Anchor Bock Beer

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
Style: Dunkler Bock
San Francisco, California USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Snifter

poursdark red with some ruby highlights with a small tan head. Slight hop hitterness. ok

From the bottle. It is really a struggle to figure out what to knock about this beer. Looks good, tastes good; strong in the areas you want a bock to be strong in. Could be a bit heavier, I suppose, and when accidentally served in a frosty mug, the head tends to break up in an unattractive manner. Otherwise, a very fine beer.

Malty caramel and molasses nose. Clear very dark mahogany brown with small off-white head. Caramelized sugar maltiness in flavor with light earthy spicy hops to back. Finish is relatively dry and roasty with some chocolate hints. Pretty tasty.

I’m glad to see more Anchor beers making their way to Florida. This one pours a deep, dark crimson color with a dull, glowing translucency. A tall column of beige foam is quick to dissipate, leaving wet flares of lacing to break apart and dry as hard spots. The nose is inviting, dark, malty, fruity underpinnings being accompanied by hints of cocoa, nutmeg, clove and orange peel. Fig and raisin comprise the bulk of the sweetness. Flavors follow suit, but delve even deeper. Traces of coffee and tobacco join the fig, raisin, and spice, with zesty orange peel and cocoa working nicely within the mix. Medium bodied, smooth, and highly drinkable, the finish features concentrated cocoa and woody, earthy spice. You can definitely sense the Anchor bloodlines in this one, with traces of OSA and Porter showing well. Damn nice small bock here.

I was expecting a bit more. Pretty light but overall has some good balanced flavors. Some light caramel malt and a hint of earthy hops.

(Bottle) Wow. This beer got my attention with the first sip...and I can’t say I even like this style normally. Bocks can be terribly boring, but this one grabs you and takes you on an exciting ride! A rich, dark aroma, almost like worcestershire sauce, emanates from this brew. Normally, that kind of aroma signals a poorly-executed beer, usually one that is too sour. But there is barely any sourness in the flavour! And it is also, thankfully, not too sweet or too heavy! There is a fair amount of alcohol in the aroma, which I normally don’t like, but in the case of this beer it blends well with the other things going on. There’s a rich maltiness...and a very dry aftertaste. Overall, it is quite smooth, yet complex. Outstanding!

UPDATED: JUN 20, 2009 belied by its opacity and sturdy head, the nose is not of roast but of sweet cereal malts. flavor is however first and foremost extremely bitter, with a definite smoked end. i’m not sure which of the two i enjoy more, they are a stellar combination of this dynamic palate. mouthfeel borders on dry. stunning beer!

Pours a dark brown color with a thick creamy head. A very bitter smell with a smooth crisp taste slightly malty with a hop aftertaste. A good beer but not one of anchors best.