Road Block Doppelbock

Road Block Doppelbock comes from Windsor, Ontario’s Walkerville Brewery. I picked up a 473mL can of the 7.5% stuff. It’s a clear, amber tonic that pours with almost no head—just a thin disc of white suds.

The doppel has a malty, brown sugar soaked aroma. Its flavour is malt-driven, with caramel sweetness and a fairly pronounced hoppy finish.

Road Block had great strength, and a decent flavour, but it is a bit thin-bodied and light on carbonation. All told, its alright, but not a game-changer.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

All's Welly That Ends Welly: Helles Bock

Wellington Brewery’s Helles Bock is a slightly hazy, dull gold affair. Sold in 355mL bottles, this Guelph, Ontario lager contains a punchy 6.8% alcohol and pours with a thin cover of eggshell head. It has a sweet and potent aroma that has some syrupy qualities, as well as a pungent waft of grains. Sweet and malty, particularly in the early going, the beer veers toward a distinctly German-styled hops finish that has some crisp elements, but remains quite sweet.

The Welly Helles Bock (should have been called “Welles Bock” or even “Welly Bock”) is a nice take on the classic German style, though it comes through a bit too sweet for me, instead of crisp and bready, as I’d have liked it to be. Still, it’s a nice strong lager with some sass.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

ZiegenBock Texas Amber

ZiegenBock Texas Amber is a rusty copper amber Lager from Houston's Ziegenbock Brewing Co., an affiliate of Anheuser-Busch. It contains 4.9% alcohol and is sold in 12 oz bottles. It pours clear, with a decent layer of off-white head.

Its nose is mild 'n' malty, with sweet notes of bread and toffee. The flavour isn't particularly potent, but contains a malt-forward base and sweet caramel notes. The lager has only slight bitter qualities--a whisper of grainy hops noticeable only at the finish.

ZiegenBock is an agreeable enough macro-brewed take on the amber lager. It's less a bock than a Vienna lager, but it tastes fine and is easy-drinking. According to Wikipedia, this stuff was brewed to compete with Shiner Bock. If that's so, it's not quite in the same ballpark, but it still manages to refresh and satisfy.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Dunkels Bock

I have great friends! They buy me lots of beer and that's rad. One of those great friends is a brilliant and charming SL, who gifted me with a pair of brews for my birthday, one of which was Dunkels Bock, from Toronto's Bandit Brewery. Like Bandit's other brews, this one featured a raccoon on the label of the 500mL bottle. 

 

 

At 6.3%, Dunkels Bock had some real heat, without being too strong. It was a swampy brown brew that poured with an eggshell head. It's aroma wasn't particularly pungent, but it had notes of grain and brown sugar, and a bit of spice. The flavour proved to be extremely malty, with lots of sweetness, some earthy tones, and some clove spice. Not a lot of bitterness, but there was a fair degree of boozy warmth that belied the 6.3% listing--I'd have guessed stronger.

A dark lager with some heft and some heart, I thought that Dunkels Bock was a strong effort from a good new brewery. A tad sweet, but really quite nice.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Midnight Bock

Midnight Bock is a part of the Lake of Bays Brewing Company's Wild North Series. At 5.5% alcohol, this brew comes in 473mL cans. It's a lager that comes from Baysville, Ontario.

Midnight Bock looks like a stout--it's dark and brooding, with a fluffy ecru head. It has a rich, roasted malt aroma that is swathed in notes of nut and mocha. It has a pleasant and smooth mouthfeel, though one that plays a little thin. The flavour is far from thin, though, with sizable roasty malt character and a whisper of coffee bitterness.

Midnight Bock proved to be a thoroughly agreeable little lager from small town Ontario. Thin, yes, but still quite nice.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

L'Alchimiste Bock de Joliette

L'Alchimiste Bock de Joliette is a strong beer from L'Alchimiste Micro Brasserie, out of Joliette, Quebec. The label features a portrait of L'Honorable Barthélemy Joliette, with no further explanation.  The beer clocks in at 6.1% and is sold in 341mL bottles.

The Bock has a hazy orange-amber colour, topped with a short lived cream head. Its aroma is malty and gently spiced. The flavour is malt dominated with a whisper of clove. Some faint hop bitterness brings up the rear.

This is a pretty enjoyable bock--not as flavourful as some of its Teutonic cousins, but certainly not timid. A fine beer to warm you up on a cool night.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10. 

