The first sniff brings a slight sweetness, hints of caramel mixed with subtle hop tones. It pours a deep red/brown with a nice off-white. Upon tasting you definitely pick up the caramel sweetness but it is surprisingly followed by the bitterness from the hops, making for a deliciously balanced beer. I’ll admit, Yuengling Traditional Lager is probably my favorite everyday beer. It has color, mouthfeel, and character not usually associated with your “normal” American lager, but lacks real “craft beer” characteristics, making it ideal for multiple consumption. So, to say I was expecting the Bock Beer to be mostly the same but just a bit heavier is an understatement. Boy was I was pleasantly surprised; this beer comes across as a real craft beer. It is just complex enough to keep one interested but not too much so that one gets over whelmed.
When I first tried this beer a few years ago on draft, I did some research and Yuengling said “it was a tribute to how beer used to be” and that “it was not going to be bottled and sold outside of bars or restaurants”. I guess they decided America needed to know how real beer used to be. I sure am glad they did. This is a nice little treat to enjoy at the end of a long day, or week.
FourBoysBrewPub
I am thrilled that they started bottling this beer. Whenever I visit home (25 miles from the brewery), the easy choice of brew is Yuengling (price and drinkability are huge factors). The Bock is a little different from the Lager (what we normally drink as our go to). A good different.
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