Thomas Hooker Brewing Company - Liberator Dopplebock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug


Liberator is, local (to me) favorite, Hooker's take on the German double bock style. The beer pours a deep rich mahogany with a frothy and creamy light tan head. Sporting solid retention, the foam fades slowly leaving dispersed lacing as it receeds. Chocolate malts show prominently on the nose and play nicely minor coffee notes for a deep and rich aroma. A tinge of grassy hops push through, giving the beer a bit of a sharp edge.

The beer has a smooth and even mouthfeel, brought to life by satiny carbonation. Lagery malts are buttressed by earthy tones. A bit of the unmistakable base malt employed by Hooker shows through, but their specialty roasted malts add character with hints of dark chocolate and coffee. The beer packs plenty of body to match its depth of flavors, making it a very tasty and enjoyable brew.


Final Verdict: B

Paulaner - Salvator Double Bock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 330ml bottle, poured into a flute glass


The Salvator Double Bock, reportedly the world's first double bock, pours a light chestnut brown with amber highlights. The beer has a still appearance, but is topped by an airy head of light tan foam. The head retention is mild and leaves almost no lace behind as it hastily departs. The nose is light and malty with hints of candied fruits. The mildly sugary aroma contains hints of caramel and slightly earthy aromas.

The beer's flavor profile exhibits a damp woodiness with a mild acidity and earthy undertones. Vague caramel sweetness creeps in on the mid-palate, but the emphasis is clearly on the decaying funk of rain soaked wood. The beer is enjoyable, but very light, almost inconsequential. Mild alcohol heat tinges on the finish.


Final Verdict: B-

Spoetzl Brewery - Shiner Bock

Purchased From: Plumsted Buy-Rite Liquors
Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a fluted glass

Shiner Bock is a Texas favorite and the pride of Shiner. The beer pours a deep chestnut brown with mild amber highlights. The moderately sized head has a light tan coloration and sports modest retention. The nose is musty with a slight nuttiness. Semi-sweet toasted caramel malts add a hint of sweetness. Overall, the nose is very dry and dusty.

The beer has a metallic lager-like foretaste with bubbly carbonation. Noble-type hops provide a mild Pilsner-esque flavor. Toasted malts on top of the basic lager frame add a hint of caramel sweetness and mild biscuity notes. The initially pronounced, but later fading woodiness gives the beer a truer bock feel. The finish is semi-sweet with a lingering dryness. Shiner Bock is a totally competent and enjoyable beer from the Lone Star state.

Final Verdict: B-

Narragansett Together At Last - Review Recap

Over the last year of Musings on Beer I've reviewed all of the beers offered by new (old) up and comer Narragansett Brewing Company. After collecting all of the seasonals and saving one tallboy each, I'm finally able to show them all together in their matching glory and think back at all of the reviews I've done.

Originally established in 1890 Narragansett had a good run, over 90 years, of brewing and success in the New England market. Unfortunately, with the advent and subsequent domination of the mega-producers Narragansett Brewery was shuttered and the once popular (sponsor of the Boston Red Sox) Narragansett lager was no more. This is a fate shared by many of the once dominant brands, many of which have been resurrected by Stroh Brewing Company, later bought by Pabst Brewing Company (e.g. Schaefer, Schlitz, and Pabst itself). While the brands exist they exist more in a state of IP holding, produced only through contract brew.

Narragansett's story is similar, yet unique from many of the brands of yester-year. In 2005 the Narragansett brand was purchased and resurrected by one Mark Hellendrung. While each of the beers is contract brewed, the dream is to bring the brand to prominence in the New England market and earn enough to re-open an official Narragansett Brewery. Well-known Genesee Brewing Company of Rochester, NY currently brews the Lager and Light varieties while the limited run seasonals are brewed in Providence, RI and Pawcatuck, CT.

While I wouldn't label any of the brews 'World Class' each stands apart from the competition in their respective groups. The Lager and Light versions stack up favorably to other American Adjunct Lagers and similar Macrobrews. What's more, it is fairly rare for American macro producers to release a series of seasonal ales and lagers. It is even rarer for the beers to come out well-crafted and delicious. To cap it all off, my appreciation for Narragansett, the brand, the beers, and the plan is the storied past and the sheer affordability. Cheaper than most comparable offerings from macros and craft producers these beers are stand outs in their iconic can designs.


