Rail House Bock Beer

Bright umber color with a hint of ruby. Moderate, somewhat diminishing dark canvas colored head. Aromas of dark caramel, wood fiber, dark currants, sorghum and touch of buckwheat. Interesting, but not quite engaging scents. Quite sweet with lots of caramelized sugar and dark Belgian candi and some light spice. Seems too sweet, but does not come off as worty or under-attenuated. Finish and linger have a mild nuttiness. I can see this being an early example of this style. I enjoy it for that.

On tap at the brewery. Light orange/amber body, off-white to buff head. Toasty, somewhat burnt caramel roast aroma, light at cold serving temperature. Unique body, with a dirty, dusty, woody fruitiness reminiscent of a Flemish Brown Ale, in addition to the more traditional burnt caramels and toast. Very strange beer. Alcohol punch is surprisingly strong for 5.6% ABV. A tad harsh, but worth a try.

This bock beer is available even during the summer on tap or in bottles at the brewpub. Unlike most dark bock beers, this beverage pours a semi-hazy caramel amber brew with a fast dissolving off white head. Aroma is light sweet caramel, toasted malt and a touch of vegetable hops. Taste is smooth, creamy, with taste character of caramel and toasted malt. Finish is a good balance of sweet and bitter tastes which then changes to sllight bitter after the finish. The beer bottle label is an interesting story. The label design is a replica of Menominee-Marinette’s stock bock beer label that was used between 1938 and 1941.