Narragansett Bock - Narragansett Brewing Co.

Floyd12

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16oz Tall Boy into a 22oz mug.

A- A clear orange/copper color with an enormous sticky head that left superb lacing all down the side of the glass.

S- A strong smell of grassy herbal hops that finished with a slightly bready maltiness. Slight fruity floral undertones.

T- The grassy hops take over this beer with again a slight fruity undertone, but just as it smells it nicely finnishes with a sweet malty taste. The beer is almost creamy and even has a nice subtle alcohol pressence.

M- In between medium to full body with very ice carbonation. A slightly sticky head that finnishes off dry.

D- High, this is a great beer. The taste is great and the price is even better. I could drink these all day.

Serving type: can

04-03-2011 18:20:29 | More by Floyd12

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16-ounce tallboy can into a Thomas Hooker pint glass.

A: Bright, golden yellow in color with a creamy, three-finger head of white foam which fades to a bubbly ring, leaving a fine lace. Clarity is pristine and carbonation is ample.

S: Spicy, fruity and floral on the nose, with flower petals, white pepper, herbal hops and a nice toasted bread aroma. Muted whiff of alcohol and grainy metal.

T: Creamy, toasted sweet malty flavor up front with a rapid onset of grassy, floral, bitter hop and bracing alcohol. Smooth, buttery malt flavor glides across the palate with traces of dextrose and herbal, spicy, clean hop flavors. The aftertaste is lemongrass, crackers and a concoction of alcohol and bitter, floral hop resin.

M: Slightly creamy, medium-full bodied mouthfeel with excellent balance and a slight, spicy/sweet/alcohol pull.

D: Very clean, smooth, slightly creamy, well-balanced and dangerously drinkable at 6.5% ABV. Didn't notice this brew sneak up on me until the bottom of the can, but it's deceptively potent and flavorful enough to mask the alcohol with clean malt spices and hops. Gansett Lager is a standby, Fest impressed, but this Bock took it to a whole new level. What a great value spring beer; Hi Neighbor!

Serving type: can

03-31-2011 22:37:42 | More by Gambrinus1184

BavariaYeti

Rhode Island

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just a great bier and a terrific surprise. A quality example of a maibock. Good flavor, right amount of hops, crisp taste, and a strong beer with no overpowering alcohol taste. Well done. This has got to be brewed by either trinity or cottrell. Delicious and well done example, this coming from a guy with some years living in Deustchland.

Serving type: can

03-30-2011 23:44:43 | More by BavariaYeti

BranfordBound

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 oz can into a pint glass. Cheap beer to boot!

Dead on amber color with nice carbonation, two finger white head that produces minimal lacing.

Bready smells with some sweet malt. Noble hops in the back.

Starts bready and malty, tastes like a lighter version of Hofbrau's Maibock. Caramel malts without much fruitiness. Transitions in the slightly spicy and herbal hop notes at the end.

Slightly wet and medium bodied. Carbonation tingles good.

One pint easily goes down on a moderately warm (50 degrees) spring day. Alcohol concealed and its basic enough where drinking it isn't a complication. Good job, 'Gansett!

Serving type: can

03-29-2011 23:24:55 | More by BranfordBound

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

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

A-Pours a copper color. A rather full head grows from the pour then gradually dies down to a skin on top of the beer. Not murky at all. Lazy bubbles rise from the bottom to the top. Lace is minimal.

S-A crisp, clean nose. Light caramel combines with fresh grassiness. Breadiness is evident too. Faint spicy aroma. Smells smooth and subtle but the more attention you pay to the nose, the more you begin to love it. A small metallic undertone I detect as well.

T-Bready flavor is mellow but tasty. The grassy hoppiness is modest in intensity and it compliments the bakery aspect of the beer well. Spicy hints found in the nose are detectable in the taste too. Tastes like leaves a bit. Nice balance.

M-Refreshing and rather light despite the ABV. This is a spring beer, and the feel hits the season perfectly. Light carbonation.

O/D-Easy drinker. ABV hidden well; drinks like a 4% beer. I paid a considerable amount more for a 6-pack of pounders than I would have if I had bought the lager. That being said, I won't be buying it as much because of the price jack. Nevertheless, I find most spring seasonals to be pretty lame. This one is quite good. Gansett is a great company, and this one is evidence. A 6-pack of this would be ideal for a warmer spring day.

