25 June 2009

Bock shock

Few terms have an effect on me like "bock". It conjures up instant images of thick, sugary, dark-gold lagers which become nigh-on impossible to drink after the third sip. Conversely, however, Mrs Beer Nut is quite fond of her bock, so if I see one when I'm out and about, I'll generally get it for her. (We have a similar arrangment with pinot noir: nectar to her; mouldy wool overcoats to me.)

And so last week I was stocking up in DrinkStore and an offer of Anchor Bock was made. Not for me, I said, but I'll get it for the wife. When she opened it some days later I was very surprised to see the beer which poured forth was a tarry shade of pitch black. That's promising, I thought.

There's no nose to speak of, straight from the fridge, but the taste is a bit of a rollercoaster. It starts with intensely sweet burnt caramel which somehow manages to coat the tongue, despite the beer itself being relatively thin. After a moment this shades into a strange and heady medicinal iodine flavour, and then this finally stretches itself out into a really quite nasty long metallic buzz.

It's complex, and highly interesting, but I didn't like it. Then again, I wasn't expecting to. The main thing is the missus enjoyed it: the one and only thing I ask of any of the world's bocks.

12 comments:

  1. Is Messrs Bock actually a bock? its very good but I am not sure what kind of beer it is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No, I don't think the most recent iteration was a bock, technically.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yea I think he uses an ale yeast

    I have a bottle of this at home might have to night, it is really fascinating how you can find various country doing bock from Holland to Hungary!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I will say that I'm very happy to hear you are getting that metallica taste in the back end, like I've just licked some copper. Was afraid I had got a duff batch.

    ReplyDelete
  5. In fairness, they're both probably the same batch.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I once read someone likening bad bocks to 'cold beef consomme' - and i've found it hard to get that out of my head since! Cain's Bock is actually quite nice, if you ever dip your toe in again.

    ReplyDelete
  7. If I see it, I'll drink it. Tickers' Law.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Leigh -- the savoury, Bovril, Marmite thing? I've spotted that in ropy beers in all kinds of styles.

    Kneitinger Bock from Regensburg is really dark -- almost black -- and one of the best beers I've ever had.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have a bottle of Anchor Bock in the cellar waiting for my American beer night next week. Thanks for the review, I shall look forward to its consumation.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tried it last night, I enjoyed it but would not be rush back to it

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm supping it now and getting lots of liquorice and hops and really enjoying it. But it's not a bock, surely.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dreher Bak from Hungary had a little bit of liquorice-ish but nothing like this one

    ReplyDelete