Kalnapilis Pilsner

Kalnapilo-Tauro Grupe, in Panerezys, Lithuania brews up the Kalnapilis Pilsner, a which, according to the can, is a "German-style Heller Bock". Sold in a 500mL can, Kalnapilis contains a 4.6%. It's an extremely clear pale straw colour, featuring a white head and moderate carbonation. The aroma is initially sweet, before proceeding to a grainy bitterness. The flavour is a lot more bitter than I expected, given the pale hue and low alcohol content. It's mildly bitter and crisp, but a bit wispy on the front end.

Kalnapilis is an interesting version of a pilsner with a decent hop kick. More booze would be a treat, as would a bit more balance, but I'd still recommend giving it a try if you see it.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Holsten Festbock

The Holsten-Brauerai in Hamburg, Germany builds Festbock, a brownish-copper coloured brew. It's quite clear and pours with a foamy ring of tan head. It has a boozy aroma that encompasses prunes and raisins. For a strong beer, there really isn't a tonne of flavour--notes of dried fruit sitting atop a malty base. The aftertaste has a slight cherry cola ring to it.

Holsten Festbock definitely doesn't taste like a beer containing 7% alcohol, but that's what the cheery 500mL can says. It's not an outstanding beer, but not a bad one either. I've had better bocks than this one, but I certainly wouldn't turn down a pint.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Holsten Maibock

Holsten Maibock comes out of Hamburg, Germany.  It's a maibock--a lighter member of the bock family.  It comes in a 500mL can and contains 7% alcohol.  The maibock pours a golden colour that's just a shade or so darker than a pale lager. It has considerable carbonation and a quickly dissipating white head.  There's a grainy, slightly metallic aroma and a surprisingly sweet, malty flavour.  A sweet, fruity initial taste gives way to a finish that tends toward the bitter.  It's oddly refreshing for a strong, malty brew.  The mouthfeel is quick thick--almost syrupy.  Warm, alcohol taste is present, but not overwhelming.

Holsten's Maibock is an excellent variation on bock.  It is definitely worth trying--tasty, oddly refreshing, and admirably punchy.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Missing Elf Double Bock

Missing Elf is a strong ass double bock built by the good people at Brewery Rinkuškiai.  It comes from Rinkuškiai, Lithuania and, according to the label, is "...the most heating and famous beer of Beer Country!"  It's sold in a sorta goofy pint bottle and contains 9.5%.

 It pours a light copper colour and is very clear.  It has moderate carbonation anda very thin cap of white head.  It has a  pleasant metallic scent that is also a bit grainy and malty.  Flavourwise, this beer is extremely coppery and all kinds of malty.  It has an undeniable alcoholic warmth and has a metallic aftertaste. Truth be told, its not really my favourite brew.  It's a bit too malty and too doughy.  However, it's certainly got some merit--it's a strong, punchy and warm ale.  Probably worth sampling, particularly on a cold day.   Rating: 6.5 out of 10. 

Creemore Springs-urBock

The Creemore Springs Brewery from Creemore, Ontario gives me a weird sort of hope.  The reality is that many interesting and successful microbreweries are being swallowed up by larger national brands.  Molson owns Creemore.  What gives me hope is that, by and large, Molson seems to have allowed Creemore to do its thing just as it did when it was an independent.  While I would always prefer give my few sheckels to a local brewer, I have no major beef with a large corporation using its broader distribution network to get good craft beer to the masses.  The caveat is that the brewer has to be permitted to remain creative and to rely on the methods and ingredients that made them great.  Kudos to Molson for their (to my eye) hands off approach to running Creemore Springs.

Creemore's urBock is a delightful pint.  Weighing in at 6%, this dark brown/amber coloured brew is sold in 473mL cans.  It is quite clear and features considerable carbonation.  It is topped with a thick, but quickly dissipating, white head.  It has a slightly sweet aroma of grains and toasted nuts.  The flavour moves from sweet to bitter and comprises dank (but pleasant!) basement-y malts.  The aftertaste is nicely balanced between hoppy bitterness and molasses sweetness.

If I had my way, this beer would have a touch more kick and be a bit more bitter. However, this is a nice bock that is well worth purchasing.  Bock is a style I'd like to see more brewers playing with, and I love the idea of having a good one produced in Ontario.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.