Pandora's Bock - Breckenridge Brewery

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

It's rare to see an American-made traditional bock, especially bottled, so I was excited to give this a try. Unfortunately the character was disappointing and flat. It tasted more like an imperial version of Yuengling. There was a clean, smooth caramel malt, with a hint of licorice and a relatively thin body. Not a bad beer, but too simple.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 19:39:37 | More by tempest

TheBigE5

Georgia

3.1/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this beer from a bottle into a sniffer. Appearance is a rich amber color with a brown tint to it. The head is nice but fades quickly. The smell is malty but there is really not much there. The crisp"ness" of the beer is the first thing i noticed about the taste. As opposed to other reviews, i didnt get much of an alcohol note in the flavor. To me, it starts with brown sugar and maple then moves on to a biscuit finish. Mouthfeel is smooth but pretty average. Drinkability is also average in my opinion

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 02:13:26 | More by TheBigE5

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.28/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This is your run of the mill bock. It is not exceptional, but it is not bad at all. It pours a reddish brown, with a hint of smoked wood and fruits. The beer is quite frothy and full of head, but is ok. This beer is decent. The aroma is fairly average, but overall this beer is pretty decent

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 03:19:00 | More by ronniebruner

mdunman

Texas

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Slightly hazy reddish-brown with a thin head that disappears quickly and doesn't linger.

S: Musky malt, alcohol and a little hops.

T: Roasted malt start off that gets overpowered by a crisp lemon-hoppy finish.

M: Medium body and light carbonation, nothing special.

Overall, I thought this beer was ok. They did manage to get a pretty high alcohol content without making it very bitter. Pretty enjoyable, but after one of these I would move without looking back.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 22:29:53 | More by mdunman

allengarvin

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Chimay glass, this beer is a nice reddish-mahogany color, though its head quickly fades to nothing. The nose offers a modest amount of sweet malt with light caramel. Flavor is much better than the aroma. Solid maltiness all the way through, appropriately Munich-tasting. Bitterness is moderate, with no hop flavor. Finish is malty, but not sweet. Soft bodied, with a creamy texture.

Decent bock, and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 21:03:48 | More by allengarvin

FernMaster

Missouri

1.8/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Had on tap at the Flying Saucer KC, poured into a pint glass.

When I ordered this beer I already had two thoughts going into it: 1) I love Puns and the name made me laugh. 2) Breckenridge is a company I don't believe is capable of making good beer.

I think I need to expand on point 2. I've had Breckenridge's bock before and it was a competent beer. I enjoyed it. But other than that, I don't think this brewery is very talented. They're like O'Fallon to me. I've never had anything from O'Fallon that I've liked, yet I'll go back to them because they try interesting things that I believe are worth the risk. I never let my thoughts on a brewery turn me off from trying a beer and I'll give props where props are due, I'm not going to just hate on a brewery because that does nothing for anyone and it truly isn't good for our craft beer world.

On to Breckenridge's Pandora's Bock. When this was brought to me, I thought I would enjoy it. For the bock style it looked good, not great but enjoyable. It had almost two fingers worth of head a nice amber, crimson brownish color to it. The head resided quickly though and there was almost no lacing.

Smelling this thing was offensive to my palate. The beer wasn't skunked or bad (by ruination) by any means, it's just not a good beer. It smelled, I kid you not, like the Oriental ramen seasoning packet. This was full on in your face ramen. That was fun and quirky at first, but as I continued to smell it became foreboding. It was like the ending to ssn4 of Mad Men, nothing good is going to happen with Draper looking off in the distance. That's a bad comparison, I love Mad Men, I do not love this beer.

True to the smell, the ramen taste came through in the beer. There was this malty, ramen, toffee concoction with a smidgen of hops buried underneath all the rests of the flavor. When I first drank it, I hated it. Then my mind started playing tricks with me and I started enjoying it. Then I started focusing on the flavor and I couldn't get past this mechanical, oily flavor. Have you ever been in an auto shop or worked on a car/tractor in an enclosed area for a while? You know how there is this oily taste in the area that you can't ignore after being in this setting for an extended period of time? This taste soon overpowers you and it kind of effects your palate? Pandora's Bock successfully captures that phenomenon. It's a terrible feeling.

The mouthfeel really plays up the oily astringency and the ramen is all but prevalent. It's a terribly awful beer that's impossible to finish. NEVER, never before have I not finished a beer that I've ordered at the Saucer, this was the first I never finished. I couldn't tolerate it. This beer is awful and not worth your money. Do not drink this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2011 00:10:27 | More by FernMaster

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.08/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear brown color with a frothy white head that leaves a decent amount of lacing.

Smells of some toasted breads.

Tastes of dark fruits and the toasted malts. Fruits are raisin and fig with a slightly sweet character. Toasted bread and some caramel sweetness come through. A bit of spicy hops can be found as well. Alcohol is a little hot. Overall, the correct notes are there, but could be more emphasized.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 01:47:50 | More by ocelot2500

Nerudamann

Arizona

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pilsener's glass.

