Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock (brewed with Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz CAN from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/04/14)
Style/ABV: Tropical Maibock, 7.7%

Reported IBUs: 45

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock

The Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock is a collaboration with the talented event planners at Cigar City Brewing. If you are looking to have a birthday party, cater a large event, or release a limited beer, you know who to call. My can reads: "Brewed in collaboration with Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, FL, Yonder Bock is a Latin-inspired twist on a traditional Maibock. Cigar City finds inspiration in the Cuban roots of their hometown, which is a long way from our home base in Chico, but our friends down yonder in Florida sure can brew a great beer. YOnder Bock blends a silky malt body with bright, fruity hop aromas of guava, mango and passion fruit from the use of Calypso, Azacca and experimental 366 hops as a nod to Cigar City's tropical locale."

This one pours into a hazy, dark orange body, with tons of carbonation in the form of tiny streams (courtesy of the teku). This also kicks up three fingers of big, fluffy, caramel-orange-tinted head. Head retention is good, and there's a lot of active carbonation minutes after the pour. There is good lacing as well. The body retains its deep orange color in bright light.

On the aroma: big lager spice that flirts with bread, toast, rye, and caramel sugars. Beneath that are sweet honey notes that give way to faint tropical fruits and citrus notes. I'm getting oranges, guava, pineapple, and mango.

This is incredibly enjoyable, with deep sheets of honey sweetness and bread that unravel and drop tropical fruits, honey, and rich caramel sugars. The 7.7% is completely not obvious here, but this has a boozy seduction about it. I'm getting cherries, pineapple, super sweet coconut, mango, and orange in here. There are nice honey and saffron notes, and in the back is some faint grain alcohol that is accentuated by mild hop bitterness. 

I'm a little bit at a loss here as far as how to rate this...I haven't had many Maibocks, and this one seems quite unique. This isn't an overly complex beer in general, but for a Bock there's a lot going on here. The palate depth here is great, and this is definitely a full-bodied island treat. I'm not getting any of the 7.7%, at least not in terms of alcohol heat, but some boozy seduction and grainy alcohol does show up. I'm also feeling some warming. Up front: honey and bready sweetness, with toast and Noble hop bitterness; that rolls into more saffron and honey, cherries, tropical fruits, oranges, guava, coconut, pineapple; the back end continues with sharp, quad-like fruits, and leaves some grainy alcohol and faint hop bitterness in your mouth. This could be a little bigger and rounder, otherwise it's nearly perfect.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this beer. This is a really interesting beer...I could see myself pairing this with an upside pineapple cake, mango salsa, white fish, and certainly on a beach somewhere. This is probably the most free-spirited application of a Bock you are going to find, and I commend Cigar City for this one. I could see myself grabbing something like this in a 6-pack. 

Random Thought: Dammit, now I want to go drink on a beach. To live in the Midwest...

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: CANfusion Rye Bock (brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado/Brevard, North Carolina)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz CAN from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/03/14)
Style/ABV: Rye Bock, 7.2%

Reported IBUs: 45

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

The CANfusion Rye Bock is a beer brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery. Do you like to get it in the can? My can reads: "Brewed in collaboration with Oskar Blues, the pioneers of great craft beer in a can, this partnership was a perfect fit - we're mutual members of the canned craft club and North Carolina neighbors. A dry hop rye bock, CANfusion blends features from across the brewing spectrum: spicy rye, tangy wheat and bright citrus-like hops. The complex malt body launches a peppery blast that's balanced by the fruity and floral Australian Ella hop varietal. CANfusion is a true synergy of friends and flavors." 

CANfusion Rye Bock - that's how I roll

This one pours an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous orange color, with two to three fingers of orange-tinged head. The head is hop-fueled, and leaves nice lacing. The body is a hazy orange color, with medium carbonation. The head settles into a nice cauldron effect. 

The aroma here features big tangerine, citrus spice, orange spice, rye, perfumed apricot, caramel, and intense fruity sweetness. There's also big passion fruit, papaya, mango, and tropical fruit. 

The taste here features big caramel sweetness, tropical fruits, and rye. The blast of tropical fruits goes from berries and passion fruit to caramel and Bock-malt sweetness with raisin and apple notes. Nice rye spice comes along for the ride. There's a big range of fruit notes and malt/caramel fruits: cherries, apples, orange, tropical fruits....it's complex. As this warms boozy and bready rye notes come out.

This is medium-bodied and malt driven, with a nice hoppy balance. You do get some booze here, but it's not a bad thing. Good palate depth and crazy divine complexity drives this beer. I would totally buy more of this. Up front: tropical fruits, passion fruit, rye; that rolls into apples, caramel sguars, Bock sweetness; the back end has trailing hops and sugars with fantastic coating on the palate. Wildly complex...truly original.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...almost leaning towards that divine brew. Wow, this is just an interesting hybrid beer that is uber complex. The sweeter hop notes in here would pair with lighter spicy foods, maybe a nice shrimp or fish taco. 

Random Thought: I really like the boom in craft canned beers. 

New Glarus Back 40 Bock

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2014 

Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 5.5% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Mmmm mmm love those trips across the border. About New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased coper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Back 40 Bock is a seasonal release (winter???), and is described as a Dunkler Bock. Or a "Wisconsin Bock." Whateva. 

This one looks the part of a Dunkler, pouring into a dark brown/amber body, with hints of orange tones. The body is clean and and quiet, not a lot of carbonation up in here. The beer produces three fingers of creamy, white/off-white head. The head reminds me a Cream Stout for some reason, and as the head drops off you get nice lacing coating the glass. It looks good.

