St. Nikolaus Bock Bier - Brewer's Reserve - Pennsylvania Brewing Company

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

22oz bomber. 2011 Vintage.

Poured into my snifter a ruby-edged chestnut color with hazy translucency. The head was restrained and never really wanted to form. Showing a ring now, after less than a minute.

Musty maltiness with lots of raisin, fig, dark toffee, treacle syrup, bread crumb, and age tang. Smells full and rich with only a small note of oxidation. Definitive German malts. Hints of candi sugar, plum, and nectarine.

Big malty doppelbock with a cornucopia of dark fruits, pomme, breadiness, and caramelly toffee. Held up pretty decently. Some medicinal notes, but they're weak. Raisin, plum, brown bread, toffee, oxidized apple, rye-like spice, milk chocolate, light Band-Aid, and some solvents. Opening salvo of dried fruit. Middle is very bready and the finish follows with a stamp of bitterness and some leftover fusel alcohol. Dextrins very much present. Chewy and still impressively carbonated. Big enough, but I'd still call it smooth and easy. Alcohol has a few bit parts. Body is a tad thin, which is not the preference. Flavors are interesting and wooly.

I recently had a Randall-ed version with rye whiskey-soaked oak chips (2012 vintage) that I thought was excellent. I know this beer rather well. Private Reserve always treats me right and it was fun pulling this from the cellar and seeing what was up. Flavors mellow slightly and the body falters a bit, but the complexity is quite a feat. Recommended for all you German beer lovers out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 04:32:42 | More by thecheapies

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle received via Growling at the Moon. Thanks for the brew, Dan!

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a teensy 1/4"beieg head over the clear reddish chestnut brew. Head is quickly down a skim, with film around the rimand leggy slow-falling lace. Aroma is dark fruits and malt.

Taste is heartily malty sweet to start, dark fruits in the middle, maybe a touch of fusel closing with a light bitterness and alcohol warmth. Mouthfeel is slickery smooth, and drinkability is good. Nice rep of the style, and an enjoyable brew. Was worried about excessive spicing in a holiday brew, but this one's safe.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:26:21 | More by ppoitras

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tap

Pours a deep brown, reddish brown glow when held up to light. Minimal lacing for a head.

Smells of mild spice, brown sugar and figs.

Figs, molasses, brown sugar and a hint of licorice in the taste.

Medium to full body with a mild tingle of carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

A pretty tasty beer, a bit cloying but good and manageable. Would have it again around the holidays, but a bit rich to drink a lot of.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2012 02:10:46 | More by Cylinsier

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Dark brown/tan, not much of a head , some decent lacing.

Smell - Dark fruits like plum, rasin, smoked roasty malts, mollasses, brown sugar. Cherry, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate. Some added spices.

Taste - Dark fruits and roasted malts at first. Nice mix of bold chocolate, molassess and brown sugars but not overly sweet. The caramel malts works well with the added spices, which gives a mint like flavor. The finish is malty and really smooth.

Mouthfeel - Malts and sugars really grab the tounge. Palate gets more malts, sugars and spices. Aftertaste is malty, some alcohol , a little thin and watery.

Overall - Excellent, balanced well and super easy to drink. Nothing over the top, straight up soild, and add to the face you can score this for between 4-6$ a 22oz'er, makes it a value also. Worth a drink every holiday season.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:20:53 | More by wvsabbath

irishevans

Alaska

4.85/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2010 vintage poured into my O.G. Duke Pilsener glass @ 00:10 on 5/17/2012

A- Dark Mahogany color with a slight orange/light brown hue coming through the sides when held to the light. the head is a light tan/cream color, that formed to just under two fingers width, then settled to a thin film. and that later turns into just a ring around the glass with a trace of the film left in the middle. leaves behind a bit of lacing, not overly thick, but that could be due to the sheer age of the glass.

N- Toasted grain, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, and a bit of date/raisin smell in there too.

T- the Dark fruit comes out right away, along with a bit of boozy heat. the caramel then shows up to the party, followed quickly by the cinnamon coming out. it finishes sweet, and the chocolate taste that is rather subtle in the beginning add itself to the mix more potently. I should add that this is a graduated effect, once one flavor comes out it's there throughout.

M- medium viscosity, but thicker for the style. still nicely carbonated, but not over done. there is a dryness, presumably from some earthy/herbal hops, that don't really seem to affect the taste, but add a nice crispness to the feel. not an overall dry beer though. All in all a great mouthfeel for the style.

