St. Nikolaus Bock Bier - Pennsylvania Brewing Company

GuinnessSmurf

Missouri

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It may have been the night, but I wasn't as super impressed by this winter beer as everyone else seems to be. Appearance is a nice dark brown, ruby glowing sort of beer. I couldn't really get much happening in the nose area - may have been environmental. Taste was satisfying. Its a smooth and spicy beer with some tastes of over ripened fruit, and a strong saltiness to it. Once I started my second one, I liked it a bit better. To this beer's credit, it at least was properly spiced, which I can not say for this year's Samuel Adams winter brew.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2004 23:00:20 | More by GuinnessSmurf

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to bman1113vr for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a medium orangish-brown color with a white head. The aroma is toffee, grain and other malts. The flavor is lightly roasted malt, some alcohol and some lighter toffee malts. Medium mouthfeel and low carbonation. A clean tasting lager, but nothing really stands out.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 16:26:59 | More by Mora2000

beerphan

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle -> american pint
2010

Pours a dark brown with some chestnut highlights A small head recedes quickly to a starred puddle of dish suds. Only some small dots of lace.

Nose: Some charred malts, caramel, candy

Full bodied. Huge malt blast up front with charred grains and caramel mixing. Light molasses and candy sugar add to the sweetness. A balancing spicy bitterness fights a loosing battle against the plentiful sweetness. Finished very boozy and warm.

This beer seems to be right on the style, which I am still acquiring a taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 19:26:07 | More by beerphan

Braudog

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a well-chilled 12 oz bottle. Deep brown or crimson with a bare whisper of a off-white foamy head that virtually disappeared after 10 seconds. Aroma? Not much ... a virtual whimper to the olfactory senses ... roasted barley, maybe a slight swirl of fresh pine. Thankfully, the flavor is more entertaining ... moderately robust with some dark cherry, bitter chocolate, and a bitter finish. Good. (#2724, 2/23/2007)

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2007 01:28:20 | More by Braudog

mbrasi

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Aroma is sweet with noticible alcohol not pleasant. Flavor is smooth with a partially clean finish. A little staleness in the finish. Malt dominates the flavor profile as expected for the style. I just think the finish can be a little better. After the undesirable aroma I was expecting an bad experience but the beer is actually quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2008 01:10:00 | More by mbrasi

JISurfer

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

My first beer from Penn Brewing. I actually bought this last christmas time, so it's been in my dark, cool closet. I'm not sure if it changed the taste any, but it was quite tasty. Had nice subtle hints of chocolate malt and slight hops. I was a little disappointed with the appearance. Not much to the head, died out pretty quickly. Can't really tell there's 7.5% in it, which could make it dangerous.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2009 01:52:14 | More by JISurfer

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle from BeerBeing as part of UTBIF. Thanks for the opportunity. No month notched on label.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/4" tan head above the slightly cloudy dark amber brew. Frothy head lasts nicely, with lots of foamy lace. Aroma is creamy sweet malts, with dark fruits. Taste has a reasonable grain base, but seems to be more leaning towards the tart fruitiness than I would prefer. The tartness lingers, coupled with a somewhat chalky aftertaste. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both pretty good, but I had higher hopes here.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2006 23:03:11 | More by ppoitras

FenwaySquid

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. brown bottle, no dating but the neck label proclaims this is celebrating 20 years, poured into a pilsner glass.

Appearance: Pours a relatively clear reddish brown color. The head formed a sticky 2 fingers thick and faded very slowly.

Aroma: Grainy malts, that's all I got.

Taste: A mixture of sweet caramel malts and dark chocolate up front. The grainy taste comes through in the middle, and the chocolate becomes more assertive. The finish is a little sweet, reminds me a little of raisins. There's also a slight alcohol warming at the end as well.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, veryt smooth. The carbonation balances nicely.

Overall: Tasted good on a very cold winter's night, but really nothng spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2008 02:27:51 | More by FenwaySquid

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I brought a bottle home from Pittsburgh last week, and drank it after a 90 degree day. Not the conditions for this beer to shine, but its time was up.

Dark burgandy brown color, crystal clear, thinnest of heads. The smell was malty, sweet, and a little roasted-like. The flavor was richly malty but surprisingly bitter in the after-taste. Not bad, pretty good, I'll try it again this winter if it's available in OH.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2007 23:57:16 | More by TurdFurgison

orbitalr0x

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle pours into my glass a deep ruby brown that retains a lot of clarity when held to the light. A half inch of fizzy eggshell head on top. Aromas begin with roasty, chocolate malts. Somewhat fruity as well with a light fig aspect. Grainy with a touch of herbal hops. Pretty good.