New Glarus Back 40 Bock

The aroma is clean, malty, and moderately spicy with that Lager yeast. I'm getting caramel, bread pudding, bread, cake, fudge, and hints of banana bread. Behind the malt sweetness is some nice floral and earthy hops. The hops, little as they are, provide much needed contrast and balance to the malts.

This is really good...it's simple and quaffable, and never overbearing. There's a lot of mild toast, cake sweetness, caramel, dried berries, and light hops balancing things out. There's some mild hops providing hints of spice and bitterness. This is super clean...and it makes the stuff that Sam Adams rolls out look janky like homebrew extract nonsense. That in itself is worthy of some accolade, I think.

There's not a lot to say. This is medium-bodied, well carbonated, and features hops that turn into malt sweetness up front; the mids dial up big malt sweetness, with more hops; and the back end is malty sweet and hoppy. It's clean with good palate depth, and like most Dunklers doesn't have a ton of complexity. It's very refined and I dig that.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This one is not very memorable, but it's also a really good take on the style...it's just kind of par the course, but nevertheless, I'm digging it. I would pair this with lighter dishes, maybe turkey or chicken, pizza, a stew, soups. It's not a bad beer, especially at the price, but I probably wouldn't seek this out regularly...I dunno.

Random Thought: I appreciate New Glarus' huge lineup, but this beer doesn't really differentiate itself and I wonder if it is a victim of "Bock fatigue."

Gnarly Oak Winter Bock

Brewed By: Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin  

Purchased: 22oz bomber from an $8 dollar gift set bought at Walgreens in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 5.5%

Reported IBUs: 25

The past few weeks have been busy. That's the operative word. And then to cap it all off, I came down with a nasty cold. Having a cold sucks...it makes it hard to enjoy food, beer, and life. You can't work out, and sleeping is interrupted with bouts of dry throat and blowing your nose. As if that wasn't crappy enough, the one day of warm weather in Chicago is being followed up with a 4-to-8 inch March snowstorm that is starting right now. 

It's not all doom and gloom, though. For one, I got perspectives on the horizon. I'll talk more about those at some point. Second, the mother fucking NFL draft is coming up, AND the Blackhawks and Bulls are playing on a high level that is fun to watch. Third...I got some plans for this shitty blog. I don't know exactly what or when, but I'd like to bring Shitty Beer Tuesday back, and I'd like to mix up the review format a bit. So yeah, perspectives. 

Oh, and I also have me this $2.67 bomber of "Winter Bock." That doesn't hurt either. About Minhas: 

Minhas is the oldest continually operating brewery in the Midwest, and the second oldest brewery in the United States. As you can see from the brewery's history page, the brewery has been owned by many different people, and rebranded numerous times. The brewery began in 1845 as the Monroe Brewery when it was opened by Mr. Bissinger. In 1906, the brewery changed its name to the Blumer Brewing Company. And in 1947, the brewery was purchased by Joseph Huber and the brewery became known as the Joseph Huber Brewing Company. In 2005, the Minhas Family purchased the brewery, and in 2006 the brewery changed its name to the Minhas Craft Brewery. For more info, check out the brewery's website. 

There's no website for tonight's libation, but the bottle reads: "Premium Beer. A classic lager made in the traditional German style. It has a malty sweetness, a dark rich color and is lightly hopped. Made with select caramel and black roasted barley and a combination of Columbus, Zeus and Cascade hops."

Gnarly Oak Winter Bock

This one pours out very much like a typical bock. The beer kicks up three fingers of sandy/bready, off-white head. The head is foamy and slowly drops off into the beer's dark brown/reddish body. The body looks to be both transparent and filtered...clean like a Lager. Shining a bright light through the beer confirms the orange/red body, and reveals some fairly volatile streams of medium-sized carbonation. A pinky of head is hanging around, and there is nice lacing.

The aroma plays things pretty straight too...at least for a Dunkler. Now here is where I get to test my theory. This smells A LOT like the Gnarly Oak Chocolate Stout. Even with my lingering cold, I'm picking up aromas of cocoa, artificial sweetness ala cream soda, S'mores, ash/campfire, dried berries and fruits, and big toast and bread and bread crusts. This one dials up the toast/bread thing, which is kind of what you'd expect or want in a dark Bock. There is a light pine/maple note...maybe toffee...certainly some suggestions of Noble hop character, except this beer doesn't use any Noble hops. #YOLO

Eh...this beer is pillowy and heavy with a lot of residual sweetness. It's not at all what I was expecting for a 5.5% Dunkler Bock...it's like the janky homebrew extract kit version of the Sam Adams Chocolate Bock. I'm getting the chocolate and the cocoa, with a little fruity molasses character, and some bread/toast. There are hints of coffee in here, and some nondescript hop character shows up. There's maybe a hint of roast or the so-called "black roasted barley" in here. But yeah.

It's kind of hard to fault an inexpensive beer like this for [likely] using extracts and sugar. It really does have an extract vibe, with some serious balance issues. At 5.5% the lingering sugars and full-bodied mouthfeel are in contention with the cleaner Lager yeast and high final gravity. I mean...the bottle says the OG is 15, so the FG has to be around 4.9. I don't know, I'm not a fucking beer scientist. You're barking up the wrong blog, neckbeard. Even with the balance issues, this is drinkable. But I chug even the most cloying shit these days. I'd probably reserve this Walgreens bargain for a cold winter night like tonight. This beer is the cheerleader of one-dimensional. Complexity is low, but that expansive mouthfeel would make any football team happy. You get sugary chocolate and cocoa up front with fruity molasses; the mids have more sugary chocolate and cocoa, with hints of toffee and toast, some hops; the back end has more sugary chocolate and cocoa, with some hints of coffee/roast. The finish is sugary, with Tootsie Roll candies and that feeling you had when you were a kid and got lost at Walmart. 