O- I'm in love. I think I cracked this it the right time. maybe could have gone longer but I'm quite satisfied with having imbibed it when I did. All this in mind, you had better beat me to the Penn Brewpub this winter, because I intend to get as much of this coming years vintage as my wallet will allow for.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 04:30:37 | More by irishevans

russwbeck

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Great bottle presentation, complete with a gift-style bag and gold wrapping around the top of the bottle. The beer pours a deep amber to brown color with a few fingers of off-white head. Retention and lacing are both OK.

S: Sugary, caramel malts and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg really take the beer over. Smells pretty sweet overall.

T: Thankfully the spices in the aroma aren't all that present in the taste. This is extremely smooth. Caramel malts, hints of roast, sugar, and a slight amount of spice.

MF: Low on the carbonation, this beer is extremely drinkable for how sweet it is. Medium body.

O: This beer probably has a better value than 90% on the market. At $4 a bottle you would be a fool to not buy it. Wonderful balance, very nice presentation, should age well. Cannot go wrong here.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 00:23:18 | More by russwbeck

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

1.95/5  rDev -53.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Deep dark clear oaky in color. Prett thin head that disapated pretty quickly. Minimal lacing left on glass.

S: Caramel. Brown sugar. Wood. Very Malty. Shoe-fly-pie.

T: Wet hay and wet hay. Grass. Copper. Raw dough. Flour.

M: What I could get to stay in my mouth; very thin.

O: And down the drain it went.

Sorry Redliner8, thanks for sharing it tho.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 02:47:54 | More by gkatsoris

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

St. Nikolaus Bock Bier - Brewer's Reserve
Pennsylvania Brewing Company

Pours a dark brown, pretty much opaque. Aromas of dark fruits, brown sugar and molasses. In the taste, sugary malts, caramel, fig, raisin and dates make for a tasty beverage. Roasted malts are in the background. The presence of alcohol is on the small side, with just a little warmth. There is a hint of spice. Malty, semi sweet, and having little to no bitterness. Mouthfeel is full bodied, with medium carbonation. Overall, glad I finally got to try this one. A nice malty bock that hides its strength and is easy to drink. I believe it is bottle conditioned and would like to try it in that format next.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 14:04:15 | More by Stinkypuss

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Received in a large snifter. I'm guessing at least 12 Oz. 2011 vintage at the brewpub.

3.0 A: Clear dark brown color. One and a half fingers of frothy brown head. Retention is average with no lacing left.

3.5 S: Spice heavy with. Boatloads of cinnamon. Nutmeg and cardamom to a lesser extent. Not much from the beer itself. Caramel and a light booze.

3.0 T: Same as the nose. Spices stick out while the beer itself is weak sauce. Very little going on here. Disappointing.

2.5 M: Lighter medium body. Carbonation level is fine but the beer feels dead on the tongue. Lacking any semblance to creaminess.

2.5 D: I'm pissed that the new operations managed to ruin this beer as well. It used to be a favorite of mine.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2011 22:26:54 | More by DavoleBomb

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 1 shared by BeerRay. Pours a beautiful garnet hue with no head, just a thin, bubbly band around the edges. Nose expresses dark fruit reminiscent of fruitcake and a bready character. Taste reveals wet cardboard, subdued dark fruit, some toffee notes and a suggestion of noble hops. Mouthfeel is light-medium with an even, crisp carbonation and a semi-dry finish. Overall impression is that this is a decent brew; however, perhaps a little past its prime.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 23:24:00 | More by Jwale73

hippityhops85

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 002. Poured from a 750ml green (sigh) bottle into my Yards Real Ale Invitational glass. Bottle reads 7.5% abv rather than the 8.5% noted here.

Pours a beautiful chestnut/deep amber with a good 1 1/2 finger of great, tight tan head. Active carbonation in the glass present. FANTASTIC lacing. Looks great.

The nose immediately hits me with mild cinnamon notes dancing around a really strong maltiness. Reminiscent of chestnuts, decaying leaves and dark fruits.

The taste is so amazingly subtle with a plethora of flavors playing around each other on the palate. Dark fruits, deep malts, cinnamon among others. A true symphony in the mouth.

The mouth feel is spot on. Medium bodied with great carbonation that really brings out the more subtle notes of this malty beast.

