Yuengling Bock - Yuengling Brewery

Arknot

Florida

2.03/5  rDev -40.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

When I was still new to beer my favorite style was the Bock. It had a medium body, taste, and low hops, giving it a nice rounded sweetness and easy drinkability. I'd heard Yuengling sometimes made a Bock and I've been excited about finding it for years until a few days ago when I finally came across it in person.

First impression is cool retro bottle, cheap price, easy twist off, and old american brewery! Upon pouring into a pint glass I see the clear medium-dark amber color as well as very harsh carbonation with loud bubbles and a very short lasting head.

Smell is hardly noticeable, with a slight malty dryness.

Taste is harsh carbonation with dry malty backbone. The finish is slighty dry/bitter yet not at all hoppy. I'm feeling a soapy/chemical aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is light and overly carbonated, it actually burns somewhat like drinking a soda.

Overall I have to say pass on this beer. I'm glad I only bought a single of it. Taste is bland/harsh and completely uneventful. While some boring beers are at least have a place in this world (macro lager on a hot summer day), this boring beer leaves your mouth somewhat annoyed.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 03:43:47 | More by Arknot

dogfishandi

New York

3.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

my brother in law gave me one of these while we watched the sabres playoffs against philly. 12 oz. twist off bottle around fridge temp poured into an SA perfect pint glass.

pours out a clear brown color with some red rubiness in the light. one finger of off white head that settled rather quickly to a ring and some patchy foam. no real lace to speak of.

a sweet grainy malty aroma, maybe some fruitiness. some mineral lager yeast. not a whole lot of aroma to speak of.

again, sweet grains at the forefront, some fruits, hints of caramel, sulfer mineral lager yeast, and maybe some tea like herbal hop qualities with a little bitterness.

medium bodied, assertive carbonation, finishes rather dry.

overall: kind of what i expected from this brewery, i respect it for its rich history, but not something i would buy. reminds me in many ways of gennesee bock beer

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 22:47:51 | More by dogfishandi

chodinheaven

Maryland

2.55/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Clear, deep, mahagoney color with a bubbly pure white head. Smell is reminiscent of an adjunct lager, which does not bode well for this beer. Maybe some caramel-like malts in there as well.

Taste is lacking a bit. Some caramel malts come through, not a hint of hops, amd just the slightest hint of booze in the finish. The taste itself isn't actually so bad, but combined with an unpleasant smell and a weak, but too-highly carbonated mouthfeel, the taste and beer take a hit. Not a terrible beer, but I probably wouldn't be drinking it again anytime soon. Not sitting very well with me.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 03:29:44 | More by chodinheaven

chcfan

California

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The goat on the bottle is drinking it out of a chalice, so I went with that.

On the darker end of amber-brown in color.

Little bit of a berry-like sweetness in the aroma.

Not a lot going on in the taste department, but it goes down very easily.

All in all a pretty solid bock offering from Yuengling.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 22:40:10 | More by chcfan

elgiacomo

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottled Jan 13, 2011.

Pours clear reddish-copper with a two finger off white head that dissipates to a wispy cap but leaves some rings of lacing.

Aroma is caramel, toffee, nuts, toasted bread, light grain, bit of hops and dark fruit. Good strength.

Flavor is caramel malt with moderate sweetness, toffee, brown sugar, nuts, toast, a hint of raisins, lingering finish.

Mouthfeel is thin to medium, good carbonation.

Haven't had a Dunkler Bock before, and few other Bock styles, but I'm quite enjoying this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 19:59:11 | More by elgiacomo

rebel1771

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark reddish brown with a massive head that fades slowly and leaves a nice lacing on the glass.

S: Sweet caramel aroma with a slight sweet corn smell.

T: Dry toasted malt flavor that fades to a pumpernickel type flavor.

O: Very nice bock. Smooth, not overpowering and just enjoyable to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 23:23:14 | More by rebel1771

generallee

New York

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. The cool old school styled label has no other info.

Appearance: In the glass it has a nice reddish brown color with good clarity. A small light tan head settles to a thin ring of slick lacing around the edge of the glass to cap this beer off.

Smell: The nose is light overall and has a modest bready maltiness with light toasted notes, some raw gain and toffee like sweetness. Hops are very distant but seem to add a slight earthy character.

Taste/Palate: The base is malty but a bit thin for the style. There are mild bready and toasted notes with some caramel and toffee like sweetness balanced by light earthy hops. This adds mild bitterness, a touch of acidity and a little dryness to the finish. On the tongue it feels a bit thin for the style and there is plenty of carbonation.

