Birra San Martino La Gold

As part of the February shipment for the Rare Beer of the Month Club I received a bottle of Birra San Martino La Gold, a bock. The beer pours a copper color with a lofty and frothy cream colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass on the way down. The aroma consists of sweet caramel, raisin, cherry, alcohol, radish, and tomato. The taste is sweet and bold with plenty of caramel, toffee, and raisin on the front end. Some alcohol, pepper, cherry, and yeast spice up the beer and provide some balance while alcohol arrives in the finish and warms the throat. The alcohol content is 7.6% ABV. This was a nice, earthy bock with a bold sweetness that is mostly balanced with the alcohol and the yeast used.

Gordon Biersch WinterBock

My brother-in-law gave me a bottle of Gordon Biersch WinterBock to try. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves a thick lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, raisin, caramel, toffee, and vanilla. The taste is smooth with lots a dark chocolate, raisin, toasted malts, caramel, and toffee. There is a hint of vanilla on the finish with a malt dryness and a hint of grassy hops. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I really enjoyed the bold flavors in this beer, and while it was rather sweet, it was nicely balanced. The lingering chocolate and malt sweetness tussles with the alcohol bite and light grass hops.

Pizza Boy Brewing Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Solid Gold Bock

On a recent visit to Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Pizza Boy Brewing Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Solid Gold Bock. The beer pours an amber color with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of sweet apples, caramel, a hint of oak with a dash of of cinnamon, and very reminiscent of apple pie. The taste is powerful with apple flavor right of front and a sharp brandy alcohol bite. Caramel smooths things over before a slightly tart finish. The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. This barrel-aged beer provided a wonderful blend that is pie-like with a lightly sour aspect to it as well. I highly recommend trying this one if you get the chance.

Pizza Boy Brewing Bock

I was excited to be at Al’s of Hampden the day that Al tapped his Pizza Boy Brewing Bock. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, caramel, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a creamy mouth feel. Chocolate, sweet caramel flavor, and a light dry roasted finish round out the flavors in the beer. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. Previously, Al told me that he was really excited about the bock, and I can see why. It had a great flavor with a perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness from the roasted malts. If you get a chance to try this beer, hop on it.

Troegs Scratch 30- Bock

I stopped by the Troegs tasting room during American Craft Beer Week and picked up a case of Scratch 30- Bock. This beer was created by one of the brewers on Troegs' staff. The beer pours an orange-amber color with a bubbly off-white colored head. There were bubbles noticeable on the bottom of the glass. The aroma has an orange and citrus hint with a light hop background. The taste is malty with some biscuit-like flavor and sweet with a sour hop bite on the back of the mouth. The beer has a bit of an orange and lemon citrus bite as well. There is also a bit of dryness on the finish. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. Troegs variation on the bock beer with the addition of extra hops really made the beer more dynamic and much more enjoyable. It was just the malty sweetness, but a rounded out citrus dryness that completed the experience.

Yuengling Bock

I grabbed a six pack of Yuengling Bock at Wegman's to give it a try. The beer has a dark amber color that is almost brown with a light bubbly head. The smell is sweet and malty. The taste is sweet at first with a light hop bite underneath. There is a slight roasted malty flavor in the middle and the beer finishes a little sweet with caramel. The alcohol content is 5.1% ABV. I thought this was a pretty good bock despite coming from a larger brewer. It is a definite improvement to the lager, even though I like that beer as well.

Stoudt's Bock

Another bottle I picked up at Stoudt's brewery was a 26-ounce bottle of the Bock. The beer is a reddish amber color with a light frothy head. It smells sweet and malty. The taste is malty and sour, with slightly toasted malts and caramel undertone. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I thought that this is a unique and delicioius bock, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you get a chance to swing by the brewery and pick up a bottle (only place it's available as far as I know), I suggest you do so.