Gordon Biersch Brewing Company's Blonde Bock

It's been a while since I had a Gordon Biersch beer, and I remember them as mediocre. Add to that my lackluster feeling about Sierra Nevada's Golden Bock, and all I really hope for this beer is that it doesn't suck mightily. That's okay though, low expectations are usually exceeded.

Pours a hazy light amber with a nice off white head.

Nice malty smell, with a hint of the usual lager smell to go with it. Very low pils smell to it, with a tiny alcohol bite as well.


Well, it doesn't suck mightily, but it's an odd combination of flavors. The aftertaste is the best part of it, it's bready and mellow. Up front, however, it's mostly an odd bitterness with an alcohol bite that really shouldn't be present in a beer under about 9% ABV. Overall, this just isn't a good beer and I'm wondering if the style can be done correctly at all. It seems like a European Golden that has had its flavors heightened by concentrating them, presumably by freezing the beer and scooping out the ice. But I doubt they went to all that trouble for this one.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's Glissade Golden Bock

I don't know why, but I've never seen this before. So, great surprise to see a new one, for me anyway, from my favorite quasi-macro brewery. I'm not real sure about a golden bock, but if anyone is going to do it right, they will.

Pours clear and golden, with a light, almost white head that is as big as you want to pour it. Slowly recedes, due to good carbonation.

Great malty smell. Crisp and clean, with no real floral or other smells that would indicate that it's hoppy, but not really overly bready either.

You know, it's only really bock-like in the aftertaste. It feels heavier than many beers, and the hops are low, so I can see why it would be a bock in style by the numbers, but it's just a bit cardboardy in bitterness and taste.

I don't know, I wish I didn't have 11 more of them now. Probably my least favorite Sierra Nevada beer.

Spoetzel Brewery's Shiner Bock

Almost a shame to review such an every day beer, but way back in high school this was "different." As with most Texas teenagers, I'm sure, it was the first non-macro beer I ever had, and I swear like most who had it back then that it's different now.

Pours a deep coppery brown with a fizzy tan head that's the hallmark of a fairly light bodied lager.

Shiner smell. You have to smell it to know it. It's like smelling a cold, fresh loaf of bread with a slight zing that's not really hops, but just the way a Shiner (and many of its variants) smells.

Same solid, bready malt in the taste. It's a maltier, heavier (but only slightly) version of an American macro. I swear to all that is holy that it used to be bigger and have more of that Shiner zing to it. It was just... more.

Still, a gas station favorite for summer time, and something that should be around at all times.

Dundee Brewing Company's Pale Bock

Alright, it says "Pale Bock Lager," but duh, bocks are lagers. What the heck though, it was another one of the Dundee mixed 12-pack so we'll see how it goes.

Sure enough, it pours pretty pale. It's a deep yellow with an orange tinge and a pretty good light tan head. The head and the moderately slow rise of the good carbonation seems to belie the odd clarity of this beer.

Smells fairly malty, and slightly sweet. No hops.

Eh. It's like a bock was mixed with a cheap Euro golden lager. Lighter in feel and taste than any bock should be, with more adjuncts than anything by the taste. Odd bitterness that shouldn't be there, and then it's gone except for the wet cardboard bitterness.

The pale doesn't excuse the lack of just about everything a bock should be.

Boston Brewing Company's Long Shot Traditional Bock

Again, congratulations to the home brewer who won this year's Long Shot. It has to be an honor for the folks who won. And like the Long Shot DIPA, I'm sure your version that you sent in was better than what Sam Adams did to it.

I guess I could congratulate Sam Adams for not getting ground glass in the beer though. That's a step up.

Like I mentioned in the other Long Shot review, it had to be because as a general rule Sam Adams beers are complete bullshit. Barely better than Coors, except with the claim that they're craft beers they actually fall far short of what we all know Coors to be. If Coors claimed to be craft, they'd be a bigger liar than Sam Adams, but they don't. So Sam Adams is the biggest liar in the beer world.

I'm sure you disagree. So go write your own blog about what an idiot I am.

This one pours a good, clear, deep copper with the best head I've seen in a BBC beer, which is more surprising for a bock. It's not as big or pillowy as the Anchor Bock, and it does fade, but it's good. Good carbonation as well.

Smells good too. Slight raisin smell, but mostly a solid bread smell from the malt. So far, so good.

At first taste I was tempted to bag on it. It seems a bit too twangy but the style is broad enough for this one. Good malt flavor with a hint of alcohol that gets bigger as it warms. As it warms the twang subsides as well.

Good beer. I don't search out bocks, but this one would be one that I certainly wouldn't avoid.

Anchor Brewing Company's Anchor Bock

Another quasi-macro brewery that is widely available without compromising their beers.

This one pours an almost completely opaque brown with reddish highlights and a good tan head for a lager.

Throws off a great sharp grassy smell as the head dies down, backed by a great bready malt that is substantial even for a bock.

Solid piney bitterness that lingers and fades to grassy, then to a solid malty grainy bitterness.

Great malt backbone with above average bitterness for a bock. Very good, best when colder.