This is such a good offering from Penn Brewery. They did absolutely stunning things with the Bock style. This, quite possibly, is the best American offering of the Bock style. Please, pour me more!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 00:53:00 | More by hippityhops85

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle of this back marked Batch 001 in 2008. The selling it had been trying to get rid of these for a little while. At that time I really wasn't into buying bombers... I just wanted 12oz. bottles and one day I caved and bought this one. I saved it for a little while and then opened it with some friends. The beer poured out as a dark brown color. The head was a light tan color, the retention and lacing were minimal. The smell of the beer was malty, it had just a little bit of spice to it. The taste of the beer was pretty good, lots of malts in there to sweeten up the brew, some grains and a touch of booze heat in there as well. The mouthfeel of this beer was pretty good, I can't really say that there was anything wrong with it. Overall the beer was drinkable, I've never had the urge to find this brew again since I had it.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 15:57:26 | More by Knapp85

AgentZero

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found this unopened in a dumpster next to an old tire. Or maybe MasterSki brought it, I don't remember.

A - Darker beer, red on the edges, with a mostly mahogany body. Tannish head that left behind some spots on the sides.

S - Reminds me of the fruitcake of beers. Some nuts, fruit, sweet malts, toffee. According to the other people it smells very "bocky". Okay.

T - Malts with caramel, christmas bread, nuts, fruitcake, dark fruits (but not too dark). Alex says there is a hint of treacle, but pretty sure he is making that word up, bo I don't buy it. This is pretty solid.

M - Medium bodied and slightly syrupy.

O - It's on the nose for a bock, or so the Germans would have you believe, and a solid enough beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 20:45:11 | More by AgentZero

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 002
Received from Secret Santa this year and last, thanks for the opportunity KarrHeel03 and DavoleBomb.
Pours a deep brown with great garnet highlights and a smallish creamy off white head that recedes much to quickly. Smells of malt, yeah I know right a bock that's malty go figure. Sweet toffee and caramelized sugars mixed with some sweet plums, and hints of cocoa. Taste is sweet with dark fruits, melanoidin, cocoa, and toffee. The taste is wonderful in its malty sweetness without being cloying. No hop presence detected. Creamy smooth mouthfeel, light to medium level of carbonation, sweet almost syrupy mouthfeel. I enjoyed the hell out of this while watching the Steelers get it handed to them in the Superbowl. Very nice bock.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 01:17:55 | More by johnnnniee

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 750ml bottle into dimpled mug. Pours a brown mahogany body with a small beige head that leaves some spotty lacing. Aroma of malty toffee, herbal hops, and hints of cocoa and pears. Medium body and carbonation. Taste is rich maltiness, with an emphasis on toffee. Herbal hops impart a sturdy bitterness Vague fruity hints are less assertive than in the aroma. A pretty good American bock but I was hoping for better.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 22:34:30 | More by CuriousMonk

nukem5

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Fantastic brown with reddish edges like a glass of Coke or Pepsi,Nice tan cap which dissapears rapidly to a thin layer.

S: Sweet malts and bready infused with some dark fruits like cherrys.

T: Malts and bitterness of barley.

M: Medium bodied and full of chewiness.

D: Keeper this one is. I wait all year for this and never disapoints.This year snagged a few extras and gave them out as well appriciated gifts. (2010)

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 06:18:32 | More by nukem5

nhindian

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A - Even after a fairly vigorous pour, I was only able to muster about 1.5-fingers worth of head out of the dark brown beer. Head has good retention, however. Fairly clear body with scattered and light lacing.

S - Smell is sweet, sweet malts. Getting notes of toffee, caramel, chocolate, and grapes. However, I'm also getting a bit of an acidic, metallic esther as well.

T - The taste is definitely more sugary sweet on the initial taste than I would've expected. The sweetness upfront transitions well to the darker fruits more prominent in the middle of the taste and has a noticeable figgy taste to it as well. Alcohol comes through in the finish and aftertast.

M - The mouthfeel is surprisingly light with not much carbonation. Creamy body with a long, tannic finish.

D - Drinkability is moderately high. Alcohol is definitely there, but not as hot as the ABV would suggest. Great flavors that combine well, and it wasn't hard to finish the whole bomber.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 07:07:45 | More by nhindian

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark brown color with some reddish hues when held to the light. A small off white foam head that quickly dissipates and no real lacing.

S: Lots of caramel, molasses, nuts, dark fruit and bread. Semi-sweet and toasty scents.

T: Not overly sweet, but a lot of malty goodness. The caramel and molasses are most prevalent throughout the tasting, the dark fruit is noticeable on the back end.

M: Nice and creamy taste on the palate.