Check the individual reviews below for more information:
Narragansett Lager
Narragansett Light
Narragansett Bock (Spring Seasonal)
Narragansett Summer Ale (Summer Seasonal)
Narragansett Fest Lager (Fall Seasonal)
Narragansett Porter (Winter Seasonal)

Yuengling - Bock Beer

Donated By: Shane Angus
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a fluted glass

This relatively obscure seasonal offering from Pennsylvania's famous Yuengling pours a deep brownish and tawny amber body with a perpetual red glow. The healthy light tan head has a flat brown edge. The lightly creamy foam produces a light, thin lacing. Huge malts on the nose with the classic Yuengling Traditional Lager malt detectable. Considerable toastiness and caramel notes define the aroma.

The carbonation is crisp and vibrant. Earthy toasted malts are exuded with a damp wood-like component. Tinge from the carbonation and a lightly bitter and dusty hopping keeps the bold malts in check. This is a very drinkable and competent Bock seasonal. This is a beer all Yuengling fans should keep an eye out for.

Final Verdict: B

Sierra Nevada - Best of Beer Camp 2011 - Weizenbock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a fluted glass

Third in the Best of Beer Camp series, the Weizenbock Camp #37 pours a hazy, almost opaque, golden orange with a silky stream of floating yeast. The large, lightly yellowed head is great on retention and produces chunky thick lacing on the glass. Very sweet wheat malts envelop the aroma and carry a mild astringency. The beer has defined orangey notes with a mild bread on the end of the nose with some mild spice notes.

Clove spice is  huge and majorly pronounced on the foretaste, followed by a considerable banana sweetness. This is a total classic for a wheat beer. The crisp carbonation keeps the beer light, but the wheat malts give the texture a silky smoothness. The beer is delicious and sweet. It's like dessert, a treat in a glass. It's just out of the sessionable range, but very drinkable. Slight heat on the finish adds a hint of dryness to the sweet breadiness and keeps it in check.

Final Verdict: A

Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG - Maximator

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Pokal glass

Maximator is a a doppelbock, customarily named, from Augustiner-Bräu in Munich, Germany. The beer pours a moderate chestnut with a mild chilly haze. The head is medium-sized with a light tan hue. The retention is about average and the foam soon recedes to a thin layer on top of the beer. The nose is very nutty with a prominent caramel sweetness and a slight woody component.

The toasted malts produce a clear earthy component, accented by a sweet edge of nutty flavor. The beer seems chocolatey and rich, but there is very little emphasis placed on the cocoa-esque elements. There's a depth of flavor that briefly plays up dark fruits with an edge of caramelization and molasses sweetness. The beer is silky smooth on the finish with hints of mocha.

Final Verdict: A-

Samuel Adams - Double Bock (Imperial Series)

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Pokal glass

Coming from the Boston Beer Company's Imperial Series, the Double Bock weighs in at 9.5% ABV. The beer pours a rich mahogany with a light auburn glow. The healthy light tan head has a creamy consistency with excellent retention and moderate lacing. Light caramel paired with toasted malts on the nose give the beer a mildly lagery aroma. A slight spiciness rounds off the nose with a hint of alcohol.

The beer is very bold and strong up front. It shows off the impact that a double can bring and does it will seemingly little effort. There's a light port character with nectarous hints of cherries. The sweet toasted malts are dominant with very light hop personality. The beer is fairly boozy overall. The alcoholic tinge is there throughout, but not exactly hot. It's a bit biting and not hidden as well as other doubles and strong ales. The finish is dry with moderate alcohol.

Final Verdict: B

Victory Brewing Co. - St. Victorious Doppelbock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Pokal glass

St. Victorious pours a stunning light chestnut with a copper shimmer. The body of the beer is slightly hazy and is topped by a creamy light tan foam. The medium-sized head is solid on the retention and produces a sparse display of lace on the glass. The nose is musty and earthy with the scent of coarsely cracked grains. There's a bark-like dampness, reminiscent of a walk in the woods after a Fall rain.

The mouthfeel is velvety: initially slick with a deft balance of carbonation. The deep toasted malts carry an understated caramel sweetness. The beer is robust and almost burly with a solid bittering. The hops aren't piney or citrusy, but play off the caramel hints nicely. The finish is lasting and earthy with a rich, almost chocolatey, edge.

