On draught at the brewpub in Mt Horeb, Wisconsin. Pours a clear coppery amber brew with a thin white, fast dissolving head that quickly turns into a white ring and some spotty lacing. Aroma of biscuity multi-grain malt, some light apple cider and grassy hops. Tate is semi-sweet. medium bodied, very light carbonation with flavors of multi-grain biscuits some slight citrus and a touch of carmel and toffee. Finish is comlex with a f malty character amd then some light bitterness.

On tap at Grumpy Troll. Poured clear, lighter coppery-golden with just a little off-white head. The aroma picked up sweeter toasted caramel with a nice pine and herbal hop twist.. satisfying! The flavor had sweet, warm, and sticky caramel and toffee notes at the base with plenty herbal bitterness and complimentary alcohol warmth backing it up.. pine bitterness and some peppery spices at the back.. warm, spicy caramel finish. Very tasty! Medium body and carbonation with a nice full feel across the middle.. well-balanced.

I would agree with the overall rating of this beer as OK, but not fantastic. It prompted a lot of comparisons in my mind to beers of other varied styles (Lagunitas Censored, Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest) which probably does not speak highly of the uniqueness of this beer, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I love rye beer, but I wasn’t really disappointed by how different this beer is from favorites like Cane & Ebel, Red’s Rye, Hop Rod Rye, etc as the "bock" in the name didn’t lead me to expect something super-hoppy and sweet. Color was a copper red with decent head formation. Aroma was a light caramel-ness with not a lot to distinguish it from quite a few other beers I’ve had. Flavor was a bit metallic (copper-y like sucking on a penny) and pleasantly cerealy. It was not extremely bock like in flavor (caramel with a ton of cereal-ness), which I appreciated, but I was left wishing for a little more flavor. Mouthfeel was smooth and soft. Not bad, innoffensive, maybe even a crowd pleaser, but I doubt too many folks out there are counting this one as their favorite.

Sampler tray

The third sample of the night, I also made short work of this one. It is a dumbed down rye bock which is not to say that it is bad. However as with the Liberty Pole there is just a little something missing to set it apart from every other well done bock available on the market. I would still recommend giving it a shot if you are in the area as it is just as advertised on the beer list.

Aroma / Appearance - The bronze body did not do a good job of obscuring any light as almost 95% was able to trickle through the sampler glass. Light carbonation released the scent of marbled rye bread and semisweet chocolate chips. Overall the aroma was very light and open. This is a friendly smelling beer which should not drive anyone away.

Flavor / Palate - Chewy wheat grains, rye bread and marmalade jam form a satisfying experience on the throat. It is quick to transform into a dry aftertaste but this is still a well made summer session beer. The balance does not favor the malts or the hops but keeps both in check. I remember thinking that if the rest of the beers were this well made I have been missing out on an excellent little brewpub for a long time.

This was one of my least favorites at the Grumpy Troll. In fact, I liked the pale lager much better. The beer pours to a bright golden body with a nice white head and good lacing. The flavor is rye bread and pretty hoppy. Average at best. The aroma is strong with malt... pale and rye. Moderate palate. I was not impressed by this beer.