Serving type: can

03-29-2011 04:10:10 | More by VelvetExtract

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16 oz. can. No freshness date, except for some code stamped on the bottom.
Served in a tall Harpoon Nonic glass.
The color is a brassy amber with a fast-fading white head. Thin wisps of webby lacing cling to the glass.
A grassy, wet hay smell dominates, followed by a light peaty malty aroma. A mild citrusy smell is followed by slightly boozy white rum fuminess.
The malt and hop flavors are fairly evenly matched. Bready dough, honey sweetness, metallic and citrusy hop bite and a separate and unmistakable rummy alcoholic punch all greet the buds in random order. A very faint taste of orange zest peeks in.
It's an usual bock in that the flavor profiles remain distinct and apart, even as it warms.
This is definitely one of the better beer values ($6.50 a 16 oz.sixer, no less) in the New England area.

Serving type: can

03-27-2011 22:13:37 | More by BeerResearcher

OldIronLungs

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I never thought I'd search out a new 'Gansett offering. But here we are!

Tall boy pours nice deep gold into a pint with lots of big sticky head that slowly fades but retains a nice chunkiness for a while.

Nose of sweeter grass/grains and hops. Light carbonation and medium body, lots of sweet and slightly bready malt and solid crispness from the hops that finishes dry.

This is going to be really nice on a hot day - clean drinker that leave no unpleasant aftertaste.

Serving type: can

03-24-2011 22:44:30 | More by OldIronLungs

taez555

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a clear light orange/tan body with a white head.

Taste is very clean with a present bitterness and grassy at first, yet there's a very distinct big malty caramel sort of flavor that comes through after. You can really taste the heft of the 6.5% abv. It almost has a medium body to it. Grass, butter, very light cracker or toast flavor. Ends with a lingering bitterness.

I gotta say this may be one of Narragansett's best beers since the light and easily the best of the seasonals. Not a blow you away pure traditional German bock in any way, but damn, for $5 a 16oz can six pack, this is an amazing beer. True to the style still, but in a mildly macro lager sort of way. I know I said this with other Narragnsett's, but this is what cheap beer probably tasted like before prohibition. And I mean that in a complimentary way. I could easily drink this all day.

Serving type: can

03-24-2011 22:05:29 | More by taez555

Bendurgin

Maine

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured this guy into a pint glass from a tall boy can! Nice copper body here with a big white head to sit on top. Looks good so far!

Smells like grassy hops for the most part. Herbal floral aromas come through with a toasty backbone. The taste is again toasty malts with a grassy flavor. A little bit of a lemony zing to round it out.

The body is light and crisp with good carbonation. Overall a great canned seasonal. If any beer encompasses the flavor of spring it's definiatley this one. I will be grabbing more of these.

Serving type: can

03-20-2011 14:58:40 | More by Bendurgin

PEBKAC

New York

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sneaky extra. Sneaky!

Ommegang anniversary glass, paired with some two day old supermarket sushi. Hmmm...

Clear, vibrant, light amber color. Off-white faltering head. Spotty lace.

Smells of caramel & a little tree bark. Touch grassy, touch buttery.

Taste is a pile of toast, minor amount of char, & plenty of bock-ish euro lager malt sweetness(without going overboard). Low, but noticeable leafy bitterness.

Carbonation is pretty crispy for a bock. Alcohol isn't completely transparent, but pretty well integrated. Not syrupy or overly rich on the tongue. Easy, but still missing something.

Pretty decent beer. :)

Serving type: can

03-17-2011 05:39:54 | More by PEBKAC

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been looking forward to this one for a while. Stuff is good, though I think the Octoberfest is my favorite so far.

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a dark golden copper colour with a fluffy, creamy two dinger head that while it leaves no side lacing it does leave a heack of a cloud/halo.

S - Nothing special here, typical bready/grassy aromas with some light, sweet malts.

T - Overall not too bad here. Some light bready flavours along with the nice light grassy hops. Good light spicey finish to it as well.

M - Good clean mouthfeel. Light/medium carbonation helps this remain nice and crisp. Great springtime beer.

D - Quite drinkable. Narragansett continues to pump out great seasonal beers. Very shocked by this, and pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: can

03-16-2011 05:27:37 | More by rudzud

hudsonvalleyslim

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Gotta hand it Narragansett - they sure are making fine beer nowadays. The lager won our 'Blind Lawnmower Taste Test' by far, the Porter is pretty good, now I'm lovin' the Bock.