Final Verdict: B+

Victory Brewing Co. - Moonglow Weizenbock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a fluted glass

Moonglow Weizenbock pours a yeast-speckled auburn with the warmth of an orangey glow. The consistency is extremely cloudy with a big chunky yeast suspension. The head is a modest off-white, fluffy while it lasts, but with minimal retention. There's massive apple cider on the nose with a significant clove spiciness and bready wheat malts.

The beer is very sweet and alcoholic up front with a phenolic ester attack. Mild banana and a bready edge primarily define the beer, but the flavor seems fairly mellow overall. There's a clear spiciness, but it doesn't seem to lift the depth of flavor to any significant extent. Alcohol is strong throughout the body of the beer and produces a boozy finish with a warm chest feeling.

Final Verdict: B-

Genesee Brewing Company - Bock Beer Special Edition

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. can, poured into a fluted glass

On the same day I bought a six-pack of 'Gansett Bock, I couldn't resist the ultra-value Bock from Genesee in it's awesome eye-catching packaging. Maibock season has clearly arrived. I welcome it with a glass raised high. The color here is much deeper, Genesee Bock pours a medium brown with a mild amber glow. The foam head is large and airy, colored in light tan. The retention is moderate as the head rests above a beer with huge active carbonation, continuously rushing upwards.

The nose is musty and lagery with a hint of caramel sweetness. This beer is super crisp right up front, but it detracts from the flavor a bit. The toasty malt flavor is clearly there, but it comes across a bit thin. Unlike truly good beers, a bit of warmth doesn't help the beer in developing its flavor. Luckily, a bit of warmth doesn't ruin it either. The aftertaste is a bit minerally. It's feint, but lingering.

Final Verdict: C+*

* - Like the Bock from Narragansett this beer provides excellent value. In fact, this came in at only $8 for a 12-pack. That's tough to beat. This one almost makes the bump, but I don't think it's really good enough to be pushed over the edge to a B- just because it's cheap. Still worth checking out, solid for the price.

Narragansett Brewing Company - Bock Lager

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 16 oz. 'tall boy' can, poured into a Pokal glass

The third and final seasonal (let's hope they don't dream up some fruit beer as a summer lager any time soon), Narragansett's Bock is here right in time for the slow emergence of Spring. The beer pours a crystal clear deep straw with amber and copper hints. The head is large and fluffy, carries great retention, and produces light wispy lacing along the length of the glass. The nose is nicely rounded with sweet toasted malts that produce a slightly bready aroma. It seems very clean with a definitive spicy note.

The mouthfeel is voluminous and airy. The beer has a big malt identity and it comes off crisp, but with a slight, and interesting, Port-like character. The beer is extremely drinkable and quite refreshing. The finish is dry and very tasty. This is another hit from 'Gansett, which offers this beer at a reasonable price. Their seasonals are all a bit more pricey than the Lager and Light varieties, but when you're buying a six-pack of tall boys, the value is clear.

Final Verdict: A-*

* - The A- really comes, in large part, because of the incredible value that this beer provides.

Anchor Brewing Company - Anchor Bock Beer

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a flute glass

Anchor's Bock comes in as the fifth Anchor Brewing Company beer in a row. I originally had four to do a short series with, but when I was stocking up for the next week of beer reviews I saw this one and thought I'd extend the series a bit. This bock pours a very dark brown with a mild chestnut glow. The beer is a lot darker than I was expecting out of a bock. The appearance features a very generous and airy brown foam head. The retention is substantial with lacing to match.

The nose matches the beer's appearance with a dark coffee-like aroma. The nose is also extremely bready. The added wheat malts come through with the likeness of an entire loaf of stone cracked whole wheat bread. No pulverized wheat or bleached white bread here. Despite the dark appearance of the beer, the underlying lagery malt is fairly light. There is, though, a considerable, but not overpowering, charred smokiness. This is balances by a subtle hop component.

Near the finish there's a earthen dryness with a slight clay-like character. The body is smooth and somewhat milky. The darkness and smokiness of the beer is a bit out of character for a bock. I would say this beer seems to have more of the qualities of a porter than a bock. Not bad, but not what I'd expect from a bock.

