Great Dane Velvet Hammer

Brewed by Great Dane Pub & Brewery
Style: Dunkler Bock
Madison, Wisconsin USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Snifter

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On tap at brewpub
Sitting in the quiet basement area I started out with a well made bock. Balanced, inviting, and a good deal at $3.00 during Happy Hour it was one of many good choices available on a cold winter evening.

Aroma / Appearance - Soft ruby red and radiant the body looked like a warm hearth after a long fire. A radiant ebony head graced the top like a layer of packing foam. Butterscotch, caramel, and a primarily malt driven experience drives home a sweet experience from start to finish.

Flavor / Palate - Caramel, cotton candy, powdered sugar, and peanut butter were not the combination I was expecting. Even so it seemed to be satisfying and reasonably gentle on the palate. While perhaps not a great release it is well enough done that I don’t feel like my time was wasted.

good medium bodied and colored beer. nothing outstanding but good and solid performer overall lightly bitter,

Sampler. It poured a deep reddish caramel color and had a huge malty aroma. There was a small amount of hops and tons of caramelized malt with some fruity flavors. Not a bad bock brew.

Caramel-amber pour with a dense, creamy off-white head that leaves a sticky lacing. Faintish aroma, honey and alcohol. Initial flavor is sweet malts, cream soda and caramel, vanilla sweetness, offset by a minty spiciness and a sharp alcohol bite. Becomes significantly more bready towards the finish, becoming almost crusty on the linger. Full bodied, thick and quite smooth on the palate.

Poured with a light tan head and a little lace. Nice brown color with red highlights. Malty, slightly caramel and a hint smokey. Nice beer. Very drinkable. Easy. Not too sweet. Good body. Satisfying. Not boozy. Good session beer.

On tap at the downtown Dane. Poured clear coppery-brown with a tall, creamy cap of beige head.. beautiful! The aroma was very strong with aged caramel and chocolatey notes present.. singed the nose hairs a bit on the back. The flavor found sweeter caramel at the core with strong peppery, boozy notes around and through the finish.. some nice earthy and fruity character joined in as well.. grainy and strong on the finish. Medium-plus bodied and spicy on the palate with a decent flow.

Courtesy of my buddy who came up from Madtown: Pours a clear brownish, orange colour with a full vanilla head. Aromas of oak, fruit- pear ecspecially, and soft hops. Nice lace on the glass, sort of smell of brown sugar. Overall pleasent, and light mouthfeel.

Draft at the brewpub. Clear dark orange color. Head was off white and settled rapidly into a ring around the edge of the glass. There was some lace on the glass at the end. Smelled of light brown sugar and pear. Noble hops, dried cherry, and brown sugar came out in the flavor. Slightly sweet and medium bodied.

Keg at Roman’s: Pours to a clean brownish body with a dense creamy khaki head. The flavor is very smooth. Strawberry hops and smooth milk chocolate malts. The aroma has a lightly sour strawberry. Balanced hops and malts. The palate is medium-light bodied. Smooth and velvety. Worthy of drinking.

Surprisingly light colored - translucent brown. Little visible head. Slight aroma other than some alcohol esters. Sharp on the palate, but little complexity. Not enough maltiness for style. Nothing wrong here except the lack of depth. Alcohol is there, and the beer is certainly quaffable. More of an American bock - but I don’t think that was the intention.