Lakefront Bourbon Bock

Formerly brewed at Lakefront Brewery
Style: Dunkler Bock
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

Retired? I toured Lakefront in late June (2008) and the first beer our guide put on offer was the Bourbon Bock. Damned good. A bit of caramel and vanilla, alongside dark chocolate, and of course the bourbon and hardwoods from the cask. Beautifully done gentlemen.

What a surprise! The brewies usually don’t waste their time with this style. Lakefront hit the spot right on with this one! I really liked the flavor. Bourbon beers are some of my favorites too. Great Job!

On tap at Benno’s, malty aroma, with just a hint of the bourbon, medium bodied malt taste with a mild wash of the bourbon barrels in the aftertaste. Wonderfully smooth texture. These barrel aged brews are becoming the rage now,had this been the first one I tasted, it probaly would have gotten a twenty, but this one is timid compared to others. Goose Island and Delafield Brewhaus are the best I’ve had

Tap @ Benno’s. Dark amber brown in color, a little deeper than Lakefront’s standard Bock. Nice creamy, mid-size head leaving skittish lacing as the journey progresses. Smells like Jim Beam spilled on a cardboard coaster. Some chocolate malts are discernable in the aroma as well. Now on to the best part; the taste: huge flavor rush! Even after sip number one, it blows away Lakefront’s traditional spring Bock offering, which is a decent bock at that. This one’s flavor has a definite whiskey edge. Vanilla also comes out to play, alongside some semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Full-bodied, smooth and thick. Great balance of Vienna, caramel and chocolate malts and some hopping to sweeten the deal and keep it on the winner’s track. Man this mother is deep. Can’t tell if it’s up there in ABV or if it’s just some resonating elements that resulted from the bourbon barrel aging. Finish is mostly all sweet bourbon. Warming. Phenomenal. What a treat. It was like purposefully abandoning a child when I left the bar - and this beer - behind.

On tap at Benno’s. Ruby shines through the pint glass... has a thin soapy head. Would look nice in a snifter. Reminiscent of the standard LF Bock, but with some bubblegummy sweetness, subtle bourbon and vanilla, apple, and very subtle and barely noticeable chocolate. Aroma is hardly noticable... heh, bourbony fermented malt. Slightly thick body and well-balanced, but finishes fast and watery. IMO, not as powerful in the whiskey category as others have noted... I found it unobtrusive and balanced. A nice experiment by LF.

At Hooligan’s. Murky brown color with no head. Slightly bourbonesque aroma. Thin malt taste with a strong whiskey punch. It’s tasty enough, but the Bock completely faded into the background. If I just wanted whiskey, that’s what I would have ordered.

Dark Brown with Sandy Head. Strong Whisky Aroma....Carries Onto Tongue Immediately. Thick Mouthfeel.. Very Tasty To Begin With But Flavor Dies Out to a Watery Ending.

Murky copper brown color that clears up after a few minutes, about the time the beige head disappears and before the first sip. Smooth, yet lifeless body. I wager that this is the first draft of the day. Caramel malt and Beam aromas in the forefront with just a hint of raisins. Early bourbon flavors hit from the start and carry through to the end. Caramel and toffee join the ride mid quaff. Oak and coconut flavors come out in the finish. I like Beam and Jack, but I like beer more. This one seems to leave the beer essence behind. I will certainly try this again and see if I perhaps had a bad draft.