Leinenkugels 1888 Bock

Brewed by Leinenkugel Brewing Company (MillerCoors)
Style: Dunkler Bock
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin USA

12oz brown glass twist-off. Date stamp on neck (04069, i.e. 04/06/09). Appearance: Duvel goblet. 1/4 inch tan foamy head, recedes quickly to leave spotting on the surface and no lacing. Deep mahogany brown, but clear. Nose: Mocha, coffee, chocolate malt. Some dark toffee. Palate: Crisp edge up front. Lager-like flavors of corn husk mingle with some malty mocha notes. Fades quickly with a thinning finish that reminds me rather strongly of really good mazanilla (or fino) sherry.... Notes: The nose is great. The palate tastes like you dumped some caramel into a budweiser. The finish is strange, because I really like mazanilla sherry, but I don’t usually associate salty brine and olive notes with bocks. Too thin and too crisp, in my opinion: Not a great example of a bock.

Dark, clear ruby-brown color with a foamy off white head. Clearly metallic aroma with hints of malt and grains. Strong roasted malt flavors with a slightly bitter finish and an aftertaste of coffee. Medium bodied and finishes very smooth. Very enjoyable beer, but not the best in the Leinenkugels line.

Clear brown color with a hint of ruby and a small, creamy off white head. Aroma is a slight metallic grain note and caramel malt. Flavor is a load of roasted malt up front Fading to a sweet malt and a lightly bitter finish. Medium bodied with the carbonation subdued enough that the palate is very smooth.

Iron and malty smells, wet dog aroma as well. I was really disappointed in this considering their other offerings. The least flavorful of their product line, by far.

1/25/2009: Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock pours a clear, brown color with small, creamy, off-white head. The inviting aroma has a sweet caramelized maltiness with a subtle hint of roasted malt/coffee. The flavor is roasty with plenty of caramelized malt, hints of chocolate/coffee, and a nice finish. This medium-bodied beer feels slightly creamy on the palate. Overall I am impressed with this beer. It is one of their better offerings and drastically better than the recently released Fireside Nut Brown. I could actually drink a 6-pack or more of the 1888 and probably would if it weren’t for the $8.50+tax price tag!

12 fl. oz. twist-off bottle (5.2% Alc/Vol; 04279 C21027) from The Anderson’s in Maumee, Ohio. Rating #76 for this beer.

Bottle. Pours ruby brown with a beige head. Malty sweet, with caramel, toffee, and toasted bread. Very drinkable.

I bought this, put it in the fridge, forgot I bought it, thought it was something else, and finally got around to drinking it. Really easy going down. Quite forgettable, but not horrible. Decent, I guess. Some malt flavors, leather bag. Burlap sack. Walnuts. The nose smelled wet... that probably doesn’t help much, but it’s like a clean wet rag: just smells like water. Some iron and wetness. Sort of like a metal railing after a good rain. Just wet. If wet had a distinct smell, it would be this beer. Some bitterness. I almost bought another sixer yesterday, but passed it up. Probably a good idea.

A light aroma with that classic beer smell. Solid brown color. The head on this isn’t tasty. The bock is pretty simple, a little malts a little nuts. A bit bland but drinkable.