Rating: Below-Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

IDGAF if this beer costs $2.67 or if it was free. This is for sure a Light Below-Average, just missing the median that is average for the style. Maybe I'm being overly harsh, but this beer makes me appreciate other Bocks that I have been somewhat critical of. It just lacks balance...and the cloying sweetness doesn't work for this style. I gave the Gnarly Oak Chocolate Stout a pass because the Dry Stout/English Stout can work with some of these fake cocoa flavors, but brewing a good Dunkler Bock is evidently harder than people think. It's probably a good lesson in "Lagers are harder to make than you give credit, you Yankee wanker." Anyway...this beer is best paired with spontaneous Walgreens purchases, ice cream, and cold winter nights like tonight. It's also a good beer to drink while you bridge the gap between being sick and not being sick. 

Random Thought: Not that I care and nor should you, but the spineless fartbox that no one cares about known as the Brewer's Association just updated their craft beer guidelines. Millions of beer nerds everywhere suddenly started to care. People LITERALLY left their Goose Island Black Friday lines, forgoing an opportunity to acquire Proprietors Bourbon County, now empowered with the knowledge that Goose Island are a bunch of InBev shills. Angels began to sing and jizz everywhere, and the president of the Brewer's Association, ....????..., made a speech that everyone listened to. Anyway, congratulations to Minhas "Craft Brewery." You guys are officially a craft brewery now. You can officially charge more than $8 for your gift set of mediocre beer. But seriously, the glass is pretty nice. 

New Glarus Uff-da Bock

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2013

Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 7.3% 

Reported IBUs: ?

More Bocks? More New Glarus? Heck yeah. About New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased coper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Uff-da Bock is a Winter Bock brewed in the tradition of the Reinheitsgebot. New Glarus describes this as complex but smooth, with deep chocolate and coffee undertones.

New Glarus Uff-da Bock

In lower light, the Uff-da pours a dark amber, almost brown/red/mahogany color. The body is transparent, and kicks up two or three fingers of amber-tinted head. Head retention is nice, and there's some nice lacing. Bright light confirms the amber/copper body, and there's quite a bit of carbonation rising upwards in this. The body looks like pennies. Dat currency color.

I'm getting a surprising amount of aged Barleywine-esque pine and pine sap on the aroma. Beneath that is some serious Brown Ale-esque cocoa and dusty chocolate. I'm getting big cocoa/chocolate aromas, hinting at toffee and molasses. If there is coffee in the aroma, it's a nutty, hazelnut variety.

This one is pretty sweet up front, with bready and sugary cocoa dustings. I'm picking up some hints of earthy/bitter hops in the mix, and along with that is some hint of coffee. There's big malts, with bread/toffee/cocoa/sugars, but the finish is clean with some Noble-hop bitterness and a hint of Lager spice. There's some pine sap and tons of nuttiness and pine nuts in the taste. It has some balance, but this is definitely a hearty, Winter-esque Bock.

This one has a medium-full to full-bodied mouthfeel, and feels substantial like a Bock should. I wouldn't butt chug this beer, and you can definitely sip on this. Palate depth is great, and this has nice complexity. You get a wash of bready malts and cocoa dustings up front; that rolls into toffee, more sweet malts, and some hop bitterness; the back end is nutty, and you get some pine nuts. It's a nicely balanced and refined beer. The finish is malty-hoppy-dry. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Above-Average beer, and something you can sip on on a cold Winter day. The balance here is very nice, with intense malt sweetness, cocoa, nuttiness, and some mild piney hops. You could pair this beer with meats and cheeses, chocolate, or hearty winter dishes. You can also sip on this, preferably by the fireplace or on a cold Winter night. Good stuff, would by again.

Random Thought: This is a great outdoor hot tub beer. 

New Glarus Cabin Fever Bock

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2013

Style/ABV: Maibock, 6.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Continuing with the lovely New Glarus beer...about New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased coper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Cabin Fever is a Maibock (BJCP / German Beer Institute) brewed with honey. Dubbed a "honey bock" by New Glarus, this pale bock beer is brewed with Wisconsin two row barley and European hops. Clover Honey is added in the kettle. 

New Glarus Cabin Fever Bock

The beer pours into a dark, golden body that is almost amber or bronze. Would it be cliche to say it's a honey color? I kicked up two fingers of sticky, just off-white head. The head is sustaining nicely, and there is some nice lacing. In bright light the beer is a transparent golden color, and big carbonation bubbles are popping upwards with a stream of smaller bubbles on the side.

The aroma on this is pretty straightforward. I'm getting big bready malts, some grain/biscuit, and lots of honey sweetness. There's some big toast on the nose, with some Pils/Munich malts, and a hint of mild, floral hops. 

The taste is a good follow through of the nose, with big bready malts driving the beer. I'm picking up some honey, toast and toasty notes, a little bread/biscuit, some raw Munich/Pils malts, and some light fruity hints. I'm also getting some very mild floral/earthy hops. 

