New Beer Weekend #191

Ghost River Aqua Mane American IPA



Light yellow color with white cap and good retention.

Aroma of sharp hops mainly with some supporting grain.

Big bold flavors of malt and hops, much bigger than the color and scent imply. Malt is full bodied without being overly sweet and hops are simply there without pretense or excuse. Taste really good as well.

What else can I say, this is a big bold bruiser of a beer and I like it a lot.

 

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

 

Good information Jack.

 

I hope that you too can find a locally brewed American Bock beer for spring time drinking enjoyment.

Cheers!

P.S. And there is always Shiner Bock as a 'fall back' option.

 

Hello everyone, happy NBW to you!

My beer today is Schell's Oatmeal Stout:

Appearance: Clear dark brown, nice sized light brown head.

Smell: Roasted malt.

Taste: Low sweetness, then a very nice mix of roast and dark chocolate flavors. Medium bodied. Finishes with a tasty chocolate chips in oatmeal mix.

Overall: This oatmeal stout from Schell's was in a mixed 12 pack. It's a really good example of the style, and nice to have a non-super sized stout as a change up. Good stuff!

 

Dogs have been walked. Now there's beer to drink and basketball to watch.
My new beer for today is Twelve Gauge, a barrel aged imperial stout from Payette Brewing Co. in Boise, Idaho.
The beer is black in color. Tiny tan head that recedes rapidly.
Aroma of chocolate and vanilla, a little coffee.
Milk chocolate taste, vanilla, hint of coffee.
Creamy, smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol becomes apparent as it warms.
I enjoyed this beer.

 

Thank you David for kicking off the weekend! I brought two Fremont selections back from Las Vegas, meant to share but ran out of time due to all the other beers bought and shared throughout the trip. The size of these are intimidating for the ABV. Would prefer 9-10 oz draft or 12 oz can, but there is no turning back.

Took the photo below ten minutes after pouring (waiting to warm) once I realized I didn't photo. Had a much nicer head with the original pour.

Fremont 2023 Melange Barrel- Aged Cuvee Number 2



Can Notes: Purchased at store temperature at Khoury's Fine Wine & Spirits for $5.40 on 1/14/24. Refrigerated upon returning home from Vegas about 10 days later until opening this afternoon. 16 oz canned 10/11/23 at 1:26:17 PM, 10.0% ABV. Barrel-Aged Cuvee, 2023 limited release. Fremont Brewing Company, Seattle, Washington.

An exclusive blend of Barrel-Aged Spiced Stout and Porter. Number 2.

Appearance: Nice somewhat dark tan head after pouring a bit over half the can into a 12 oz snifter. Fine carbonation continues leaving a very fine lacing and creamy bubbles covering the entire near pitch black base with faint dark brown coming through. Looks really good. 4.5

Aroma: After 15 minutes of warming, getting a nice blend of roasted malt, caramel, cocoa and vanilla backed by a dark roast coffee holding it all together. Smells wonderful. 4.5

Taste: Somewhat more sweeter than expected based on the aroma. with a strong sweet chocolate fudge muscling up to the bar. Vanilla is chill and subtle, as it should be in a good blend, Not getting the coffee I picked up in the nose, but the dark roast malt is similar and once again keeping excess sweetness in check. Says barrel aged, but that doesn't emerge until later, and I'm picking up a sweet blend of bourbon not unlike Jim Beam, though part of that may be cinnamon plus the strengthening of cinnamon. There is a lot going on here, most of it solid and very nice. 4.0

Mouthfeel: At first drinks easy but the ABV kicks in once the bourbon emerges so watch out, especially if you are driving. Slay medium to slightly less body, faint gentle carbonation adds a bit of depth, slightly dry, sweet ebbs and flows like the tide with the roast malt which lingers on a slightly dry finish, though that may be dehydration after a nice walk before popping this open. 4.25

Overall: This is a solid cuvee, liked the aroma and my tasting early on best, but solid throughout. Was intimidated by 16 oz solo, but even though this packs a punch, will manage this can no problem, and enjoyably so. Cheers to another solid effort by Fremont! 4.25

 

Too funny I was about to ask you over in the question thread if you had any upcoming travels planned…I got my answer

Looking forward to international posts on your journey.

 

Miss those cheap, great random finds from the Grocery Store or Getränke Markt over there!

 

Prost to @jschott75 for this Superbowl Square's beer!

Off Color Brewing Beer for Brunch Berliner Styled Weisse Beer brewed w/Orange & Chardonnay Juice, 5.8% ABV; Overall rating; 3.98

Pours an effervescent gold with a pinky of beige head. Some head retention & lacing

S: Plenty of citrus, a little Chardonnay

T: Tart orange, salt, dryness, & white grapes up front. Tart orange, salt, dryness & white wine notes as this beer warms up. Finishes tart, salty with orange & oaky Chardonnay

MF: Medium body, delicate carbonation

This is a fun take on the style that stays pretty close to the intent, pretty easy to drink

 

4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Received a can of Great Notion's Ripe Hazy IPA courtesy of @muchloveforhops3 2-16-24, thanks Doug! Canned 12.13.23; consumed 3-16-24. Cold stored since acquisition.

Beer poured aa hazy golden orange with a beautiful billowy white head that has some hang time.

Nose is very nice, full of tropical fruits and citrus.

Taste is a moderate pale malt base that lets the citra hops do its thing which is to give notes of orange and mango. Finishes with a slight trace or rind for balancing bitterness which is 5/10 on my scale.

Mouthfeel is light bodied with each sip being very soft and smooth.

Overall an easy drinking hazy, definitely could enjoy 1 or 2 more in a session!

 

Equal Parts Brewing's Loggerbier, a German style pilsner

4.9% ABV
12 oz. can poured into wheat beer glass

Overall, it's a capable if not spectacular pils. The nose is promising with nice bits of lemongrass, lemon and slighter hints of peach/malt sweetness. The flavor, however, hangs on yeasty/earthy bitterness just barely getting balanced by the malt to the point that it's drinkable. A bit more sweetness from the malt, and this one would shine. As it is, the highlights are the look and aroma with the flavor and mouthfeel lagging behind.

Official review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/44383/437869/?ba=Premo88#review
3.62 (-8.8 rDev)

The beer is solid enough that I'll try more from Equal Parts, but the six-pack of this Loggerbier is likely a one-and-done.

Thanks for adding The Bar links on the homepage. Perfect!

Hope your weekends are going well. Cheers!

 

Eibauer Zwick'l Naturtrüb — the first of seven different Eibauer cans I bought this morning. The beer is hazy yellow with a sweet bready smell. The taste follows the smell with a touch of hop bitterness. Radeverger Zwickel is one of my favorite beers, in comparison, the Eibauer is sweeter and richer not unlike a Hefeweizen. Considering the style, the freshness is important, but there is no date anywhere on the can. Still, this is quite an enjoyable beer. The next will be one of their dark beers. We'll see how it will do.

 

Remedy Toffee Jalopy BBA Imperial Pastry Stout, 13% ABV. Pours black with a two-driving-finger large-bubble head that left a white film. Aroma is toffee and bourbon. Taste follows, quite sweet, slightly bitter. Decent mouthfeel, leaving slightly sticky lips. Overall outstanding.

4.4/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

About as sweet as I want in a pastry stout, and quite a strong toffee flavor.

 

Are you still in Austria or Germany now? Or am I off on both accounts.

Two NBWs over posting from Europe, an exciting weekend.

 

Nope, I'm back in Brooklyn. I was shopping at a supermarket with various German and Eastern European beers, so I got a few singles from Eibauer.