Gordon Biersch Winter Bock - Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

chinchill

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle bottled on 26 Sept. 2012 and served in a snifter.
GB Winter Bock pours a dark mahogany color with a small but attractive tan head. The head has poor retention but there's decent lacing.
Smells like a mix of caramel, medium and dark malts with some sherry/alcohol overtones. Very good malt complexity.
Taste: follows nose, but tilts towards the darker malts and shows a moderate level of bittering hops after an initial moment of overly sweet ale. Exceptional and lasting aftertaste features caramel and dark malts with good sweet/bitter balance.

Medium-full body; creamy up front but a bit harsh in the alcohol-laden finish. Proper carbonation.

O: A relatively big dopplebock, in terms of flavor. Worthy of the Bavarian references.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:15:13 | More by chinchill

mactrail

California

3.03/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Lovely appearance in the glass with an attractive head and chestnut brown color. Well carbonated. Caramel smell.

Winey flavor with roasted grains and some malty sweetness. Date flavors. Kind of a burnt molasses taste in the back of the mouth. Not bad for a couple of sips but the dirty, scorched raising taste takes over and is pretty tough to swallow.

From the 12 oz bottle bought at Total Wine in Tucson.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 21:02:34 | More by mactrail

Phelps

Arizona

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dark cranberry-purple, almost perfectly clear and topped with one finger of creamy tan foam. The bubbles recede pretty quickly, becoming a thin and silky top layer.

Smooth, sweet, bready aroma. A little cooking wort, some caramel, baking bread, the lightest touch of grape.

A nice hit of caramel in the flavor, met with sweet honey buns and another very subtle hint of dark fruits. Fairly bitter, roasty finish.

High carbonation breaks the brew into just a bit of fizz. Body is just a shade under medium, and alcohol is pretty much unnoticeable.

The flavor’s decent — nice bits of caramel and bread. Finishes clean and keeps the brew drinkable. As doppelbocks go, it’s not as intense as I’m used to or prefer, but I might pick this up occasionally were I at the brewpub in wintertime.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 04:49:22 | More by Phelps

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found this in Maui in a mixed winter 12 pack was very impressed with the rich malty flavours that came out in this beer. The balance is good with the sweetness being balanced with a dryish finish. I also thought the mouthfeel was just right and looked forward to a second bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 00:07:50 | More by canucklehead

mralphabet

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into Sam Adams perfect Pint Glass

A: Poured reddish brown with a good 2 fingers worth of tan head that settled to small ring with decent lacing.

S: I'm getting brown sugar, coffee and bread.

T: Coffee & toffee right up front with a hint of brown sugar mid palette.... Finish is smooth and a little bready.

M: Carbonation is sharp at first but settles quickly.. I'd call this on mid bodied.

D: Looks good, smells pretty good, tastes pretty good and mouth feel is good.. Not a bad little beer... At 7.5 ABV this is one or two beer session for me. Not a bad little brew from Gordon.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 04:31:46 | More by mralphabet

DasPuma

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass

Appearance - Very dark red/brown with little carbonation and one inch caramel colored head that dissipates slowly with decent lacing

Smell - subtle coffee smell

Taste - The roasted malts definetely come through as well as a little alcohol, but not overpowering at all.

Mouthfeel - Slightly heavy with medium carbonation

Overall a pretty good beer that I will definetely keep in my collection. I haven't had many bocks before, but if this is standard for the type, consider me a fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 20:47:54 | More by DasPuma

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Single for $1.99 from the Village Pump. Bottled on the 11th of October 2011.

A wonderful deep mahogany with a dense, tan head with pretty solid retention and no real lacing, this looks pretty good! The clarity and color are particularly appealing. The nose has plenty of caramel and bready malt character, with mild Munich malt character as well. However, there isn't enough of the rich breadiness, at least for my palate. Mild earthy, leafy hop character is present. Plenty of dark fruit character, with raisins and plums are present.