Final Verdict: B-

Birra Moretti - La Rossa

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 11.2 oz. bottle, poured into a Pokal glass

Coming from the makers of a middling Euro Pale Lager is a very solid doppelbock. While I find Birra Moretti's lager to be better than Peroni's, I don't come close to loving it. Their doppelbock, La Rossa, on the other hand, it quite good. It pours a clear medium brown body with a mahogany glow. The pale tan head is light and springy with excellent retention.

The nose carries mild toasted malts and is a bit nutty. There's a bit of cellar-like dustiness and a slight astringency. The mouthfeel is creamy despite the airy foam head. The beer is sweet with prominent toasted malts and minor dark fruits near the finish. The flavor is quite pleasing, but a bit thin. It reminds me a bit of Guinness, in that way. The beer wraps up with a lasting dryness and some hints of sweet candy-like cherries.

Final Verdict: B

Weihenstephaner - Korbinian

Purchased From: Canal's of Hamilton
Serving Type: 500 mL bottle, poured into a Pokal glass

Korbinian is a doppelbock from Weihenstephaner and it pours a clear, dark brown body with a mild wine-like glow. The head is a generous size with an airy foam and good retention. The beer is light on lacing, overall, though. The nose is sweet with caramel, backed up by earthy undertones. There are also slight alcoholic fumes rising from the beer.

The crisp carbonation produces an airy mouthfeel to go along with light hopping. The earthy body contains toasted malts that yield to a roasted coffee ground finish. The bitter hops fade nicely and produce a dry finish with a lingering hazelnut. The beer is clean and handles its alcohol well.

As it warms a bit some of the alcohol shows through with a bit of heat. The beer develops a mild Port wine character with a sweetness of dried dark fruits like plums.

Final Verdict: A-

Dundee - Pale Bock Lager

Dundee - Pale Bock Lager

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a flute glass

Dundee is brewed by the good folks up in Rochester, NY at the Genesee Brewing Company. While Genesee’s namesake beers are fairly obscure, the Dundee brand has gained some national notoriety. The brewery also contract brews a variety of beers for various other companies.

The lager pours a pale orange color with tones of lightly burnt straw. The fluffy and craterous foam head is attractive with solid retention and great lacing. The nose is also impressive with notes of citrus and light spice, like coriander, among the potent noble hops and sweet malts. 

The beer is crisp with plenty of active carbonation. The lightly toasted malt body is clean with delicate honey sweetness and a prominent hop pallate. The finish has some unfortunate artificial tones to it and the beer seems to go watery right at the last second. The beer is solid, overall, but the nose gives an impression that’s better than the beer actually is.

Final Verdict: B

Samuel Adams - Winter Lager

Samuel Adams - Winter Lager

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

From a syrupy-looking pour comes a deep brown amber body with a small, lightly tanned, foam head. The head is extremely light on retention and lacing. The nose is toasty with a charcoal-like aroma, reminiscent of Scotch Whiskey. There’s also a light, but detectable, cinnamon component to the relatively simple nose.

The toasted malts are well-rounded and provide great sweetness and nice depth. A slight citrus flavor comes through with a slight bitterness. The bitter flavor seems to be akin to orange rind, rather than the product of hopping. The finish is slightly medicinal, but far from unpleasant.

For the most part the mouthfeel is light and airy, but there’s an interesting stickiness to it at times. It also leaves your teeth feeling sugar-coated. This beer certainly reminds me of Nor’Easter from Hooker Brewery, but a bit thinner overall. I’ll have to get a fresh batch from the brewery soon.

Final Verdict: B-

Samuel Adams - Chocolate Bock

Samuel Adams - Chocolate Bock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a flute

The Chocolate Bock has been around for quite some time, but always in “collectible” 750mL bottles with a metal emblem. The box makes it a point to note that this 12 oz. version is exclusive and new to the variety pack. The bottle and the box also explain that the beer is aged on a bed of Ecuadorian cocoa nibs. What’s a bit concerning is that in addition to being flavored with the cocoa the bottle reveals that the beer is also flavored with ‘natural flavoring.’ It’s a bit ambiguous as to what that is exactly, but even the seemingly innocent ‘natural flavoring’ can be code for all sorts of things that aren’t what you might expect.

The beer is extremely dark, but has a clean complexion. There’s a pleasant brown-ish glow emmenating from the base of the glass. The generously-sized tan head is creamy and comes with solid retention. As the foam shrinks a fine tan layer adorns the top of the beer.