Look - reddish in color, clear, with about two fingers of khaki-colored foam that dissipates slowly.

Smell - Malty smelling but with a bite that cuts through, maybe due to more hop concentration? Also maybe a hint of caramel.

Taste and Mouthfeel - Very unique taste at the beginning..kind of a musky taste that permeates through the other levels of taste. Toward the finish there seems to be something sweet, possibly used to balance out the taste. No bitterness. Texture is fairly well-balanced.

Drinkability - a little quirky in the aftertaste, but overall not a bad brew. Decent taste and not too filling, the quirky tastes make it a bit perplexing for me, which I like.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 05:59:57 | More by Nerudamann

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.95/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this beer from Auslander. Thanks Chris!

12oz bottle served in a glass beer mug.

L - hazed amber color with a small off-white head that dwindled down to a ring.

S - caramel, toffee sweetness.

T - sweet malty taste, toffee sweetness on the finish.

F - medium bodied with low carbonation and a smooth feel.

D - goes down smooth and easy.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 23:48:57 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

stonelis

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a clear amber. Not much of a head. Flavors of malt, caramel and light brown sugar. This is a lighter bodied bock beer, alcohol is not noticable. I would of thought this would rate higher, This is a very easy to drink beer. I could put a few of these away at a summer picnic.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 19:53:15 | More by stonelis

SilentSabre

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draught at Taco Mac in Peachtree City, Ga, USA.

Poured up a dark brown colour that somewhat resembled very concentrated tea; not a reddish brown, but rather a rich, dark brown like furniture varnish. Nice colour. One finger off-white head seemed to fade away in about 30 seconds or so.

Smell was mildly bready or perhaps biscuity would be a better word. In any case, it was difficult to get much of anything out of the smell as everything seemed rather muted.

Taste surprised me a little as sweet malts dominated with pleasantly earthy, slightly herbal hops attempting to tame them. A delightfully mild biscuity malt shows up right at the finish. Very nice.

This drank smoothly with a modest level of carbonation that seemed just right. Even at 7,5%, I could see drinking several pints of this in a sitting. A very well crafted seasonal offering from Breckenridge.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2010 00:00:20 | More by SilentSabre

rrski198

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Orange and red hues. Small off white head that disapated quickly. Very little lacing.

S: Carmel and malty nose. Nothing to blow you away.

T: Creamy, malty, sweetness. Solid flavor profile, but again, noting amazing.

M: Smooth and drinkable.

D: The average flavor profiles for a bock make this a very drinkable, however, it won't blow you away. I could have more than one of these and be quite happy, then again, I could try something else as well.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 02:44:44 | More by rrski198

LifesaCabernet

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +37.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer. I was pleasantly surprised by the great caramel flavor and the exceptional finish. The bouquet was excellent with hints of mixed nuts, like pecans and walnuts. There is also pleasant caramel smell with hints of chocolate.

The beer looks similar to most Bock beers.

I like the fact that this is a lower carbonation beer. For me it makes it easier to drink with food.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 19:40:03 | More by LifesaCabernet

david131

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- A clear, deep reddish brown liquid with almost no head whatsoever. Looks a little flat and lame.

S- Caramel, apple juice, and a faint cinnamon aspect. Very faint.

T- Cinnamon and caramel with some light fruits tossed in. The alcohol is someone apparent. Pretty standard.

M- A little light on the carbonation side. A mostly clean aftertaste with a light lasting flavor of apple juice.

D- A beer that may not be very interesting but it drinks decently well for the alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 02:28:54 | More by david131

JamesS

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice light brown with copper tinges, and with the slightest bit of head that fades rapidly. Nice crisp scent, very malty and slightly deep with a very nice lager aroma. Decent taste, a nice semi-deep flavor with decent dark grain tones and a sweet finish. Goes down incredibly smooth for such a high ABV brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 22:52:35 | More by JamesS

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Dark Copper tones with foamy white head lace the tulip glass I see before me.
S - Mostly bread malts and caramel seems kind of like a good bock.
T - Slight caramel with a touch of chocolate and bread malts. pretty good!
M - Well it's light for 7.5 but smooth!
D - Meh ever since the vanilla porter it's been ok. This is a mix and match BTW :P

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 09:15:49 | More by DrDemento456

beerfairy

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a bronze color with a nice cearmy head that quickly dicipates. smells sweet and malty, lacing on the glass but not heavy and quickly disappears. Not a strong hop flavor. You can taste some sweetness, mild carbination. Overall not really a strong flvorful beer. Drinkable but kind of bland.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2010 03:43:46 | More by beerfairy

IPAnderson

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

I've never had a beer so similar to Coca-Cola. It looks like many bocks, but has very little flavor and aroma. Coke is just as thin and only a bit sweeter. The hops are almost indetectable and I'm really curious how this dark color exists without much maltiness in the beer. I'm struggling to adequately review this beer because my taste buds are struggling find some flavor. It's very smooth for 7.5% abv, perhaps that's caused by all the sugars instead of the herbal, hoppy aroma and breadiness from the malt I desired. However, this is the only bock I might consider a panty dropper.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 03:27:11 | More by IPAnderson

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - This one looks reddish-rhubarb as it pours out of the bottle. In the glass, it's darker and more russet, but still has a dirty red color when held to the light. This one is cloudy and murky, and topped with a two finger head that quickly dissipates.