This is solid for the style, and very drinkable for the moderate to higher ABV. You don't pick up any alcohol in this, and the bready malts should appeal to all the people that can't stand hoppy beers. The beer is clean, and the mouthfeel is medium-bodied. There's a lot of carbonation to smooth things along. Palate depth is great, and complexity is okay. You get honey and bready/sweet malts up front; that rolls into some toasty notes and more sweet malts; you pick up some light hops on the back, and the beer finishes bready and sweet.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this, almost leaning towards a 4.0 and Above-Average. This is a notch above being just par the course, as the honey really comes out and defines this beer and makes it memorable. Really good stuff, and the shift towards that bready balance means this would pair well with Winter or early Spring, and German-style food. Good stuff, and a beer I might seek out again from New Glarus if it was available.  

Random Thought: Mmmm...Bockbier. 

Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 12oz bottle from the 2013 Sam Adams Winter Classics variety pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 5.8%

Reported IBUs: 11

Continuing with tonight's twofer, I have the main attraction in the 2013 Winter Classics variety pack...the Cherry Chocolate Bock. About Sam Adams:

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The Sam Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock is a cherry-infused twist on the brewery's traditional Chocolate Bock, which has become a holiday favorite. This beer is brewed with a malt base of two-row pale, Caramel 60, and Munich 10. It's hopped with Tettnang Tettnanger and Spalt Spalter hops, and features the addition of cocoa nibs and cherries. The beer is aged on a bed of cocoa nibs, and cherries are added during the mash. 

The Cherry Chocolate Bock pours into a cola-black body (with lots of ruby red and brown tones), and kicks up a finger of tan/brown head. As the head drops off, you're left with some nice lacing. The beer retains its opacity in bright light, with a dark black/brown body. I guess we'll go on to the aroma...

Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock

SPEAKING OF cola, this beer smells like Cherry Coke. It's been a looooonnnngggg ass time since I've cracked into a non-diet Cherry Coke. And that's what this smells like. Now, full disclaimer, I'm one of a handful of fuckin' weirdos that really likes the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. That beer is hated by most and loved by few. The Cherry Chocolate Bock has the same type of cherry aroma. In addition to the cherry on the nose, you also get rich chocolate, cocoa, malty sweetness, caramel sugars, and molasses. The nose is super sweet. There's a hint of vanilla on the nose as well. 

While I wasn't a huge fan of the Chocolate Bock, I have to say...this beer is amazing. It's a total guilty pleasure, like fruity drinks and mojitos. There are layers upon layers of decadent, sugary cocoa in this beer. It's sooooo sweet, like Cocoa Krispies meets Count Chocula sweet. They should serve this beer with a complimentary bong. You get rich cocoa, chocolate, caramel, comforting white chocolate and vanilla...and the whole thing is accompanied by that artificial-tasting cherry that you get in the Cherry Wheat. It's a cherry flavor that would make the Lambic-producers of Belgian cry. It's offensively artificial, but brilliantly plays things Cherry Coke straight. If you can't extrapolate some childish joy from this over-the-top-Saturday-morning-cartoon of a beer, then you are a no-fun mother fucker and I don't want to get high and watch cartoons with you. 

Sam Adams did this one proud. I think the quoted caloric content per 12oz bottle is like 237 calories. At 5.8% (DAE beer math???), that means this stuff is loaded with sugar. Yum. This beer is super drinkable at 5.8%, but has a medium-full mouthfeel. Sure, it's clean like a Lager and supported with lots of carbonation...but there's residual sugars that coat your lips so you can give unsuspecting people who are hanging out under the mistletoe some unsolicited kisses. Like my drunk uncle. Palate depth is good, complexity is pretty much sugary cocoa and artificial cherry fuck-all. You get malt richness, cocoa, and caramel up front; that rolls into sweet cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, artificial cherry; the back end is all about the chocolate and Cherry Coke. This is way better than Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia, and twice as sweet. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

YOU WHAT A Light Divine Brew?!?1 This is a Dunkler Bock me and my dong could get down with. This beer is going to be polarizing, just like Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I can't think of a better addition to the holidays though. This beer would make a great dessert, or pair well with some dry chocolate cake or cherry pie. And we all know cherry pie is the worst pie. A lot of people are going to shit all over this beer for being one-dimensional, or too sweet, or for having that obnoxious artificial cherry flavor. And you know what? They might be right, but if you want to see a bunch of no-fun neckbeards, roll over to BeerAdvocate and read the reviews for this beer. You can practically hear the man titties slapping together with each keystroke pressed. 

Random Thought: And t-t-t-t-t-that's all, folks! My final thought is this: the Sam Adams variety packs are hit and miss, but this year's Winter Classics is a good investment. Now I just need to find a 6-pack of the Cherry Chocolate Bock.

Hinterland Maple Bock

Brewed By: Hinterland Brewery, Restaurant & Lounge in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Purchased: 16oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 6.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

Now we're drink beers from Green Bay...yuuppp. Actually, I have high hopes (and expectations) from my cheese heads up north. About Hinterland: 

Hinterland is a is a restaurant and brewery based out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Founded in 1995 by owner Bill Tressler, more info can be found on their website or Facebook page.

The Maple Bock is a German-styled Lager brewed with maple syrup.

Hinterland Maple Bock

In lower light, the beer pours into a dark brown, near-black body, and kicks up two to three fingers of tan/khaki head. There's some hints of dark brown or ruby red on the edges of the glass, and lots of carbonation can be seen rising up in this. In bright light the beer takes on a really nice ruby red color, with a murky brown center. There's a lot of carbonation visible in this beer, and a finger of creamy brown head is sustaining nicely. It's a good looking beer.