First sip brings a crisp, lightly roasted malt with accents of chocolate, caramel and a dark fruit background. A bit of a bready aspect. Slightly sweet it flows down with just a touch of herbal hop bitterness. Finishes clean.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with a medium body and ample carbonation making it an easy to drink brew. Overall, this is a solid bock and I can appreciate it even though it's not one of my favorite styles. This is my first Penn Brewing beer and hopefully I'll have a chance to sample more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2007 01:53:28 | More by orbitalr0x

tpd975

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice amber color with an average head. Minimal lacing is noted.

S: Nice roasted nutty malt aromas with a touch of chocolate. Hops play subtle piney role in the background.

T: Nice bock taste. Nuts, malt, coffee, and hints of chocolate. A gentle sweetness under it all. Pretty nice brew, though bocks are not my thing.

M: Nice and full bodied.

D: Bock lovers will probably love this one, me not being one of them I am glad to say I tried it.

Overall: A fine example of a bock. Nice layered taste that is actually pretty enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 22:02:09 | More by tpd975

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle

Clear, chestnut color with ruby tones. Small, light tan head composed of medium sized bubbles.

Aroma included yeast and was very fruity -- dark mainly, raisins and figs came to mind. Hints of coffee and chocolate. Earthy.

Taste was more sweet than bitter. Fruity, like aroma, raisins and prunes. Light caramel. Chocolate. Touch of herbal bitterness at finish.

Medium in body. Low to medium carbonation. Sweet.

Quite good. Not the biggest malt fan, but this was very tasty. Just enough bitterness to contrast the overall sweet malt profile. Very drinkable, perhaps dangerously so with the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2007 14:34:02 | More by

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a: Dark ruby colored. Poured with a thin yan head that faded quickly.

s: Mild nose on this one. Some roasted malt, cocoa, and vanilla.

t: Some sweet caramel, toffee, and chocolate notes. To a lesser extent cherries and floral hops.

m: Lack of carbonation hurt this score.

d: Not a bad brew, but once and done for me.

Serving type: growler

01-02-2008 16:47:51 | More by DIM

Drew966

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

St. Nicholaus Bock Bier pours a mahogany color with a tan head from a brown twelve ounce bottle. The aroma is malty. The flavor is mostly malty, but there is a bit of sourness at times and a bit of spice (most likely from the alcohol). Decent, but didn't blow me away.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2008 03:50:46 | More by Drew966

Bierman9

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint of this at the Georgetown Deli on 25JAN12 during a lunch-stop enroute to Ft Indiantown Gap.

My shaker pint glass contained a clear, deep, deep chestnut offering. Carbo was steady and plenty, and the head was creamy and tan, leaving good lacing. The aroma was malty caramel and a hint of sweetness. Body was good, with it being a medium all the way, and the feel was pretty smooth.

Light sweetness was the first flavor-component noted. It was malty good, with more caramel and some toffee playing on the palate. It had what was almost a toasty character to it, though the hopping was quite restrained at the finish. A decent accompaniment to my buffalo chicken sub, all in all. Prosit!

3.68/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1433

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 19:38:05 | More by Bierman9

jaluria

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark crimson color. Semi-opaque but still simmering in the light. A tan colored head develops but quickly dissipates and leaves some lacing and some big bubbles on the surface. Aromas of dark fruit, roasted grains, plums, and yeast. The alcohol and fruit flavors dominate. Sweet malt flavors come in a wave form; adding depth and interest to the beer. Slightly chewy and very bread-like in the finish. Enough sweetness to pair nicely with sweet dishes and still bitter enough to handle creamy sauces.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2007 15:38:41 | More by jaluria

brewQ

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It was Mardi Gras and a Bock sounded right.
I asked the Pittsburgh area bar what they had.
I was quite surprised to see Santa on the label!
Seemed like a blurring of seasons.

The dark jewel like color made me think of a Porter.
A firm and steady off-tan head reinforced that image.

The nose was chocolatey and malty. Though it was not overwhelming in the taste. Actually quite clean and balanced.
Residual sweetness in the finish.

A great brew. I'm still a bit baffled on the style and presentation: Bock, Doppelbock or ? Santa?

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2005 13:56:13 | More by brewQ

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to mymrnngjckt for this one.