S - Hearty brown bread, walnuts, pecans, molasses, and brown sugar. This definitely smells "brown."

T - Sweet brown sugar and pecans at first, then moving towards cinnamon and tootsie rolls. There are some almost tropical-fruit notes in the finish that add a nice little flourish at the end.

M - Big dextrin-y body with cavity inducing sugar levels. The alcohol is well hidden though, and the finish dries up considerably from the initial sugar rush.

D - Good stuff. Not really a session brew, but great for desert!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2010 21:40:47 | More by pmcadamis

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

2.35/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

A - Poured a nice, deep amber colour with a small amount of white head.

S - A significant malt nose with caramel.

T - The maltiest ale I have had. The malt profile is complimented somewhat by a sweetness (slightly caramel-like). No discernable hop presence whatsoever.

M - Medium body with a good amount of carbonation.

D - Not my style of beer. The malt presence is too much and I wasn't able to finish it.

Overall I am unimpressed with this beer. I have found a general lack of liking to Breckenridge's products (3 of the 4 I have tried I would never buy again).

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 20:49:56 | More by TheSevenDuffs

BeerVikingSailor

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Fresh bottle pour into GLBC pint...

Decent head and some lacing...this one is new to me this year, trying to sample a number of "spring bocks" this season...

A: Not bad, nice dark amber color, good head retention and clear body

S: Also good, big sweet malty smell, very minor floral hops faint in the back

T: As a bock should taste, very caramel malt sweetness, clean and balanced, pretty nice

MF: Almost a little too sweet after a few sips, would have prefered a dryer finish, but ok

D: An easy drinking bock, goes down easy, could pop a few of these pretty easily with no problem, but other bocks I have had would likely be my preference over this one, but still glad to try this one....

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2010 13:05:55 | More by BeerVikingSailor

dmamiano

West Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

deep bronze pour with small head but abundant lacing....sticky as can be.
Malty, sweet in the nose. No hops sticking there heads out...just the way it should be.
Taste is nice...malty, viscous and sweet. Palate has plenty of feel. very nice on the mouth.
caramel sweetness,,,,very smooth.
wow, worlds above the last bock I reviewed a few short days ago.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2010 01:33:05 | More by dmamiano

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass. No date or info.

A - A slightly aggressive pour made the tan head rise to two-and-a-half fingers and stay well retained for quite a while. Dense bubbles coat the glass in a ring of foam. Totally clear amber beer.

S - Light floral hops barely poke through the lightly toasty, bready malt nose. Lots of malts come out without being too overwhelming or rich. A good balance all around.

T - Malty sweet with a toasty, almost coffee-like character that balances the sweetness out well. Low hop flavor in this one.

M - Smooth, soft body with a low carbonation sparkle to the finish. Very dry and low bitterness.

D - The dryness is actually becoming quite distracting to me, Otherwise it's a well-balanced, malty bock.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2010 02:57:09 | More by BeerFMAndy

Rayek

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a perfect pint glass.

A: Deep amber with a slight chill haze and mild carbonation. A soapy cream cap forms slowly and retreats to a thin ring fairly fast. Leaves bits of lace.

S: Toffee, cut grass and a bit of pepper.

T: Starts with a bittersweet toffee flavor. Bitterness is mild. It starts out with a nice pepper flavor, but quickly becomes rather metallic. The metallic flavors linger into finish where they're joined by more toffee flavors. There's a light warmth as the beer goes down.

M: The medium body is slightly slick and has just about the right level of fizz.

D: This was OK to me, but nothing more. The metallic flavors in the middle really detracted from the overall experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 01:19:27 | More by Rayek

tippebrewcrew2

Indiana

3.1/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

2/14/10

Breckenridge Brew Co
Pandora's Bock
Bock

A=4.0 Amber orange with medium head that lacks retention

S=3.5 very light malt grainy sweetness

T=3.0 It tastes very similar to Budweiser. Grain with light malt sweetness

F=2.5 Light and watery

D=3.0 I'm sure someone could brag about drinking a 6 pack of these but who would want to?

Breckenridge is normally a good brewery, but like all breweries some beers are a hit and some are a miss. I feel this was a miss. I felt it was too much like an american macro lager

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2010 08:43:04 | More by tippebrewcrew2