The aroma here is, as you might expect, very sweet and easy-going. I'm getting a lot of caramel, toffee, big bread/toast sweetness, and big maple syrup. It's a sweet, inviting nose...but you almost wish it was a freezing Winter morning.

Given the super sweet aroma, you almost expect something like a dense Imperial Stout...but this drinks more like a Brown Ale, and even more like a clean Lager. The front end of this beer is loaded with maple sweetness, but the middle is cut with bready notes and light sweetness. The sweetness veers into that fruity/berry thing, with hints of tea/apples/berries. There's even some light hoppiness to round things out towards the back end...but you also get more maple syrup on the finish.

This is light, drinkable stuff. If this really is clocking in at 6.8%, it is hiding the alcohol very well. The mouthfeel is medium-light, with good palate depth/duration and surprising complexity. You get a lot of sweet malts and maple up front; that rolls into some toast/bread, hints of nuttiness, some fruity notes, and some hops; the back end features trailing hops, and more of that maple syrup goodness on the finish. The finish is malty and clean, but not drying. This one has surprising depth and complexity.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average. I could see myself ordering this at the pub, and this would be a dynamite beer to pop open on a cold, Winter morning. I would love to pair this beer with some breakfast, namely pancakes or even an omelette. The clean finish and lighter flavors in this beer would also work well with turkey or a soup. You could also pair this beer with dessert. I paid 4 dollars for this beer...not a bad deal, and I'll be trying more from Hinterland if I can.

Random Thought: In two days hockey season starts, and now that baseball season is behind us we can focus on WHY Jay Cutler is throwing freebie interceptions when there is no need....

He'Brew Rejewvenator Dubbel Doppel (2013 Limited Release)

Brewed By: Shmaltz Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York  

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Belgian Dubbel/Doppelbock, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

As a gentile, I have to give props to He'Brew for taking their beer names and sticking it to all the folks that can't enjoy an awesome name like "Rejewvenator." I say that as a gentile, though. About He'Brew:

He'Brew is part of the Shmaltz Brewing Company. The Shmaltz Brewing Company has two lines of beer: their He'Brew The Chosen Beer, and their Coney Island Craft Lagers. Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in San Francisco, California, founded by Jeremy Cowan in 1996. The company previously contract brewed most of their beer through the Mendocino Brewing Company, while operating a small brewery in Brooklyn, New York. After 16 years of having their beer contract brewed, the Shmaltz Brewing Company opened its own New York State microbrewery in Clifton Park, NY. The new location features a 50-barrel brewhouse, with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity, and began production April/May 2013, officially opening July 2013. The company is known for its innovative beer, eye-catching bottle artwork, and sense of humor. For more information, check out the Shmaltz website HERE. Don't be a schmuck!

The 2013 Rejewvenator is all kinds of crazy. The bottle states that this is a "Belgian Style Dubbel Ale" AND a "Doppelbock European Lager." How can that be, wondered no one reading this crappy blog. According to my bottle, this beer is brewed with Lager and Belgian Ale yeast, in addition to some 2-row, Munich, CaraVienna, and Dark Crystal malts, and some Warrior, Cascade, Amarillo, Crystal, and Goldings hops. Oh, and this beer tosses in some dates and figs because why not! You can also check out the 2013 Rejewvenator at the Shmaltz Brewing website. 

This one gushed a bit upon opening, but I assume this is bottle conditioned so blah blah tread lightly. The beer pours into a reddish-brown body that doesn't look half as murky as most Belgian Dubbels, and I kicked up a finger of bready, tan-colored head. In bright light the beer is a clear, transparent, SUPER CLEAN, reddish-orange color. Maybe it isn't conditioned? I don't know how they worked the Lager yeast and Belgian yeast. The beer has a hazy cauldron effect, and swirling the beer kicks up some healthy carbonation, along with some lacing and legs. It's a good looking beer.

He'Brew Rejewvenator 2013

The aroma on this beer is super weird...I'm getting big plums, figs, and clove...but it's clashing with dates and apples (and apple slaw salad), and a clean (but slightly spicy) Lager yeast. There's some candi sugar and musty funk on the nose as well. I'm also getting some faint toast/chocolate...hmmm...

If you drink a lot of Belgian Dubbels, you will immediately know that something is amiss here. You get plum and clove in this, along with some musty Belgian funk, but that transitions to a sharp Bock-like cleanness with fruity and malty flavors. I'm picking up some apple, berries, and lighter caramel. You do pick up on the dates and figs, and there's lots of shades of purple grapes and plums and dark fruits in this. You also get some hints at toast, and the finish leans towards a Bock.

I'm inclined to say this is more of a Bock than a Dubbel, as this drifts towards malty sweetness. It's good though. The mouthfeel is medium-full, and super clean. The beer is supported by good carbonation, and a malty-sweet body. There's a touch of booze in the back, but it's like a subtle kiss in a good dessert wine...so drinkability is high. Palate depth and complexity are both alright. Up front is big clove, Belgian yeast, and some plums/figs/dates; that rolls into some malty sweetness, a hint of bitterness, some musty funk, and some burnt sugars; the back is dry malty sweetness, some toast, and a very Bock-like finish.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This was a fun experiment, and this beer reads like a Fall/Autumn beer. Which is perfect, because Autumn is around the corner. Having said that, I kind of feel like a beer brewed with dates, figs, and fermented out with two types of yeast should blow me away. This works nicely as a good, solid Doppelbock...I wouldn't call it a Dubbel. Though, there's a lot of nods towards plums and clove in this, and perfumey candi sugar. It's a fun beer for sure, and I look forward to seeing what the 2014 Rejewvenator will be. I'm going to pair this beer with a brat and some salads, but the malty sweetness and kiss of booze you get in this beer would go well with desserts, creme brulee, or even a burger/steak with caramelized onions and a nice dark, sweet sauce. 

