Brew Kettle Big Horn Bock

Sample at JaBier’s refrigerator reduction tasting on 08/15/09. The beer is a clear pale orange color with a thin off-white head that diminishes steadily. Slippery top ring of lacing. Sweet malt aroma with a bit of spiced hops. Medium body with a bready malt character and touches of hops and spice. The finish is malty and yeasty with a sweet aftertaste. Decent overall.

Bottle at my refrigerator reduction tasting on 8/15/09. Pours clear copper with a medium off-white head. Very malty aroma with some yeast and crisp hops. Lightly sweet malt flavor with a nice crisp hop back. Not outstanding, but better than I expected and pretty good for the style.

Bomber from brewpub... Pours an orangish amber with a big head and aromas of... well... ahh... not much going in the nose. A little bit of some sort of sweet and light malt, but that’s about it. Flavor is a mix of honey, pears, bread and grass, with an emphasis on the sweet bread end of things and the rest being "icing" on the cake. This isn’t one of TBK’s stronger offerings that I’ve had.

This pours clear and amber with a short-lived skinny head. The aroma’s sweet and malty with lightly toasted bicuits and a mild earthy/grassy bitterness. Some stone fruits and a drop of honey are added to the flavor, the hops hanging there to help balance it out. Good stuff.

<font size=-4>My thanks to <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=32057>MrsFrankenkity and <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=18655>frankenkitty for the share.<font size=-1>

Golden/copper bodied, lightly carbonated under a thin, white skin, this obvious Heller Bock gave off a sweet, malty aroma with mild esters, pale fruits and a small whiff of herbs. There was a nice heft to the body, with a light legginess suggesting a heightened ABV. Mostly sweet yet balanced, this finishes with a mildly bitter lilt. Highly drinkable and very much enjoyed with the season’s current saturation of Maibocks.

<font size=-4>22 oz. bomber from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/ohio/strongsville/the-brew-kettle/695.htm>The Brew Kettle Strongsville, OH 44136</font>

Deep gold, with minimal head and decent lacing. Sweet malty aroma with a little banana, apple. Medium thick body - would be thicker, but this is maybe a little overcarbonated. After the sweet beginning, the finish is dried out by a nice dusty hop that then fades away. Not overly heavy - this is good for when you want something with a little more kick to it.

Slightly reddish brass with a head that fades completely.. It smells like it could be fairly strong for a lager; it has a bit of that plum doppelbock aroma. Under the sweetness of the malts, there’s a definite peppery little perk of hops. Light bubbly body. The flavor has a good bit of caramel and a slight graininess.

Bottled: Clean deep golden hue with lasting head and good lace. The aroma has notes of honeynut cereal, caramel, floral hops, ripe apple and banana. The taste has a forward malty character with light bitterness and some fruity notes. The alcohol is a bit noticeable and there is a light spicy finish. The feel is lively and dry, some crispness about the finish. I didn’t find it all that noteworthy, but it went down smooth enough that I would not turn down another.