D: A nice sipping beer for a cold winters day. One or two in a sitting for me. One of my favorite bocks.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 21:50:00 | More by IronCitySteve

jrallen34

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Alex for providing this, served in a pint glass...A medium brown with a red hue. A light tan head, not much retention, ok lacing...Typical bock aroma of molasses, bread and fruits...The taste is more of the same, molasses, bread, nut...Alcohol is well hidden, a dry feel

Not my favorite style but this is the epitome of a bock, if you like that give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 18:23:31 | More by jrallen34

drabmuh

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 002, part of my #1 beer per styles goal on here, the best bock beer.

Beer is brown and haze with a decent head of small bubbles, tan, that leaves some lacing on the glass.

Aroma is quintessential bock. Its mildly yeasty, very caramelly, mildly sweet, nice volume, smells good.

Beer is medium bodied, leads off with a nice sweetness and a strong malt character. The finish is really nice. Bocks are sexy beers, they aren't huge in flavors and alcohols but they are transparent. This beer has a slight roast at the back, a full palate experience and a great finish. I really like it, if you are looking for a good bock, this is probably it, I'd have it again and I'd be interested in the NON-brewer's reserve version of this. Hopefully I can get some when it's released this month.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 01:59:09 | More by drabmuh

MasterSki

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a trade a while back from Hojaminbag I think. This was Batch 002. Served in a Lost Abbey Rastal Teku.

A - Pours with a finger-plus of light tan foam that settles to a ring of foam and some light film of bubbles on top, with some spotty lace being left behind. Transparent dark red-brown body.

S - Smells like bock! Bready, nuts, and fruits, molasses.

T - Tastes like bock! Lots of sweet bread, lightly toasted malt, a hint of treacle, and some nuttiness. Finishes with light hop bitterness.

M - Medium body with light grain character. Dry and slightly chewy finish. Didn't at all realize this was 8.5% - that was a bit of shocker.

D - I think our tasting group was somewhat underwhelmed by the straightforward nature of this beer. The main comment tossed around was that it was very "bocky". I don't drink bocks very often, but if I did this would be a very solid choice.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 00:34:51 | More by MasterSki

Thorpe429

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours light brown to amber in color with a bit of a white head and some decent lacing. Pretty good retention. Nose brings some light malt and some caramel, bread, nuts, and light hops. The taste is caramel and some lightly-toasted bread. Good feel and nice drinkability. Definitely one of the better beers I've had from them.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 01:52:31 | More by Thorpe429

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a pilsener glass. Batch #2.

Appearance: Pours a mahogany brown color with tint of ruby on the edge of the glass. A fluffy off-white head forms on pouring and exhibits decent retention. Nice lace sticks on the glass.

Smell: Soft molasses, oak, and a variety of spices are present on the nose.

Taste: The taste starts out a bit sweet, with some molasses covering nicely over a slight alcohol bite. Cinnamon and cloves sneak in, and the end is sort of drawn out with more sweetness. A bit of oak is also present.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, although the overall level of carbonation is not extremely high. A bit sticky after each sip, and some hop oil remains after most of the hops have disappeared from the taste.

Drinkability: Overall, I thought this was quite a drinkable brew, although I would be curious to see how the spices were when it was first brewed.

Thanks Davolebomb for throwing this in as an extra.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 23:47:53 | More by KickInTheChalice

ToddT

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Cola brown color topped with a thin off white head. Head falls quickly to a ring and leaves a little lace on the glass.

S- Sweet caramel, sugar and candied fruit dominate the nose; there is a far off hint of wood char in the background though.

T- Raisin caries through the flavor profile from beginning to end, caramel and malt make an appearance in the middle and the finish is a complex trade off between sweet candied fruit and a light bite of hops. Finish is very dry and clean, makes you want another sip.

M- Light in body and decent carbonation.

D- Easy drinking and the 7.5% ABV doesn't show up anywhere. I would not have guessed that it was this high.

Good beer, a little sweet but worth a try.

Notes: Bottle is from batch #002 and it lists 7.5% as the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 03:27:28 | More by ToddT

ThaBobfather

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a solid milky brown with a slihgt reddish hue.
Smell is well malted- sweetly on the nose with some slight grain.
Taste starts with sweet bread flavor- followed by a milky malt quality.
Finish is great- slightly wet with a really good sweet grainy after-taste.
Drinks great- 8.5% is super smooth and malty.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2010 01:12:14 | More by ThaBobfather