Random Thought: What is up with people photographing/recording their wedding proposals, and then posting that shit on Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook. First off, how creepy is it to have a camera person hidden in some bush 500 yards away from where you are proposing. Even if that person is your friend, it's still fucking weird. And then you have to make sure the camera person doesn't blow your cover, or you don't give their position away when you keep stealing glances in their direction. And then to top it all off you are going to post what is supposed to be one of -- if not THE MOST -- romantic and intimate moment in your life so all your dumbass friends can see it on Facebook? I guess. Whatever floats your boat, honky. 

Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

Brewed By: Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn in Kelheim, Germany

Purchased: 11.2oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (2011 bottle???)

Style/ABV: Eisbock, 12.0%

Eisbock...I haven't talked about those yet. Thankfully, it's like the most straightforward twist on a popular style of beer. Eisbock is a traditional Kulmbach beer, brewed by freezing a Doppelbock (freeze distillation, baby) and removing the ice to concentrate the flavor and alcohol. I guess I am kind of half-assing it, since my homies at The German Beer Institute have a lengthy write-up on the style. 

Obviously, this style is pronounced "Ice-Bock," only in ze Germans. Ice Bocks are a warming, nourishing, comforting beer -- perfect for the winter. These strong beers benefit from the fact that water freezes before alcohol, so you can remove the water from beer (or any alcoholic solution) to increase alcohol concentration. Eisbocks are members of the Bockbier family, and are most similar to Doppelbocks. The style should have some alcohol present, but as a "fiery afterglow," not a harsh assault. This is as style of beer intended to be sipped like a Sherry or Port...which is funny, because many American breweries have pushed the envelope well past 12.0% ABV. You can read more about the accidental discovery (or alleged history) of the Eisbock at the German Beer Institute...and definitely do, their website is the tits.

About Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn:

Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn have been challenging people with the pronunciation of their names since 1872. Their website is in German, but has an English translation button on the bottom of the site. I'm lazy, so I'm going off the Wikipedia article. The brewery began as a Bavarian brewery that acquired the Weisses Brauhaus/Microbrewery in Munich. The owners then expanded the brewery to Kelheim and Straubing. After Munich was destroyed in the 1944 bombing (World War II, folks), all production was moved to Kelheim. This is a family run brewery with lots of tradition, and is currently owned by Georg Schneider VI (source). 

The Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock is a hearty beer. Punching in at 12.0%, this beer is described as featuring aromas of ripe plum, almonds, marzipan, banana, and clove. Ratebeer has a blurb about how Aventinus re-discovered the Eisbock by accident, when prior to the 1940s Aventinus would ship their beers across Bavaria in containers that didn't have temperature control. I'm curious how that story holds up, but I'm no beer historian. Anyway...

Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

The beer pours a raisin, dark brown, cola-black color, with a hazy body. This beer looks like it has some age on it, and if the "2011" by the bottle number indicates anything, it's that this beer has seen some serious shit. With an aggressive pour I kicked up a finger or two of tan head, but that rapidly fizzled away. There's a ring of tan lacing on the edges, and swirling the beer unlocks some sexy alcohol legs. In bright light the beer is a dark golden raisin/grape/swamp brown color. Ain't no light shining through this murky stuff.

When I was pouring this I was getting aromas of raisin bread, and hot damn, I love raisin bread. This has a sweet aroma, with lots of wheat, and HUGE banana. I'm also getting BIG banana bread...like, melted banana bread. There's some clove, bubble gum, waves of raisins and grapes, hints of leather, and an earthy, wine-like aroma. The nose is also velvety and smooth...hinting at what I'm likely about to taste.

This is some nice shit. This is super smooth, but it retains a wheat beer quality without going full Doppelbock...but it's still very clean. There's some booze in this, but it's a warming heat more than anything. I'm getting big wheat, banana, banana bread, raisins, grapes, berries, blueberry syrup, almost maple/maple syrup, and a big kiss of heat...the heat is fantastic, without any tannin presence or kick. It's like a super smooth port wine or something. As you pick up the heat towards the back palate, you get those complex berries and fruits with the booze, along with kisses of sugary maple. Really fantastic stuff.

This is dense, full-bodied, and has growing heat/booze on the finish, followed by sticky sweetness. I should say, the wheat and smoothness of this beer help carry it front to mid-palate, where it is more like a medium-full beer. Palate depth is divine, and complexity is alright. I feel like this could go places...but it's still fantastic. Wheat, banana, clove, banana bread up front; that rolls into a touch of hop bite, almonds, marzipan, complex fruits, grapes, raisins, burgeoning berries and booze; the back end is warming heat, berries, maple syrup, complex sugars, and fade to a hot, sticky finish (oh..la...la).

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'll go with a Decent Divine Brew. I'm really enjoying the way this beer works across the palate, providing a nice variety of flavors and finishing with a fantastically complex boozy/warming back end. This beer would be dynamite in the winter months. I know there are stronger beers out there, but for whatever reason, the 12.0% in this beer really gets the job done. I'm feeling a lot of warming in my tummy, and it's pleasant and nice. I would drink this beer by itself, or pair it with some pecan pie. You could also pair this beer with something really spectacular, like a super raunchy burger, duck, or something like that. This sells for like 6 or 7 bucks a bottle...which is a steal. Check this out.

