Beer Review, Longshot Traditional Bock

Samuel Adams Longshot Traditional Bock
Boston, MA
6.8% ABV

Appearance: Transparent brown body, one-finger foamy khaki-colored head. No effervescence. 4.0/5

Smell: Nutty, sweet, more like a brown ale than a bock. Some coffee and hoppy notes buried deep down. 3.5/5

Taste: Very sweet, syrupy, a bit cloying. Finish is tarty and nutty. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Very thick, again syrupy. Carbonation heavier than expected. 4.0/5

Drinkability: This is a very good beer, but it definitely tastes like someone's homebrew. Good, worthy of inclusion, but not spectacular. 4.0/5

Overall: 3.7/5

Beer Review, Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock
Boston, MA
5.6% ABV

Appearance: Mostly black body, slightly red-orange-tinged towards the bottom, with a thick brown head that dissipates over time but leaves some significant lacing. 4.0/5

Smell: Very nutty, chocolatey, malty. Slight astringency and very dry. 3.5/5

Taste: Interesting. Dry malty roastiness up-front, with a syrupy chocolate texture on the back. Aftertaste strongly of chocolate. Almost doesn't quite taste like beer, it's so sweet and syrupy, but it's very interesting. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Very thick, as above, syrupy. Low carbonation. 4.0/5

Drinkability: Well, this isn't worth eighteen dollars. I wish it was a little higher alcohol and had a bit more balance. But it's fascinating the things that Sam Adams will try, and it's amazing that they even got something drinkable out of this kind of mix. 3.5/5

Overall: 3.85/5

Beer Review, 1888 Bock

Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock
Chippewa Falls, WI
5.10% ABV

Appearance: Dark red opaque body with lots of brown. Thin brown head that dissipates quickly. 3.5/5

Smell: Slightly astringent, malty, very nutty. Sweetness underneath with a bit of a bready undertone. Hints of cherries. 4.0/5

Taste: Again with the astringency up-front, moreso than you'd expect with just a five percent ABV. A nice nutty malt underneath, with a dry but somehow still cloying finish. 3.0/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, slightly chewy. 3.5/5

Drinkability: I like this beer pretty well as a daily drinking beer, but it doesn't hold up as well under review-style examination. I'll be buying these again. 4.0/5

Overall: 3.45/5

Beer Review, Anchor Bock

Anchor Bock (Anchor Steam Brewing Company)
San Francisco, CA
5.5% ABV

Appearance: Very dark body, brown-black, with a slight reddish tint to the bottom of the glass. Thin khaki-colored head. 3.5/5

Smell: Nutty, malty, slightly sweet, slightly dry. No hops present. 4.0/5

Taste: Richly nutty, malty, very sweet, nice notes of grains. Tastes a lot like a very subdued Nut Brown Ale, not a negative thing at all. Slight astringency on the finish. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Thick, luxurious mouthfeel coats the tongue. No carbonation or hops. 4.5/5

Drinkability: Bocks aren't my favorite beers ever, but this is a really good example of the style. 4.0/5

Overall: 3.75/5