The palate opens with a blend of moderate bitterness and caramel and raisin bread. There's plenty of hop flavor, lending an earthy, flavorful backbone to this beer. The palate has too much of the caramel and dark caramel malt character without the bready flavors that you'd get from the better German brewed versions. Toffee, dark fruit, caramel and a touch of brown sugar are all present, along with a mild spicy note, especially on the finish. Medium in body with moderate carbonation (a little too much?), this beer is pretty solid and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 03:04:02 | More by DefenCorps

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Dark color colored body with a light tan head that disappears. Some bubbles stay on top with very light lacing.

S- Caramel malts with some spices. Maybe some roasted and/or chocolate malts too.

T- Very similar to the smell. Spices, caramel, raisins and possibly a hint of chocolate. Well balanced.

M- Smooth and easy drinking. Some light carbonation and medium bodied.

O- Very impressed with this beer, a full flavored winter beer that is easy drinking. Received a Gordon Biersch sampler for Christmas and really enjoyed 3/4 beers including this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 00:24:16 | More by stephenjmoore

ProducerBRBeer

Arizona

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Reddish brown in color with a short lived head. The lace is much stickier and thicker than most of the Gordon beers. The head is a light brown color, a little sandy.

S - Malty and sweet in smell almost like molasses.

T - An earthy to slightly sweet malty taste. Almost like a brown sugar or molasses flavor.

M - Even carbonation with a smoothness to it and a slightly dry drop off. Slightly crisp.

O - Pretty good Winter bock style, I guess my first style like this, but German style beer is not really my thing.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 04:44:52 | More by ProducerBRBeer

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.33/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Acquired via trade from optimator13, so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a reddish brown color with a thin off-white head that fades very quickly and leaves a very thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains honey, brown sugar, fruit, caramelized malts and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of caramel, honey, brown sugar and fruit. Then theirs is some breadiness that comes in from the lager yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, it’s a decent beer but there are several others in the style that I would pick first.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 03:23:47 | More by TheManiacalOne

stckhndlr

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a glass resulting in a nice 1 inch plus head. Has a nice deep cherry would color when held up to a light. Very pretty. Average lacing but a nice looking beer all the same

S- Nice dark fruit smell (figs, plums, and black cherry), malted fragrance topped with caramel and faint chocolate.

T- Malt and caramel flavor with a dry finish. Bit of a bitter aftertaste when you expect more of a sweeter end. Not as pleasing as I would like but over all a fine dark beer.

M- has a thicker feel to it as I think a bock should. almost gives you the sensation of having a syrup consistency.

D- All in all it's a good beer, could be a little more balanced with a more rounded flavor but still a decent choice. Still gives you a warm feeling on the colder winter nights.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 02:21:32 | More by stckhndlr

jdense

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle from neighborhood beer buddy obtained at local discount grocery store in variety pack, poured into pint glass 1.1.9.11.

One finger slowly developing light tan, quick dissipation with no lacing. Clear amber brown body some visible carbonation. Nose is roast-dominate with a significant amount of sweetness, medium crystal with medium cherry-ish esters, floral hops in the nose. Taste mirrors the nose, a bit too sweet for style. Mouthfeel is fairly light for style, a wee bit of effervescence. Drinkability is ok, but the cloying sweetness in absence of roast character was a bit befuddling.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 02:42:44 | More by jdense

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a ruby red meets glistening brown color, with an off-white head that scatters to a crown fairly quickly. Bits of lace left around the glass, in Morse code-ish dots and dashes.

Welcoming aroma of huge dark fruit (fig, plum, grape), pumpernickel, chocolate cake batter, toffee, caramel, butter frosting. Lightly burnt facet too, like the upper crust of a creme brulee.