Random Thought: I love three-day weekends. And the best part isn't just the holiday weekend, it's the fact that the following work week is only four days long. Four days to go...

Samuel Adams The Vixen Chocolate Chili Bock

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 22oz bottle from Sam Adam's Small Batch Collection "gift set" [Batch No. 2]; 2012
Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable (Bock), 8.5%

Reported IBUs: 20

I didn't ask for much this Christmas, so I was surprised to unwrap the Small Batch Collection "gift set," which was a nice treat. Mi familia knows me well. The Small Batch Collection features "limited release beers" that are slightly more experimental or unique in nature, and may or may not be brewed again. About Sam Adams:

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

Today's beer, The Vixen, is a Chocolate Chili Bock brewed with cinnamon, spices, and cocoa nibs. I'm hoping this beer fares better than their Chocolate Bock. The Vixen is described as smooth and rich, with a touch of sweetness and spicy heat. This beer is brewed with 2-row pale malt, Munich, Caramel 60, and Weyermann Carafa I malts; it also uses Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops. But the real allure to this beer is the fact that it is aged on a bed of cocoa nibs from Ecuador, and then ancho and chipotle chilies are added, along with spices and cinnamon. Let's glass this up, and see what's going on.

The Vixen Chocolate Chili Bock

In low light, the beer pours a dark brown color, with two fingers of thick, creamy, light tan/khaki head. When held to a bright light, the body of the beer is a reddish-brown color. This beer is transparent and filtered, and features good carbonation in the form of tiny bubbles. Head retention on this is pretty nice, and I'm kicking up head as I swirl this (classy, I know). You get some clingy lacing, and some alcohol legs. (seriously, it's been like 10 minutes now, and there is still a centimeter of head hanging around)....

The aroma on this is pretty clean and mild...I'm getting chocolate, cocoa, molasses, powdered cream (the stuff you dump in your coffee if you suck), hints of coffee, hints of dark fruits (plums mainly), caramel, and maybe hints of floral and bread. I'm not getting a whole lot of spice or chili on the nose.

Well, this is not the Chocolate Bock. This tastes fairly rich, and has reasonable density (which you expect at 8.5% ABV). You get chocolate and cocoa up front, along with molasses and caramel, and hints of plums and raisins. I'm getting very subtle chili flavors on the back end, with hints of chili spice and cinnamon. As I continue to drink this, the spice starts to creep up into the front of the palate, and it compliments the chocolate in a very nice and subtle way.

Everything that wasn't fun about the Chocolate Bock is improved here. This has a fuller and denser mouthfeel; this is a medium-full beer, supported by tingly carbonation, and a peppery/cinnamon/chili backbone. Palate depth is average, and complexity is moderate. At 8.5%, this is very drinkable. Up front is chocolate, mocha, cocoa, molasses, hints of coffee and powdered cream; this rolls into more sweetness, raisins, plums; the back end terminates with lingering cocoa sweetness, and a hint of chili and cinnamon. As you drink this, the chili and cinnamon starts to creep towards the front palate, but it never grabs hold to dominate this beer.

Rating: Average

I'm feeling a Strong Average here. This is a nice improvement over the Chocolate Bock, and adds a much-needed layer of complexity. Still, I wish the chili and cinnamon were a touch more assertive, and this isn't the most complex beer in the world. But this is a really solid beer in many ways, and I could see myself trying to mix this in with some chili. I would pair this with chili, or a burger, or go the complete opposite direction and drop a scoop of ice cream in this float style...I bet that would be delicious. This is pretty solid stuff, and MUCH better than the Chocolate Bock. Recommended...especially if you can snag it for less than 8 or 9 dollars.

Random Thought: Time to go watch the Denver vs. Baltimore game....I'm conflicted, I like to cheer for the underdog, but I want to see Manning face off against Brady in the Championship game. 

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

Brewed By: Heller Bräu Trum KG in Bamberg, Germany
Purchased: 1 Pint 0.9oz bottle (16.9oz) purchased at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Smoked/Rauchbier, 6.5%

Rauchbiers or Smokebeers are one of the most intriguing German beers. At least in my opinion. Of course, if we talk about German beers, that means we take a trip to the German Beer Institute. I love the German Beer Institute, and if you need to waste some time at work, or just love beer, you owe it to yourself to check out their website. According to the GBI (on Rauchbiers):

"Once upon a time, all beers were Rauchbiers, so to speak. The term Rauchbier simply means "smoke beer" in German, and with the ancient kilning methods of drying green brewer's malt over open fires, all grains picked up smoky flavors and passed them on to the beers made from them. Today, however, with "clean" malt being the dominant brewing grist, old-style "smoke beers" have set themselves apart as an atavistic rarity, a throwback to a time gone by. Most Rauchbiers, like most Bavarian beers, are barley-based lagers. They are darkish-amber and opaque, with an alcoholic strength ranging from 4.8 to 6.5% by volume."

Smoke + Beer = Campfire Companion

The modern Rauchbier evolved over time as a specialty beer, in the Franconian city of Bamberg, and the surrounding areas in northern Bavaria. A number of breweries make the authentic stuff to this day (including the brewery that makes tonight's beer). In fact, according to the GBI, the only readily available Rauchbier in the States is the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier.

