Fort Collins Spring Bock

Brewed by Fort Collins Brewery
Style: Dunkler Bock
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Top-notch maibock. Color is a fiery red amber brown. Head is booming and rising, about 2" thick, tan and fluffy. Aroma most prominently consists of bright caramel malts, ginger and oak wood barrels. Excellent flavor and complexity - rich chocolate and caramel malts. Tastes like the four months that it aged was done so in oak barrels. Distinct nutty taste, most likely from the roasted malts. Accents of prunes and oats. Near perfect balance – harmonious marriage of malts and hops; creamy, with a nice solid weight. Just the slightest hint of floral and citrus flavors come through from the hops, helping to substantiate this bock as a maibock, although some qualities are more in line with a doppel. God bless what Ft. Collins has created here. Can’t taste or smell any hint of alcohol, but you know that it’s there by the spark on the throat and lightening of the head. Thoroughly enjoyed.

rusty brown pour with a nice light khaki head. the nose is full of fruity phenols and is very inviting. it’s one of those that i don’t want to stop smelling, i can wait a while to taste this so i can enjoy the aroma fully. just a great malt and cashew aroma. great flavor, very rich flavors with this thin body. smokey caramel and maple syrup with the nut taste the aroma hinted at. just a bit of burn on the finish to remind me of the abv of this, but it so good i could easily get in trouble with this one. just the right bitter level in this to keep things in control. amazingly smooth. i will buy more the next chance i get. thanks to crosling for recommending this when i was at his store, i owe you nick.

According to everyone at the brewery this beer actually clocks in at 9% alcohol, making it much stronger that most Maibocks. Not sure if it is actually 9% though.....Dark bronze color. The aroma is fairly dry, herbaceous, loaded with malty goodness, particularly caramel and dark fruits, along with a touch of clove. The flavor is extremely rich and loaded with malt variety. Notes of caramel, toffee along with a tinge of alcohol and a dose of smoke on the finish. Great mouthfeel. The best beer I have ever had from this brewery, with the exception of their Smoked Doppelbock, which has yet to be bottled. And for those of us in the know, the Smoked Doppelbock is hibernating in the tanks right now and should be ready by fall.

Bottle. enjoyed with apple smoked cheddar. Dark chestnut with off white head. Aroma was hard to describe but reminds me of sweet pipe tobacco. No traces of alcohol. Complex finish with some pleasing roasty sourness. Smooth texture in the mouth. A slightly watery finish is the only bad thing I can say about this beer. Excellent stuff!

2005 bottle: Very attractive looking reddish amber color with a totally retained off white head. Aroma is rich sweet malt with a nice shot of smoke. Malt aroma is right in there with the esteemed Celebrator. Flavor is modertaly sweet malt, a bit of light chocolate, many layers of malty goodness with just a suggestion of smoke in the finish. This is bock beer at its finest and it is shocking to find it being brewed in Fort Collins, CO. Prost indeed!!! Thank you, Ernest.

Medium brown with some reddish notes, slowly fading lush head, attractive. Big chewy molasses aroma, almost reminiscent of Samichlaus. Thick flavor of molasses and toffee, with a touch of brown sugar. This was really quite excellent. I usually don’t care for bocks, but the mouthfeel was perfect, the sweetness wasn’t cloying, and the flavors were rich in the mouth. I was highly impressed. Huge thanks to Secret Santa Crosling!

Bottled. Beautiful pour of rich copper/amber with a moderate layer of lemony/beige head. Nose picked up sweet earth, prunes, figs, plums, and some faint smoke. Rich, sweet malty flavors of earth, toasted nuttiness, dark fruits, a hint of apples, and smoke on the finish. Medium carbonation worked well at moving the flavors across the palate. Medium-length finish of dark fruits, light alcohol warmth, and sweet caramel. This was a well-crafted sweet bock/doppel?, that was quite enjoyable!

Clear and deep burgundy with a yellow-beige head. Creamy and full mouthfeel. Sharply toasted, with notes of bitter chocolate, salty nuts, and lightly sweetened toffee. Big hop presence, with hints of grass, flowers, sour lemon, and a pinch of spruce, coated with a little smoke. Toasty bitterness in the aftertaste. Has a wholesome, homebrewed overtone, exuding with freshness. Really good beer. Tremendously well made.