Penn St. Nikolaus Bock Bier

Brewed by Pennsylvania Brewing Company
Style: Dunkler Bock
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

I was hyped when I saw this beer (on tap, by the way), because I've read some great reviews about the Penn Brewery and wanted to take a crack. Plus, I love bocks, so my expectations were quite high. Appropriate color for a bock (dark brown) and a sweet body, but not overly so. Very malty and chewy with a slight roastiness that's fantastic. One of the best US bocks I've had. Light alcohol burn in the aftertaste I could do without.

Tasted at the brewery. Nice dark flavor to it, and a rather tame aroma. Flavor is crisp, somewhat leaft, yet ends somewhat smooth and malty.

Medium caramel brown hue with creamy tan head and very good lace. The aroma hints of heavy roasted malts, caramel, toffee, apple, noble floral hops, clove, cardamom, and zesty yeats esters. The taste is sweet malts followed by a lactic twang (almost sour). The midesection does display some hop character. Undertones were a bit fruity and spicy (fruitcake like). The finish is mildly bitter and slightly earthy. The mouthfeel could have been heavier, lively and did detected alchohol warming. A solid brew, only lacking complete roundness. I enjoyed it enough to drink again.

Tap at HDG. Deep red tinted brown beer with a thick light tan coloured head. Nice rich malt aroma, dark plumminess, brown sugar, deeply toasted malt and a soft wheaty spiciness. Clean toasted malts throughout. Light demerara sugar/molasses. Chewy sweetness with a malty plumminess. A bit too sweet perhaps, but very good nonetheless.

from the bottle. poured a dark brown, with a tan head. aroma, caramel, malt, some chocolate, hints of molasses. flavor dark fruits, cherries, raisins, brown sugar.this was a very enjoyable beer to drink, nice full mouthfeel, and after taste stayed around just long enough.

A very nice style. Pours dark brown with medium off-white head. Aroma of malt, toffee, brown sugar, some nuts and spice. Tastes malty, bocky, with a complex finish comprised of toffee, nuts, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

12 oz bottle 2005. Cloudy dark amber color beer with decent tan head. Rich malt aroma with some noble hop spiciness. Wow, interesting flavor. There are sweet rich caramel, coffee and toffee malt notes flavors. Some solid yeast notes that combine with the hops to create a medley of spiciness. The finish has the lingering spice with a growing chocolate and toffee maltiness. Certainly a tasty brew worth having again.

Bottle from SL. The pour was brownish red with a thin initial off-white head, only fair retention, spotty lacing. The aroma was chocolate, light dark fruit notes, some bubblegum, and a grassy/earthy presence. The flavor followed, some chocolate, light roasty dark fruits, some hints of licorice, and a grassy, somewhat dry bready finish, yet with a malt base underneath at the same time. A nice bock for sure.