beer is a darker colored lager brewed using adjuncts (e.g., corn, rice) that is typically of moderate alcohol strength (e.g., 5% ABV). In contrast a Traditional Bock as brewed in Germany would be both of stronger alcohol strength (e.g., 6.5% ABV) with the darker appearance coming from the majority of the grain bill being Munich Malt.

How do (did) the American brewers achieve a darker color for their American Bock beer? I do not have a definitive answer but I am pretty sure that it is not from a majority of the grain bill being Munich Malt. There are a number of ingredients that could be used to darken the color of American Bock beers:

· Crystal Malts

· Roasted Malts (e.g., Roast Barley)

· Coloring agents (e.g., Sinamar, Porterine, Caramel Color)

I have used a term of AAAL (Amber American Adjunct Lager) in past BA threads. I think this is an equivalent designation for American Bock.

Perhaps the most popular American Bock beer is Shiner Bock?

American Bock history

Below is a quote from an article by Chris Colby entitled “Chip Off the Old Bock -- The American Adaptation of Bock Beer”:

“American-style bock beers date back to the 1800s, when they emerged in every region of the U.S. with a large German population, including Texas, Wisconsin and other places in the Upper Midwest and Pennsylvania. German trained brewers incorporated local ingredients and adapted New World brewing techniques to make beers similar to the ones from their home countries, but that were also economically viable here in the states.

Freedom from the Reinheitsgebot (Germany’s Beer Purity Law), coupled with the relatively high protein content of US 6-row malts and fierce competition, likely drove most to use corn as an adjunct in their beers. For a time, this style flourished as a spring seasonal offering and most national and regional breweries offered a bock beer. As late as the 1970’s, American bocks were still relatively easy to find. As a kid, I remember seeing American bock beers on the shelves and hearing the bogus explanation that it was made from beer “at the bottom of the barrel” when breweries did their “yearly cleaning.” Gradually, however, consumers became less and less interested in this dark beer as American lagers gave way to light American lagers.”

As you can read above, back in the day it was common to see American Bock beers as a spring seasonal.



Served in my Sly Fox Bock Fest Willi Becher glass:

Appearance

A deep amber color with a red-ish hue and a khaki colored head.

Aroma

A combination of toasted dark bread and toffee.

Taste:

The flavors follow the nose with toasted dark bread and toffee. Low - moderate bitterness

Mouthfeel

Medium bodied and an off-dry finish. There is a nice crispness to this beer.

Overall

I enjoyed drinking this beer, I think it is a very good American Bock beer. It has a very tasty flavor profile accompanied with the quality of high drinkability. I purchased a 12-pack and I look forward to drinking the other 11 cans.

Cheers to Yuengling for re-introducing the tradition of producing a spring seasonal of Yuengling Bock!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

Here’s a better PA option @JackHorzempa

 

I have tasted this beer and discussed it in a past NBW thread. A tasty Vienna Lager IMO. Cheers!

 

The addition of caramel malts is something I associate more with a Bock than a Vienna Lager (and the hop bill isn’t entirely classic to either), but the most definitive thing for me as that the brewer advertises this as a little version of Troegenator. Do you know what kind of yeast they use? Or have some other criteria?

 

I do not know what yeast strain was used to ferment this beer.

As I mentioned above, I discussed Little Nator in a past NBW thread (in a side-by-side with Troegenator):



https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...-side-by-side-2024.675648/page-3#post-7931284

In that post I opined: "If I was served Little Nator blind and asked what beer style it was I suspect my response would be a Vienna Lager."

The above is just an opinion.

Cheers!

 

Snatched a 4 pack of Basic City Rumbly honey doppelbock from Greenwood Grocery in Crozet VA a couple days ago. Great doppelbock.

 

Modist Brewing 'Gifts of the Sacred Father' Doppelbock 8.5%




The description says it's decoction mashed with Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts. The malts and process definitely show in the flavor--brown, crusty bread dominates. It's a touch too boozy for me--it overwhelms some of the malt flavor. But it's still a nice, locally-made take on the style.