Amstel Bock

Brewed by Heineken Nederland
Style: Dunkler Bock
Zoeterwoude, Netherlands

Serve in Dimpled mug, Snifter

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UPDATED: AUG 17, 2006 The 2002 version: has improved considerable. Used to be quite thin and tasteless. Only the aroma is still a bit light. It has a light coffee, light caramel aroma. Dark ruby brown colour, light brown frothy head, good lace. Looks great! Roasted flavor with coffee, light sweet, moderate full. Even more roasted bitterness in the finish. Could still use a bit more body. Cellared 1990, tasted in 2006 Yesterday it was the 16th birthday of my daughter. So I thought I should celebrate it with a 16 year old beer. The only 1990 beers in my cellar however were a couple of bock beers. I was sad but optimistic so I opened up a bottle of Amstel Bock instead of cheating and picking out a bottle of Chimay Blue 1992 or a Hertog Jan Grand Prestige 1988. To my suprise at opening the bottle it even did pffffsch. Could it be it survived? I mean, I had old bockbeers many times but 16 years is quite a long time for a bottom fermented, non-bottle conditioned and probably even pasteurized beer. While pouring the beer into my glass a nice fine looking head appeared. A head that turned out to be permanent, diminishing during the tasting session but never completely. The flavors where great. Of course Amstel Bock is still an exception on all the too sweet Dutch bockbeers nowadays but still. In the start there was a light sweetness, some port but not overwhelming and a light bitterness. Nothing to get excited about, but the finish was. A long lasting increasing roasted coffee flavor and bitterness. Very nice, very surprising. One bad thing was the mouthfeel however. Sandy like some good stouts can be but a bit thin and oily in the very finish. Overall a great survivor! I think I’d give it a 4.0.

October 2008: Brought this 33cl can back from Crete with me, purely to review on here. Deep ruby red colour, good tan head, it looked good in my Westmalle chalice. The aroma was of Peat Bogs, toast and burnt malts, very interesting. All the aroma smells were in the taste, apart from the Peat Bog, it was replaced by raisins and plums. This beer had a good feel to it, the alcohol is well hidden and the whole experience was one of pleasure.

A nice ruby clear color, dark colored foam. Bitter fruity taste that stays quite long. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Brown color with fine head. Dark malty aroma. Taste is roasted and as its too old. Purchased on island crete 2007.

Can. Pours a beautiful ruby-coloured body, with a large light brown head that lasts very long. Aroma is faint, couldn’t trace something, but not annoying either. Taste is sweet, with intense caramel flavor. Also, notes of coffee. Medium body. A good looking, tasteful beer, but lack of aroma. Good.

33 cl bottle. Deel Brown colour, Tony white head. Aromas of roasted malts. Taste is malts, burned and smokey. Finish is medium long, bitter with some coffee. Medium body. Very Nice bock, Very different from the okee i used to drink.

Pours brown with a beige head. Aroma is roasted breaddy malt and dark fruit. Flavour is roasted breaddy malt, dark dried fruit and alcohol.

Ruby with a medium tan head. Malty and fruity tones. Malt, fruit and hops. Medium to full body with a bitter sweet finish.

bottle thanks to bu11zeye. poured light brown with a beige head. aroma was caramel, grain, dirt, and sweat. flavor was caramel and grain with a light body and high carbonation.

Bottle. Very nice Bock from Amstel. Pours dark brown, with frothy tan head. The aroma is caramel and dark chocolate. The taste quite the same: sweety, with a little roasted coffee. Stable body, medium carbonated.

On draught around Amsterdam. Pours an opaque black color with a lasting tan head. Full mouthfeel. Creamy texture. Even dry/sweet malty flavor. Late slight molassas notes. Very filling. Not that complex.