Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock - Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

BlackBearForge

Florida

3.88/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on April 19, 2010

Blonde Bock pours a nice golden amber with a creamy white head that falls very quickly leaving little lace.

There is a touch of alcohol noted in the aroma along with a slightly pungent light hop scent and somewhat syrupy sweet malt.

The flavor follows the nose closely, with somewhat pungent hops creating a background bitterness and a full pale malt sweetness with a somewhat bitter character in itself as some maple syrups can have. There is caramel sweetness as well along with some pear and apple aspects. Alcohol is definitely present and is an integral part of the overall flavor profile, bridging the malt and hop portions. Flavors become more full and integrated as this beer warms.

Mouthfeel is full, medium and very smooth and slick with just enough carbonation to bounce the flavors over the palate.

Gordon Biersch makes decent German lagers, I have not been disappointed in any of this breweries beers I have tried. Blonde Bock is no exception and is another good solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 21:27:29 | More by BlackBearForge

southernmagnus

Alabama

2.05/5  rDev -39%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

After having two of these, I Googled Gordon Biersch to see if they were actually a front for Anheuser-Busch.

Super clear yellow, fizzy and macro-tasting.

If, God forbid, you've always wondered what 7% Budweiser would taste like- this is as close as I've found.

Not for beer lovers, at all.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 20:01:35 | More by southernmagnus

Vengeance526

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden orange color with a thin off-white head that afdes away rather quickly but leaves a good amount of sticky lacing.

Light aroma of sweet malts with bread and grass.

Taste again reveals a lot of sweet malt with light spices upfront, a hint of honey and some apple/pear notes. A light touch of hops shows up toward the end. No alcohol detected.

Medium body and medium carbonation. Overall nothing really stands out about this but it is still enjoyable enough to merit having once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 04:14:26 | More by Vengeance526

al3

Maryland

4/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - golden yellow, very clear, could pull my prints from the other side of the glass.

S - sweet, slight dried fruit aroma, clean.

T&M - sweet malt and grain, slightly creamy and buttery. appropriate carbonation. I get a hint of hops and a fruit brandy flavor on the finish.

D - very drinkable, a good spring/warm weather beer.

Overall, a well crafted, good tasting brew. I don't drink many Bock's but GB seems to get these right. I would buy again and would seek out to try on draft.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

03-31-2010 21:29:01 | More by al3

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.99/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Big yellow pour with massive head, disappointing lacing, if you could call it that.

Aroma was a turn off, alcohol and I dunno, strawberry hairspray.

Taste, a little better, sweet, wish I could give it a 3.25 rating (edit: now I can!). Get rid of the primary "flavor" being "alcohol" and this could be a 4. Mouthfeel, the alcohol dominance doesn't stick around, so it succeeds there, but its lacking hop, malt quality leave room for improvement.

Expensive for what it is.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

03-30-2010 22:05:34 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Minkybut

Virginia

3/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured this beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was average as you can tell by my rating. The beer poured a cloudy gold color and had an off white head. Smell was sweet and yeasty. The taste was fruity and rather confusing. I will not buy this again, it was not great.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

03-30-2010 21:39:01 | More by Minkybut

dstc

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice golden color with a decent off-white head. Head falls to minimal one. Thin lacing.

Thin malt aroma. Rather clean when cold but more tantalizing aromas come through as it warms.

Sweet malt taste, no real hops here. Very prominent vanilla flavor in the finish that lingers on the tongue. Nice.

Medium bodied in the mouth with moderate carbonation.

Nice, easy drinking beer. Easy to have a few of these, I like it.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

12-27-2009 23:49:51 | More by dstc

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours out a translucent, bright orange-gold body with a slender, white head.

Smell: Sweet-scented nose of a thin layer of simple syrup and apple juice poured over some grainy pilsner maltiness and dosed with a drop or two of alcohol.

Taste: Sweetish, grainy combination of pale and pils malt with an iota of DMS gleaned from the latter. Small sip of golden syrup for added sweetness. Lightly spicy, lightly bitter Noble hop character. Touch of yellow apple fruitiness. Touch of alcohol warmth on the sweet finish with a lasting taste of pilsner malts.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-low carbonation. A bit smooth but also a bit sticky, too.