Thinkin' this ain't yo' daddy's 'Gansett, not by a long shot. This one's outta Rochester NY, I believe Cottrell in CT brewed the others?

Anyways, here we go: a 16oz can poured into a 20oz Liberal Cup pint glass. Beautiful deep golden brew, strong enough to defend itself fer sure. The last half was poured down the middle, so a nice 3-finger head starts us off.

Smell - my nose ain't the greatest, but smells like a good lager, no icky-sticky here. A few swills, some sticky lacing... Slim like! Medium mouthfeel, some fine aftertaste, and yeah, this is shapin' up.

A fine brew, very well made. As someone pointed out, drinkability IS on the dangerous side as I've had 2 and am pleasantly buzzed. But a good Bock'll do that.

Narragansett Bock will find it's way to my frig.

Serving type: can

03-15-2011 23:27:12 | More by hudsonvalleyslim

weizenbob

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16 ounce can received in trade with wmfskibum. Thanks Josh! This tall boy was poured into a pilsner glass. The pour yields about a 1:1 ratio of head to beer. Within a minute the head settles to about three fingers and stays put for a while. Fluffy lacing lines the wall of the glass. The beer is a deep golden hue and crystal clear. A lot of carbonation can be seen through the glass.

The aroma has that wet straw smell that I usually associate with Euro-lagers. It's sweet and grainy with a hint of hop bitterness.

The taste is a treat. This is a substantially sweet lager with a strong grainy presence. As the malt flavors fade to the back of the palate, alcohol becomes noticeable. The package is wrapped up by a moderately bitter hop finish. Each flavor is simple though well stated. What is astounding is the clear definition between each flavor and when it comes into play in the overall profile. You get one flavor at a time and as each one drops off another emerges. I quite like it.

In the mouth this is a medium bodied beer. The strong grainy character provides some chewiness. Carbonation is moderate to high, and altogether pleasant.

This beer is dangerously drinkable. It tastes great. It feels great in the mouth. In fact I drank it way too fast while reviewing and the 6.5% ABV is already being felt. As such I have to dock it slightly in the drinkability category. If I had a six pack of these it would be a short night.

Did I just give that score to this beer? Yeah, I did. Awesome!

---

The Two-Schlitz Scale™: (see my profile for an explanation)
I do give two Schlitz for Narragansett Bock. If this were available year-round in Michigan it would be a permanent Schlitz replacement in my fridge.

Serving type: can

03-11-2011 23:20:37 | More by weizenbob

JayRey

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16 oz. tall boy into Newport Storm pint glass.

Appearance: Very nice golden color with 1.5 finger head that sticks around for a while. Good lacing down the glass.

Smell: Nothing special here. Grassy, bready. Not overly impressed with the smell.

Taste: Much different from the smell. Leafy up front with a nice spicy finish to it. Great example of a spring beer.

Mouthfeel: Great carbonation and body for this beer. Again, great for a spring brew.

Drinkablilty: My favorite of the Narragansett seasonals - very easy to drink. This beer will be perfect for when the weather warms up.

Serving type: can

03-11-2011 04:04:12 | More by JayRey

Casey10

Maine

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another nice beer I picked up in the singles section at Trader Joes. 8.99 a six pack for 16 oz tallboys or 1.50 for a single.

This is a nice golden dark beer with about 1 finger head.

Not much going on for smell but the taste is really good almost spicy goes down well.

Mouthfeel gives kind of tingle from the spice.

Drinkability is good given the pricepoint.

While this is no daringly exteme beer it is a well done example of the style and worth trying.

Serving type: can

03-07-2011 22:07:34 | More by Casey10

Jason

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16oz tallboy!! No freshness date.

Suds reach high and lacing is epic with a shiny copper clarity beneath. Subtle aroma of Oily, herbal and leafy hoppiness that rests on a fresh cut grass and bready maltiness. Just enough crispness to cut through the creamy medium body that seems to have a bit of heft to it but not too heavy to detract from its drinkablility. Wave of malt sweetness brings fresh baked shortbread and crackers to mind. Hops are a bit aggressive with a more drawn out bitterness rather than a quick sting, this later translates into a leafy herbal flavor. Hops stick to the palate just as long as the toasty character of the malt does even when the dry finish wants to end things.

Wow ... I'll be hunting for cases very soon. One of the best spring seasonals I have run into in years.

Serving type: can

03-01-2011 01:39:37 | More by Jason