Chocolate is at center-stage on the nose, but there’s also a more delicate mild must. Also detectable are thin barley malts, but they are in the backseat in this beer. The flavor of this beer is singularly and decidedly chocolate. It is extreme. It tastes like drinking a glass of chocolate milk or a mug of (now cold) hot cocoa. A slight bitter and smokey tinge comes at the end, but there’s not much else. No real malt flavor can be decerned. What this beer lacks in balance or depth it makes up for in chocolate.

Final Verdict: C+*

*A Note on the Score: I had a bit of trouble deciding on this score. The beer itself is delicious, but it’s a bit over the top. Nothing but chocolate really makes it through, and it comes off too rich. By the time I was about half-way through the glass I was ready to be done. It is certainly something worth trying, especially for chocolate lovers, and even for people who don’t like beer all that much. However, it loses points, for me, because this is a beer, not a chocolate shake.

Redhook - Eisbock 28

Redhook - Eisbock 28

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 650 mL silk screened glass bottle, poured into a snifter

When I saw that Redhook had produced an Eisbock I was immediately interested. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that this 650 mL bottle was actually slightly cheaper than the 33 cL bottle of Aventinus Eisbock that I reviewed recently. My excitement was a bit dashed when I saw that someone commented that this was not a ‘true Eisbock.’ 

I did a bit of research and found out that it is, indeed, a ‘true Eisbock,’ albeit somewhat weak. The point of contention was that, in the United States, the style is illegal. The theory being that concentrating beer by ice is a form of distallation, and that brewers would have to be licensed as distillers and pay a separate (higher) tax. So it is natural that there’d be questions about it. Is Eisbock 28 illegal? Or, is Eisbock 28, not an Eisbock?

A bit of research into the TTB (formerly ATF, who knew?) reveals that a brewer can produce an Eisbock, but may remove only 0.5% of the water from the beer. Redhook has confirmed that they followed the TTB rules, but won’t divulge the amount of water that they froze off because that information is proprietary (notice the use of italics to denote snark). But, we know that the amount is at most 0.5%, which means that the concentration in Eisbock 28 is minimal at best. Damn these puritanical post-prohibition holdovers. Now to the goods.

From the beautiful and minimalistic silk screened bottle pours an equally eye-catching copper beer with a vibrant ruby glow. There’s a small tanned white head that fades but leaves intricate floating wisps. The nose is big on malts, but has a powerful underlying sweetness and alcohol. Candied fruits are clearly present with a mix of fresh and maraschino cherries. 

The flavor is something else entirely. To be sure, it is unique, but the individual components are nearly impossible to discerne. Its bitter and dry, with a mild sweetness beneath it. I can also pick out a bit of oakiness, likely from the aging process. The mouthfeel is sticky and syrupy.

The beer hides its 11% ABV quite well and leaves with a mild heat in the chest. This is an interesting beer and fits in well with Redhook’s limited release series. While I do believe that this is a true Eisbock, I think its fairly weak as they go and lacks the depth and complexity that I was hoping for.

Final Verdict: B-

Spaten - Optimator

Spaten - Optimator

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. green glass bottle, poured into a pilsner glass

Optimator is a doppelbock from Spaten, which, like many other doppelbocks, makes use of the “-ator” suffix (remember Celebrator and S’muttonator). The addition of the suffix is quite common among the style, and comes from the name of the original doppelbock ‘Salvator’ from Paulaner brewery. Aside from this, Optimator is my 50th beer review! Nearly daily for about 2 months.

Optimator is dark brown, filtered clear, but has a somewhat dull complexion. It pours with a thin light-colored head, which fades fast. It leaves some foam around the edges of the glass, but no lacing to speak of. Malts similar to the Spaten Premium are detectable on the nose as well as some light hopping. There’s also a mild toasted malt sweetness and some dark fruit aroma.

The mouthfeel is syrupy and almost sticky. The characteristic Spaten malts clearly underly the toasted malts that give the beer its color and tasty chocolate hints. There’s also a solid hop bittering to the beer. Unfortunately, the overall flavor of the beer seems to fade pretty quickly. A slight lingering smoke sticks around for a respectable time.

Final Verdict: B+

Edit: I forgot to point out the somewhat-humorous play on Spaten’s logo on Optimator’s label. If you check out the other two Spaten brews, (the past two days) you’ll notice their logo is a single shovel. In honor of this double bock, they’ve modified their logo to sport a double shovel.