30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken's Bock - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

eclaycamp

Kansas

3.48/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I’ve been hanging onto this one for awhile, and with the temperatures in the triple digits all day it felt like today would be a perfect day to bust out a Helles, even if it’s of the imperial variety.

The cork pops with a nice sound, and the beer pours quite clear. I’m using a flared lip pilsner glass for this affair. The color is actually darker than I expected, as it comes across as more of a deeper gold than that of a light straw. Classic pillowy head that offers nice lacing and sticks around for days.

The beer has a nice bready characteristic followed by crisp lager sourdough character. It comes across as somewhat muted.

The first taste gives a sense of lively carbonation. Mouthfeel is light and refreshing. You just start to get a sense of the grainy malt character when alcohol takes over. There’s also some alcohol warming in the finish, along with some alcohol character. That’s one of the problems with this style of beer – be it imperial pils, helles, or whatever – there’s just no where for the alcohol to go, so it feels in some respects like a regular beer spiked with vodka. That’s not to say this beer isn’t well crafted – it is – but I’m just not the biggest fan of the imperial style when it comes to lighter beers. I do like the initial impression that this beer gives. There’s a wonderful grainy malt flavor that shines through. Unfortunately, for me anyway, it’s just obliterated by the alcohol in the finish. The more you drink it the less pronounced the alcohol character is, as it’s taken over by a sort of honey malt sweetness that I suspect is a byproduct of the high alcohol levels – alcohol sweetness in other words.

Overall this is a very nice beer and a rather unique take on the Helles style. It’s crisp and clean, though the heavy alcohol profile may not be for everyone.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 00:26:38 | More by eclaycamp

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

06-10-2013 16:31:50 | More by stereosforgeeks

bigbluebeerguy

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +1.3%

06-03-2013 02:01:30 | More by bigbluebeerguy

nataku00

California

3.56/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass, couple of years old that I found in a box recently. Beer pours a cloudy copper with two fingers of fluffy off white head that quickly dissipates to a film. Good amount of carbonation rising up from the bottom of the glass, tiny bubbles floating up.

Nose is caramel malt, cherry, yeast ester bubble gum, clove, banana, mild grassy hop note.

Probably not the best beer to age, leads with caramel malt, cherry, and fruity ester flavor, but there's a bit of cardboard flavor. Still a bit of hop flavor, slightly grassy and floral on the finish, with some lingering caramel sweetness and the cardboard.

Medium body, with some yeast particles, mildly carbonated so it's very soft on the tongue. Shouldn't have aged it, unintentionally.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 04:12:46 | More by nataku00

megamass

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-18-2013 05:45:16 | More by megamass

cadaugherty

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

05-09-2013 00:08:52 | More by cadaugherty

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +1.3%

04-29-2013 00:32:26 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

4000qtrap

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Source/Serving: 22oz bottle, aged ~2.5 years

S: Lots of honey, moderate perfumy minty floral hops that mingle nicely with apple sauce, caramel, wonder bread (and crust). Hints of banana and straw. Seamless flavor notes with a lot of complexity, mystery, and depth.

T: Caramel apple up front, very tasty and delicious with depth and a sweet-sour liveliness. Moderate mint/floral hops work very well. Bitterness is clean and incredibly smooth. Overall, for an imperial beer this is super smooth, almost creamy (low carbonation), with a definite richness and no rough edges. Lots of melded flavors, very deftly done and the 2 years of aging probably helped to some extent. Not quite the imperial punch I'd be looking for though. Finish is a little dry with a rye bread quality and really makes me want to take another sip.

Notes: Incredibly smooth but lots of flavors. The perfect fall beer with very high drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:16:47 | More by 4000qtrap

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

04-15-2013 05:57:17 | More by Kelp

brheuer

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-24-2013 22:14:12 | More by brheuer

swetsastonic

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.3%

03-24-2013 20:35:28 | More by swetsastonic

MeowMixz

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

03-09-2013 23:12:10 | More by MeowMixz

GilGarp

Colorado

4.09/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml corked and caged bottle served chilled into a goblet.

The 30th Anniversary Bock is very hazy amber orange color with thin head. It settles quickly leaving no lacing behind.

Aroma is sweet and boozy with a fruity, slightly oxidized quality that actually works well together.

Flavor is also predominantly sweet but fairly well balanced. It has the same fruity notes as in the nose but also has an earthy hoppy character.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated. It's balanced and drinkable in a slow sippable way.

Overall an enjoyable bock but probably the least favorite of the SN Anniversary beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:33:34 | More by GilGarp

ROBSTARR

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

02-15-2013 15:01:05 | More by ROBSTARR

ste5venla

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

02-02-2013 21:13:37 | More by ste5venla

Boilerfood

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1.3%

01-28-2013 15:42:05 | More by Boilerfood

popery

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

01-28-2013 07:33:03 | More by popery

superspak

Michigan

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

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 5/25/2010. Pours very hazy orange amber color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense cream colored head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing on the glass. Aromas of caramel, apple, pear, bread, toast, brown sugar, grass, herbal, floral, light clove, and earthy peppery spiciness; some moderate cardboard as well that reduce as it warms. Pretty nice aromas with good complexity and balance; despite the oxidation. Taste of caramel, apple, pear, bread, toast, brown sugar, floral, grass, light clove, and earthy peppery spiciness; slight cardboard as well, but not too bad. Lingering notes of caramel, apple, pear, bread, toast, brown sugar, grass, floral, clove, and earthy peppery spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance with good complexity; with a nice malt/spiciness balance; and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth and fairly crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good imperial helles offering. Nice balance and complexity of malt and spicy flavors; and very smooth to drink for the gravity. The oxidation certainly knocked it down a bit; but it was still a very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 05:32:51 | More by superspak

FLBeerGuy

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%

01-22-2013 02:03:06 | More by FLBeerGuy

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.6%

01-19-2013 23:33:28 | More by t0rin0

uturn

Florida

4/5  rDev +1.3%

01-16-2013 03:19:33 | More by uturn

michaeljasinski

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

01-16-2013 03:14:43 | More by michaeljasinski

Amalak

New York

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had at Muggs Alehouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A/S. It has a nice deep opaque color of brown, with a good head of foamy white with a bit of lacing. There's a very nice strong citrus and alcohol scent to it.

T/M. It has a nice lemon and citrus taste with some dark fruit and a bit of hoppiness. A bit of a sour aftertaste.

O. A good fruity and sweet IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2013 19:59:03 | More by Amalak

RedTeflon

4/5  rDev +1.3%

01-01-2013 00:02:39 | More by RedTeflon

harrymel

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I've had this a few times, time to review.

Golden with a persistent sheet of white foam and a brilliant clarity. Smells malty, sweet and light bread, tea, cola, candied pecans, touch of german yeast character, a touch of freshly cut alfalfa and a hint of rose. Flavor is floral: malts, slight oxidation, a bit of bread and caramel. There is a ton of flower character in here for me with rose hips, a little bit of hibiscus and orange peel likeness in here. I like the complexity of the flavor, delicate as it is. Medium bodied with limited carb and an almost dry finish. Nice beer, glad how this one has evolved.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 10:08:18 | More by harrymel