Drinkability: It's sweet, it's smooth and an overall okay blonde bock.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

12-23-2009 22:07:22 | More by ChainGangGuy

dpodratsky3

Georgia

3.08/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Absolutely crystal clear apple juice color, a kind of gold tinted head that turns more white as it settles, while not great looking, it is probably the best aspect of this beer

S: Sweet maltiness, definitely pale malt, has hops to it, and also a slight acidity, almost apple or juice like

T: Starts almost burny from the carbonation and alcohol, then the hops hit, which fades to some soothing malt, everything is just so light, not really all the great

M: High carbonation at first is not that pleasant, semi-dry and medium-thin

D: Not the best for me just because of the flavor profile and balance

Notes: I've never had this style before so maybe I just don't care for it, but the two other people drinking this with me agreed. It was not all the pleasant. Not that great of flavors and what was there was not balanced. The flavors seemed much too thin to support such a high alcohol beer. Just seemed out of whack. We all agreed we probably wouldn't drink this again.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

11-25-2009 20:44:27 | More by dpodratsky3

CampusCrew

Florida

3.38/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

appearance: golden yellow, macro lover appealing

smell: not much aroma

taste: light sweetnes, low flavor, and again macro lover appealing, but a decent beer, great crossover beer. ABV hidden extremely well.

mouthfeel: light to medium bodied

drinkability: solid beer that I would atleast drink, but not a beer lovers beer at all.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

11-18-2009 16:01:18 | More by CampusCrew

jeffjeff1

California

3.1/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up at Costco in the winter selection.

Appearance- golden color, ok head

Smell- rich, malty aroma

Taste- sweet malt, light for a bock but not too bad

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- ok I would drink it again, not on the list of ones I need but it's ok

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

11-08-2009 01:14:08 | More by jeffjeff1

kevinjosephlee

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a glass; bottled on 09/21/09: nice and fresh, one month old.

A: A clear straw-gold with creamy white head that doesn't persist for long (however, it looked like it should have, and so, this lack of persistence may have to do with the cleaning of the glass).

S: Malty body with some alcohol present. Smells like fall. Fresh-cut hay with appreciable levels of DMS-veggies.

T: Sweet malt that blends with the low DMS which gives rise to the bitter hops finish with a touch of alcoholic warmth.

M: Lasting (but subtle) bitterness, in this moderately bodied offering. Clean and crisp. Once it's down the hatch, all that remains is a bitter aftertaste with hints of DMS; dry finish.

D: For 7.2%ABV, this might be too drinkable.

Overall: Some complexity and depth to the malt, with a clean finish. I enjoyed this beer, and will look for it again. A local expert (in my opinion) at Five Points Bottle Shop recently shared some beers with the owner and brewer of Gordon Biersch. And from what I understand, the yeasts come from German lines and GB is faithful to the lager styles that they brew.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

10-26-2009 18:28:27 | More by kevinjosephlee

superdedooperboy

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pilsner flute. Bottled on 08/28/2009.

A solid two fingers of white foam sits atop a clear, bright golden liquid; relatively short-lasting, falling to a thin ring that barely clings to the walls of the glass as the drink drains away.

Sweet malt, a vague whiff of light, herbaceous, hay-like hop notes and some faint DMS-like vegetable qualities in the nose. Not too far off from many examples of the style.

Medium-bodied, a little on the light side perhaps, with just the right level of carbonation; malt dominates the palate, sweet up front with a honey-ish character, never cloying, with some light DMS notes before hitting a slightly spicy middle with some alcohol becoming apparent toward the back sides of the tongue, carrying over into a fairly balanced finish that leans a bit toward the sweet end of the spectrum.

Fairly drinkable and a pretty decent take on the Helles Bock style. Not too far off in any direction; accessible and quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

10-14-2009 19:32:08 | More by superdedooperboy

porterwoobie

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, poured into a standard pint glass.

A: gold/light orange color, clear, 2 finger head that dissipates quickly to a slim coating, minimal lacing.

S: strong malt aroma, some toasted notes. slight noble hop aroma present.

T: malty, biscuity. slight sweet finish. some noble hop spiciness in the flavor

MF: medium bodied, medium-low carbonation

Drinkability: decent beer.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

09-25-2009 23:27:05 | More by porterwoobie

redneckchugger

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours about 2 shades darker than budweiser, with a nice looking head cream head.
Sweet nose, lightly floral, quite delicate.
Tastes of light floral notes, with some earthy hops in the back. This beer is very subtle. So suble that its very hard for me to pick out individual flavors. Its good however, Defenite complexity, and the lager finish really works for this beer. It his the abv well, and goes down wuite smoothly. I really like this beer, I don't love it, but i liek it a lot.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

08-22-2009 20:05:47 | More by redneckchugger

HalenRush

California

3.15/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

A - Pours a beautiful gold and a moderately beaded head that dissipates quickly

S - Nothing too special here...Has a Bohemian yeast smell like Urquell but less pronounced. Very little in the way of hop character.