The brewery makes a number of smoked beers (as you can see HERE). The Schlenkerla Rauchbier is a traditional Rauchbier, the Schlenkerla Rauchweizen is a smoky Weissbier, and the Schlenkerla Lager is a smoky Helles/blond beer. They also brew their Urbock in October, which is similar to a Bockbier, and their Fastenbier, a Doppelbock-like strong beer only available in the spring.

Aecht Schlenkerla is pretty much the standard for modern Rauchbiers. They are the Henry Ford of smoked beers...or whatever. The word "aecht" means "true" or "original." There are, however, other brewers in Bamberg that make Rauchbiers. Noteable example is Brauerei Spezial.

A final interesting note: most smoked malt comes from commercial malting companies (one example is Weyermann Malting Company, located in Bamberg). Schlenkerla is one of the last German breweries that still malts their own grain. With that said, we should probably roll over to the Schlenkerla website and see what they are all about.

Schlenkerla began as a monastery in the 14th century, but exchanged hands/owners many times. The full list of the owners of the brewery can be found on the website. Between 1405 and 1615, the original Schlenkerla building was sold a number of times. And during the 30 Years' War (1618-1648), the house was destroyed and rebuilt. Noteable owners include Johann Wolfgang Heller, who took over in the mid 18th century. He owned an old rock-cellar for beer storage on the hill "Kaulberg" outside of Bamberg. Eventually, this facility was moved to another hill called "Stephansberg," which is in the middle of the town. In the 19th and 20th century, the brewery was moved to the location above the ancient cellars of Stephansberg. During that transition, the brewery took on its official name, "Heller-Bräu." In 1877 Andreas Graser became the brewery owner. He had a handicap and moved his arms in a funny way when he walked. This was called "schlenkern," and soon the people started calling the brewery Schlenkerla. In 1907, his son, Michael Graser, took the brewery over. In 1960, part of the the brewery was bought by Graser's daughter, Elisabeth, and her husband, Jakob Trum. In 1967 they handed the brewery to their son German Trum. And that seems to be where we are at today.

EPIC lagering cellar...

I'm going to wrap up the history and get on with the review...but one last thing that is pretty fucking sweet is the brewery's write-up of how they smoke their beer. Check this out! 

If you roll over to their beer page, you can get the lowdown on the Urbock. This is a full-bodied smoked Bock beer for Bamberg's strong beer season (October through December). This beer is brewed in the summer, and matured for moths in the rock-cellars beneath Bramberg. This beer clocks in at 6.5% ABV, and packs 40 IBUs. For BJCP style guidelines, roll over to 22A. Classic Rauchbier.

The beer pours a brownish/black/cola color in low light, and has a very nice 3-finger head. The head is a nice light tan/khaki color, and has a nice thickness about it. The head is reminiscent of Guinness with that nice root beer float thing going on. There's a persistent pinky's worth of creamy head hanging around, and it left some lacing as it fell away.

What's really interesting is that in bright light you can almost see through this beer, and it has a dark ruby red/brown color going on. You can also see some carbonation in there.

The aroma on this is really nice...provided you don't find smoked beers offensive. I probably should have disclaimered at the top of this post that this style of beer is pretty much love or hate. I happen to love this style of beer, but in moderation. The smoked malts on these authentic German smoked beers are really nice...it's not like a piece of bacon raping your nostrils. You get some smoked wood, sauna, campfire, wet campfire, earthy, beef brisket, smoked cheese, hints of bacon or ham, and the whole thing has some really big underlying malt sweetness. There's a huge sweet malt backbone with this beer, as I find some caramel under all the malts. 

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

Again, the taste is really nice...in fact, it starts out pretty subtle, and doesn't lay on the smoked malts right away. But the smoked malts do hit home, and I'm getting smoked cheeses, smoked sausage, and hints of ham and bacon. Actually, as a Polak, I'm getting some big Kabanos out of this. Yay, nostalgia! Up front is some thick maltiness, and you get some bready caramel, hints of dark fruits, and then the beer gives way into the smoked malts. I'd describe it as biting into a piece of bread...and then getting a piece of sausage in the middle. Yum. 

This is a niche beer...I mean, it is what it is. Palate depth is wonderful, and the smoked malts are really subtle and complex, with lots of layers of wood, smoke, earthiness, meat, and cheese. It is a complex beer! It's also rather drinkable, in my opinion. But how much of this do you really want to drink, and how frequently? I guess that's the question. This has a medium-full mouthfeel...up front are fat and dense caramel/bread/fruit malts; this rolls into some really nice wood and smoke; the back end is lingering wood, smoke, meat, hints of caramel sweetness, and a nice smokey finish. The thickness has duration, and this is pretty thick throughout. It really would be a great beer to drink on a cold Autumn day in front of a fire.

Rating: Divine Brew 

I like this beer a lot, and this is a Light Divine Brew for me. Will you like this beer? There's really only one way to find out...be brave, be bold, and try a smoked beer. Seriously though, this beer is tight and refined. The smoked malts are subtle, and the malt profile is fat and dense. It has some substantial "umppp" to it, and gives this beer some nice weight on your palate. At 6.5%, this almost drinks heavier than you might expect. Food pairings are obvious: beef brisket, smoked cheese, anything grilled really, cheesy soup, mashed potatoes with cheese, or even a sandwich with some meaty center (pastrami? mmm). This beer will also pair well with a campfire and a cold Autumn night. Again...I know this style is love or hate, but check this out.

Random Thought: There's a lot of red lines for misspelled words in this post. It must be hard being German.