Flavor is all that the aroma promises, the dark fruits and chocolate cake batter being especially prominent, with noticeable assistance from fresh green hops and a nice liqueur-like blow from the alcohol, although it's subdued and never overdone. Sweet gooey caramel and toffee factor in big with warming. Overall it's hugely malty up front, reminding of dark breads and cookies, while a leafy bitterness creeps in near the finish.

Nice softness, slickness and roundness to the texture, with enough carbonation to add just an edge of sizzle. A bit dry, but not too dry.

A total comfort beer that I'll gladly pick up anytime I'm wanting a flavorful and reasonably-priced American version of this greatest of German beer styles.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 18:41:12 | More by Metalmonk

nickthegun12

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

all round great beer....

very dark in color a dark brown but you can still see through it...nice creamy head....with great lacing...

smell is of dark fruits...sweetness...maybe some caramel...and alcohol

taste is very full bodied a residual sweetness....slightly fruity...

great feel on the palate...feels very wet...on the ol mouth...

great drinkability....although high in alcohol content though

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 23:20:08 | More by nickthegun12

chumba526

Oregon

2.38/5  rDev -35.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appears dark red with a large tan head that disappears quickly.

It smells of raisons and other dark dry fruit, molasses, banana and brown sugar.

It tastes much like the smell. There is a strong molasses and sweet sugary flavor that dominates the beer. There is a bit of a sweet raison flavor as well. A bit of a banana like yeast flavor is also present. The taste finishes with lot of sweetness mix with a very slight amount of bitterness.

The carbonation is moderate high.

The drinkability is limited as the beer is overly sweet.

Overall an ok beer, but it needs more balance. They should use more dry malts and less sweet malt. I guess the beer would be good if you have a sweet tooth but I do not. Though at the same time I know that the style this beer is tends to be sweet. The beer does have some nice qualities to it. Overall this is a slightly less than average take on the double bock style, though.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 01:26:51 | More by chumba526

BurpingtonDC

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 bottle into a pint glass. Two fingered tan head that dissipated rather quickly. Minimal lacing.

A - Lovely, crystal clear, chestnut color.

S - Sweet, malty, lightly burnt toast

T - Sweet, malty, star anise.

M -Medium bodied slightly syrupy.

D - I'm not a big fan of sweet brews but this was a very drinkable, delicious brew. I've had many GB brews at their brewpub on F street in DC and though not always overwhelmed I'm always pleased. GB Winter Bock is no less pleasing. A nice change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2010 02:27:33 | More by BurpingtonDC

Jason

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown bottle with a bottled on date.

Big heady beginnings with good stickage, clear and dark chestnut colored liquid. Toasty bready sweet malty goodness in the nose. Flexed crispness pops from the thickness of the medium body. Rich toasted malt shows some roasted flair, broth and ample sweetness though the toasted flavors keep that to a minimum as does the hop bitterness. Alcohol is prevalent, clean warmth. Finishes with more of the toasted grain and faded leafy hops.

A decent pick for the winter, clean and not spiced not anything off the wall. Its focus set on the style, enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 01:08:21 | More by Jason

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Medium mahogany, very translucent, with a 2 finger of tan leather colored head. Too light and watery for a "dark" double bock.

Smell is nice, with lots of malts sweetness, roastedness, and caramel.

Taste is on par with the aroma, with nice sweetness, maltyness, roasted notes, caramel and a bit of toffee.

Heavy for a lager, creamy, and smooth. Little carbonation.

Drinkability is solid. Defintely not the best dopplebock I've had, but surely not the worse. Good enough to revisit each winter.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 02:29:42 | More by EgadBananas

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pretty heavy brown. Not much carbonation. A nice syrupy look though. A very thick layer of tan foam in the glass mug. I give this a very high rating because the foam stays very thick throughout and there is a nice layer of lacing as well.

Smell: Probably the weakness of this beer. I get some coffee malt, and that's about it. Pretty tame, but still good.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Very complex! A heavy, thick, smoky mouthfeel that i really enjoy. Extremely veltvety and creamy texture with this beer. High points to that! Tastes like coffee and chocolate, but also some sugar and peppered hop hints in the background. The flavors mesh really well and transform as you drink. I can get some caramel candy in the finish especially. A very warm beer.