T - Low marks for taste...not very Bock-like. It doesn't taste bad, its just not as malty as some bocks can be.

M - Meh...For a style being known for maltiness it falls short.

D - I rate this good, it is a drinkable beer, but when fitting to style, not so much.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

08-09-2009 23:53:02 | More by HalenRush

jujubeast6000

Texas

2.2/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Reviewed 7/5/2009 (bottled 03/17/09):

Pours a pale dark yellow colored body, with a small whitish color head, small and diminishing. Has a vegetable-y aroma, and some maltiness. Not too bad, somewhat enticing. Has a vegetably taste, some sourness. Malty, not good.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

07-11-2009 23:55:22 | More by jujubeast6000

cjgator3

Florida

2.35/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

12oz bottle

A- Pours a dark golden yellow color with a nice off-white head that possesses good lacing and retention.

S- The aroma is aroma is sweet malt and fruity esters. I'm pretty disappointed with the aroma, it is pretty faint and boozy.

T- The taste features some sugary malt with some fruitiness and a lot of alcohol in the finish The alcohol is a little much in the taste, it's a little too boozy for a beer of 7% ABV.

M- The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, I'm not a huge fan of this beer. There really isn't any complexity at all with this one, and it is pretty much all alcohol. I don't see myself purchasing again in the future.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

05-31-2009 02:30:20 | More by cjgator3

BeerSox

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into Scandinavian mug

Crystal clear golden hue with a two finger white head that slowly settles to a thin cap. The head isn't very dense, and the lacing is a very even and rough.

Very light and sweet caramel aroma.

About the same in the flavor, but the toasty grains are a little more noticeable. The alcohol is well hidden considering its amount and the lighter flavor. Full bodied.

An okay bock, a little on the lighter side. Very drinkable though.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

05-02-2009 23:27:54 | More by BeerSox

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours rather translucent with thin white head that disappears. Nose is faint with some some honey, and maybe melon. Palate delivers the expected malt focus, light hops, good carbonation and alcohol warmth. Very drinkable, and a style that is underappreciated, unfortunately.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

04-20-2009 04:22:44 | More by yemenmocha

aschwab

Texas

3.38/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had it in a bottle - poured it into a glass.

A slight bock color, clear. Its a brownish color.

Did not smell the beer.

Tastes fresh, however not as much bock flavor as I was hoping. Could use more flavor...

Goes down smoothly.

It is drinkable, but not a beer I would grab for all the time.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

04-17-2009 16:04:19 | More by aschwab

Bung

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. Clear dark gold pour. White head, nearly non-existent, but a little ring does stick around. Aroma is some grapefruit, a little pine, a little Heineken(meh). The flavor has some nice malt with a little citrus and pine. Pretty lively mouthfeel. Unfortunately the over-riding tone to me in this is that "Heinie" flavor. Not quite sure I would even classify this as a bock. OK, as far as bocks go anyways. Could drink a few, but will only do so since I bought a sixer. I wouldn't bother trying this more than once. A Heinie clone for comparison sake.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

04-17-2009 03:14:30 | More by Bung

arizcards

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of a mixed case picked up late last fall at Costco for $19.99.

Beer poured gold with a very long lasting white head. Nose is malt city with some corn lingering in the back. Taste is very sweet with a hint of corn finishing with a decent hop balance. Mouthfeel is very smooth, medium bodied, moderately carbonated and somewhat lively on the palate. Drinkability is good. I am surprised at how drinkable this brew is. I would not mind having this again in the future.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

04-17-2009 01:32:37 | More by arizcards

nick76

Florida

3.28/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The aroma is malty and hoppy with a nicely done balance. There is also a corn like element to it. The appearance pale gold with a foamy head. The flavor like the aroma with a obvious corn presence. The palate is thin. Overall this is a good beer but not great.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

04-10-2009 06:07:34 | More by nick76

asabreed

New York

3.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Fizzy yellow for the most part, with a decent soapy white head.

Smell: Some honey, grain, seemingly mild hops. Not what I expected from a Bock, but maybe I'm not in tune with the style.

Taste: Grain and malt sweetness. Honey. Maybe a bit of diacetyl. Oddly bitter finish with some citrus and pungency.

Mouthfeel: A bit oddly carbonated, a little sticky, and somehow a bit cloying.

Drinkability: This doesn't make me want to try any other GB products, as this one is drinkable, but nothing I'd want to session or really try again. But still, it's average if not a bit better I think overall.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 33 East San Fernando Street, San Jose

04-08-2009 04:15:15 | More by asabreed