Poured from a bottle a clear orange-amber with a light beige head.

Light aroma of sweet malts, bread and a hint of molasses. The alcohol is well hidden.

Tastes of sweet malts, raisin, and bread.

Medium mouthfeel, somewhat dry, and mildly carbonated.

A good bock, but sadly, not a great bock. A little light in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2008 20:44:52 | More by Monkeyknife

stewart124

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

With a rough pour this one has a small but nice creamy head. Doesn't seem to last long though and fizzles away to a fine lace on top of a dark ruby red.

Smell is sweet and malty with hints of a grassy/earthy note. There is a very small amount of prunes and raisins coming through.

Very malty up front with an aftertaste of those dark roasted malts. Maybe some caramunich in this one which gives that taste of sweet and brings about an aftertaste that leads into raisins. Malts really characterize this beer and give that warming feeling. Noble hops are present but just ease into the taste and give a slight spicy note. Alcohol is present but not overpowering and leaves my stomach with a nice warm feeling.

A nice bock for the winter and it always brings about a smile for the holidays. Thanks for 20 years of brewing Penn!

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2008 02:18:56 | More by stewart124

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a medium brown gold color with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of fruit, roasted malts, spices, lager yeast and some hops.

T: The taste is malty up front with flavors of dark fruit, caramel and spices. There is some good breadiness coming from the lager yeast along with a touch of smokiness. There's a decent hops presence that brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Flavorful with a good complexity to it, goes down easily, not very filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is a good beer to drink for while if you're in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2009 03:37:28 | More by TheManiacalOne

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour an amber/light brown color with a good sized head, fades at a slow rate and leaves a thin cap on top, only small bits of lacing on the glass.

Smell is heavily caramel malt, dash of molasses and sweetness, there is faded hop presence that adds a touch of bitterness to the nose.

Taste is quite smooth with a subtle slickness, caramel malt is the primary, not overly sweet but just the right amount with a subdued hop bitterness in the aftertaste to balance things.

Overall a very solid Bock, it doesn't reinvent the wheel but it rolls just fine, definitely hits the spot during the Holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 22:02:31 | More by deltatauhobbit

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – The beer is served a deep brown color with a small tan head. The head fades very fast to leave only a light amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was chocolaty with hints of caramel and honey sweetness. Mixed with these sweeter aromas was a nice backbone of a roasted malt and brown bread aroma with a very light almost earthy smell rounding it all out.

Taste – The taste begins of toasted malt mixed with a bit of chocolate. Upfront there is also some sweetness of a caramel taste. The chocolate grows a bit stronger more toward the middle with a honey flavor coming in as well. While it was on the slightly more sweet side upfront more toward the end it dries out a bit as some holiday spice and nut flavors come to the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the average side in terms of creaminess with a carbonation level that was on the slightly lower to average side. It keep it rather easy drinking, but really was not too light to where it took away from the darker flavors.

Overall – A pretty nice holiday brew. Not overly spiced and when combined with its roast and good level of carbonation and thickness made for a good easily holiday drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 01:23:09 | More by Darkmagus82

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice dark brown color with a off white color head that gives way to decent lacing. The smell is of caramel malt, chocolate malt, and some dark fruits. The taste is of caramel and chocolate malt with a hint of some spice, it is a good taste, but it isn't as full and bodied as some other bocks. The mouthfeel was smooth and creamy. Overall it is a very drinkable beer, the alcohol content is well hidden and the smell and appearance are very inviting.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2009 01:47:59 | More by goblue3509

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Rich, tight head that settles slowly and rocky. Leaves a blanket of chunky lace. Reasonably clear broth that is light ruby-brown.

Disappointing smell. There's an element of unwanted sourness (especially in a Bock). Also, I detect a decaying meat smell.

The flavor is a huge improvement to the smell. None of the negative attributes show up here. Instead, there is a caramel malt flavor without much sweetness. This stays true to its roots, but there is a subtle hop bitterness in the swallow that provides superb balance for the style. Thin with a high carbonation, but this also fits the profile.

Get by the smell and you have a near perfect example of an American styled Bock.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 23:10:58 | More by smcolw

gottajiboo2

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a dark cherry color with a medium brownish tan head fading to a thin bubbly carpet. smells of damp malty sweetness and cherries. The taste was a herbal cherry thickness, layers of maltiness and warmth and a chewy mouth feel. very good beer, just one or two though.

cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2007 23:47:45 | More by gottajiboo2