Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Anchor Brewing Bock Beer

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Yep, I’m back at it again and in an attempt to clear out reviews that I’ve been sitting on for some time. I’ve photographed and taken notes on dozens of beers so now I have to muddle through notes and pictures to bring the reviews to you. I’m hoping to pull off this feat quickly so I can bring seasonal beer reviews to the blog while they are still available.

Tonight’s featured beer is Anchor Brewing Bock Beer. I’ve long been a fan of Anchor Brewing dating back many decades when I had the chance to meet Fritz Maytag. I tried to avoid talking beer as much as possible since I was at an event celebrating a friend’s engagement. Anyhow, let’s get on with the review.

From the Anchor Brewing website: “A traditional celebration of spring. With a modern kick.

The dark satiny texture of Anchor Bock®, with its rich hints of chocolate, caramel and roasted barley, is our interpretation of the strong German beers that signal the coming of spring.

Anchor Bock® Beer is brewed from a complex blend of malts, and fresh, whole-cone hops. In the ancient bock tradition, the dark-colored brew is released in time for springtime celebrations. Bock beers are believed to have originated in the town of Einbeck, Germany and traditionally feature a goat on their labels. The term, “bock” occurs in several Germanic languages and roughly translates to “billy goat”, but there are some unlikely alternatives. Followers of the zodiac have described it as a beer for Capricorn, the time when, as the days grow longer, brewers brew their bock beers in anticipation of the coming of spring.

Over time, bock has come to mean a beer darker and stronger than a brewery's “regular” brew. One with, you might say, the kick of a goat behind it.”
Let’s get started!
Appearance: Pours a dark reddish brown with a nice brown head and excellent lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate and caramel malts, dark fruits, with slight coffee, toffee and vanilla tones.
Taste: Delicious chocolate malt and more hops than the nose. Well balanced.
Overall: Anchor Brewing’s Bock Beer is a medium bodied and refreshing offering and at 5.5% ABV is highly drinkable. Available from February – May…grab some next time you see it.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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