Baron Helles Bock

Brewed by Baron Brewing & Lunar Brewing
Style: Heller Bock
Seattle, Washington USA

Date: 05/03/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta

clear dark gold, wispy head, sweet buttered movie popcorn aroma, slick body, sweet malt flavor, lots of the diactyl character, long bitter finish

Aroma: 2/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 3/10; Palate: 3/10; Overall: 5/20
Rating: 1.5/5.0
Drinkability: 3/10
Score: 4

Golden colour. The aroma is clean and malty, moderately assertive. Slight fruity notes, hints of bready malt in the fairly assertive palate. Alcohol starts to wash over at the end, rounding out the flavour a bit. Pretty good rendition of a style that, when done well, is starting to appeal to me more and more.

Hmm, I kinda like Baron even though they seem to struggle to make something really good... I mean, an American brewery with nearly 100% German styles, that’s all you could ask for... the passion is there but I don’t think the talent or control is there. So this one I got as an extra in a trade and was pretty excited to try it, but it’s pretty much a let down in every aspect that we beer geek judge a beer. The look is muddy and clouded, depressing when I was hoping for a properly filtered and bright amber colored body. Being unfiltered, the yeast completely clouds all of the good qualities of this beer, with a arcid and acidic sourness, the flavor and smell or moldy, fermented bread loaves... there’s some red apple, some vienna and maibock like caramel and crackers, but it’s all washed over with this tingly, flabby yeast. Difficult to finish.

Bottle: Pours a copper bronze color with a light white head and a little lacing. The nose is lightly fruity with a bit of biscuit and malt liquorishness. This could be straight out of Russia if you changed the label. The flavor is thin and light, very light sweetness and ample fruit. Light bitter tail to balance. Bland and kind of boring.

Bomber from John’s Marketplace in Portland, OR. Coppery color with a minimal white head. Light fruity aroma. Medium body with sharp carbonation. Flavor has a touch of sourt/tart, lightly roasted caramel, and is dry and mildly fruity in the finish. Rather clean, and surprisingly different. They nailed the color and the body, but sweetness is mild. Works for me. There’s a bit of sweet, but it is definitely checked by the tart. Tart, fruity hop?

Poured a clear copper color with an off-white head. The aroma was huge on the diacetyl with some malt underneath the butter. The flavor has malt but quite a bit of butter. Hint of tartness on the finish.

Picked up a single 22-oz bomber at Bottleworks in Seattle, WA. Pours a semi-clear golden light amber colored brew with a fast dissipating off-white head that leaves behind a thin white ring. Aroma of fruity caramel malt, a hint of bread dough and some floral hops. Taste is medium bodied, some tart apple, caramel and floral hops. Finish is semi-sweet with a floral hops and bread dough aftertaste that has a hint of tart fruit.

Pours copper with a faint white head. Sweet malty nose, toasty caramel , some spicy hops. Flavor has a soft sweetness, much milder then I was expecting. Very flat tasting, the lack of carbonation leaves it a bit lifeless.