Penn St. Nikolaus Bock Bier

(12oz bottle) Foamy large beige head atop clear, dark brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, roast, caramel, some raisin, nut. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, some roast, raisin, nut, light alcohol. Medium body, some stickiness.

From a 12 oz. bottle with a blurb on the back label, no freshness date, but I know this is the winter ’06 release. Poured a ruby hued light coffee brown with a frothy, foamy off-white head that settled into a thin sudsy lacing, minimal amount of laced sticking. Aromas of roasted malts with a touch of nutty chocolate, a berry fruitiness and earthy hops. Good, even, moderate carbonation and a malty crisp, velvety smooth medium bodied mouthfeel. Just a pleasant bock taste, roasted grains and coffee with chocolate drizzled in, caramelized sugar, a bit nutty, a soft berry fruitiness, earthy, herbal hops that complement the malts, the alcohol is very subtle, but you can taste it towards the end, and a sweet roasted malty finish. Amazingly easy drinkability, highly quaffable, a good seasonal bock, one of the better ones I’ve had.

Dark brown color with light head. Sweet aroma of dark fruits, chocolate and some spices. Taste is a strange sweet, sour, & spicy mix that was OK, but seemed a bit unbalanced and mixed up. Drinkable, but they could have done better.

Bottle. Deep copper with a small tan head. Nose is caramel, dark roasty malts, and cocoa. Taste is a bit more bitter with caramel, roasty malts, light hops, dark chocolate and hints of coffee. Body is medium with a heavy carbonation feel. Finishes with more caramel, dark malts and light coffee. Some chocolate as well. Nice bock!

This is a beer for the cold weather. I love a good Bock and this one hit the spot. Maybe I am biased (being from Pittsburgh) but this was a great suprise from what I was expecting. The aroma was strong and almost smelled like a red wine. The dark brown pour looked like Pepsi (except for the thin white head). I was expecting something sweeter, but the roasted malt flavor and the bitter but not too bitter aftertaste had me thanking Santa after each sip.

Been waiting to try this with such a rating for Penn. Yeasty aroma, pours dark transparent brown. Nice story on the label. 12 oz bottle. Initial hoppy (not possible?) or malty flavor - says pure barley on label. Has a personality of alcohol and it shows thru a bit. As good as german doppelbocks. Finish is a little bitter but does not linger for too many minutes. Not what was expected.

Draft. Dark amber/brown apperance. The aroma was rich and roasted, that’s where the good things about this beer start and end. Brew had a start and finish. The flavor was a weird mix of spices that finished with a strange roasted tart finish.

GBof A PA-on tap-pours a creamy tan head and brown color. Aroma is dark/medium malt-sweet, spices. Taste is dark/medium malt-sweet, spices.