Drinkability: I would rate this higher, but it might be a bit too heavy. Still goes great with steak and garlic fries.

Overall: Visit Gordon Biersch and try this!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 05:35:01 | More by tjsdomer2

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Look - Medium brown color until held closer to the light, which revealed a deep red, but still clear. About two and a half fingers of beige foam that dissipates slowly. Decent carbonation.

Smell - Floral essence that masks a malty smell. Toasty smell as well.

Taste - Very toasty beginning. Quite malty and meaty afterwards. Chocolate hints perhaps, but I get a more taste of something deeper and weightier, but without the full body that chocolates might create. Texture is quite smooth and well-balanced.

Drinkability - very decent brew. Filling, but not quite as filling as it could be.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 05:35:14 | More by Nerudamann

burnstar

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark clear brown. Big light tan head. Smell is mild roasted malt with some chocolate notes. Taste is sweet and malty. Big chocolate flavor. Very nice full bodied mouthfeel. Creamy. Very easily drinkable. I really like this one overall. Great for a non-German doppelbock and a very nice winter seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 22:56:08 | More by burnstar

UCLABrewN84

California

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - Pours a clear dark brown with a 1 inch tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing was happening.

S - Smells of brown sugar, malted milk, and bread.

T - Tastes of coffee, toffee, and bread.

M - This bottle was absolutely FLAT. The beer was extremely thick due to this.

D - I can imagine that this is quite tasty when fresh. I got this as part of a Winter sampler pack and I think that the bottle went bad. I would buy this again fresh when it comes back in season.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 5010 Mission Center Road, San Diego

05-19-2010 03:02:05 | More by UCLABrewN84

BlackBearForge

Florida

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on October 26, 2009

WinterBock pours a nice deep ruby maroon, very clear with a nice head that falls quickly leaving little lace.

The aroma has nice sweet cocoa, caramel and licorice tones.

The flavor has a pleasant sweet buttery toasted malt with rich cocoa, caramel, licorice and spicy dark fruits. Bitterness is low and is felt on the finish as more of a clove spiciness than hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium, clean and somewhat creamy while carbonation is low to medium.

A very pleasant dark lager, I wish it had hit the market here before Winter is nearly over, arriving just a few short weeks ago. However it is a nice way to toast the last few remaining days of the season. I've been pleasantly surprised by other Gordon Biersch beers and WinterBock is no exception, being a solid pleasant strong dark lager that I will look for again next year!

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 5010 Mission Center Road, San Diego

03-10-2010 00:35:51 | More by BlackBearForge

JayQue

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought the 12 oz bottle at Total Wine, Chesapeake VA, aged a little (bottled Sept 09).

Looks good, pours a dark, clear amber with good reddish light coming through. Some lacing. Smell was good, bready malts and a vinous aroma as well...fairly pronounced.

Taste was not quite up to the aroma but still pretty good. Bready malts and a kind of port wine kind of thing going on. Not bad.

Mouthfeel was a bit thin but still very smooth.

Drinkability is good. No big alcohol presence, not too sweet. Good sipper, could have had another.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 5010 Mission Center Road, San Diego

03-07-2010 00:19:34 | More by JayQue

wknight167

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Apearance - Pours a dark brown with red highlights and a 1 finger tan head that fades quickly.

Nose- Sweet maly, toffee, caramel, dark chocolate and stone fruits.

Palate- Sweet, dark caramel and chocolate. Raisiny, but with a roasty and spicy bitter finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium to full body, a little light on the carbonation, but not in a negative way.

Serving type: bottle
@ Gordon Biersch, 5010 Mission Center Road, San Diego

01-17-2010 11:39:41 | More by wknight167