Notes: For me it just misses the mark and my overall feeling is that it's a very drinkable but average at best Bock.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 18:32:25 | More by generallee

nimrod979

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First of all, Love the label on this beer! It pours a clear reddish brown color with small ring of white foam that lingers. Aroma is rather faint. Toasty caramel malts. Faint hop presence. Flavor is is a little malty. Not too sweet as some other bocks are and a bit watery. There is a little hops bitterness in the ever-so quick finish. Actually kinda resembles their Traditional Lager. Thin but slightly creamy and soft mouthfeel. Still, watery.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 23:38:03 | More by nimrod979

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Yuengling Bock

I like the retro style of the label. Very nice. I'm not sure if Yuengling ever made a bock, but I'll assume they did as every brewery used to make one in spring. It was tradition. Quite often it was just their regular beer with a food coloring such as "Porterine" added in, but people thought it was something new and interesting. (I looked it up, yes, the label is original from 1941).

It pours a clear, very deep russet brown colored body beneath a short-lived head of tan foam.

In the nose it's lightly malty with a hint of caramel and toastiness, and some floral character. There's not really much there. There's very little malt considering it's a "bock", and what hops are there are only in the background.

The flavor delivers the same floral and gently toasty & caramelish character found in the nose; and although malt is most certainly present, it's not really sweet, and it doesn't seem "malty", at least not in terms of what you's expect from a bock beer. A firm bitterness balances it, and it finishes dry with some pleasant spicy hops lingering. Some astringency, unfortunately, mars it a bit.

Overall it's a little bit above average (think mass-produced golden lagers), but it's far from a bock. The 5.1% abv excludes that right off the bat with traditional bocks starting at 6.3%. The lack of malt flavor then completely shuts it down. Otherwise they're at least on the right track.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 18:01:42 | More by NeroFiddled

ajfa531

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a Sam Smith mini-imp pint.

Pour yields a two finger head that drops quickly, leaving a surface of foam. Bubbles are off-white. Brown in color with dark orange-red when held up to light. Crystal clear.

Slight caramel aroma with some corn notes. Not much aroma to speak of. Sweetness. Some earthiness to the smell, but, that's it for the hops. Noted later: Some spiciness is noted as this beer opens up. Maybe some cinnamon.

A good, clean tasting beer, but, it's a far cry from a great bock. The caramel, toasty, bready flavors that I'm looking for are there. However, I definitely wish they were bigger. I can almost taste the water more than the beer. A little corn in the finish just before some bitterness.

A little thin for a bock. A lot of carbonation at first pour. Too much at first, but, it slows its pace. The lack of punch in the taste would lead to a similar mouthfeel for a lager for me. If the malt was fuller, the mouthfeel would be much better.

A refreshing beer, but, almost a light bock. The qualities are there. However, to subtle to be a great beer. That being said, not a bad sixer for a kickback night.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 07:14:38 | More by ajfa531

metter98

New York

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that quickly dissipated into delicate lacing.
S: There are light aromas of dark malts in the nose along with some hints of caramel.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell, except that the flavors are a bit stronger.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a bit watery on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is easy to drink, yet it lacks the fuller body of other beers in the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 00:31:36 | More by metter98

jjboesen

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From America's Oldest Brewery in rustic Pottsville, Pennsylvania, we have a traditional bock style beer. As we all know, bock (German for goat) was created by Bavarian monks to assist them during their Lenten fasts. But enough of the history ....

The appearance is good: there is the initial froth that subsides into a thin watery head crowning a caramel colored body. I noticed little activity within the glass; no carbonation bubbles and no lacing. There is a somewhat decent cinnamon nose to compliment the malty brown sugar taste.

Despite the underwhelming nose/palate combo, the mouthfeel is finely balanced and provides a crispy finish. While Yuengling Bock can never compete with the Munich heavyweights, it is still nice to see the Yuenglings brew one nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 17:41:33 | More by jjboesen

mart1018

Tennessee

2.3/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.5

I won't be bock.
I remember the dark sweet Easter drink from"childhood", those teens when Pops explained the goat among other things, you're not JFK and this is not bock. I was told that bock was done to clean out the 'STUFF" that accumulated in the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 03:27:22 | More by mart1018

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

C'mon, Dick, y'all could've done a better job with this one. I suppose I understand if you'd want this to be as palatable as it can be for your core Lager-drinking market, but something just ain't right with this here "Bock".

From the thin-looking, too-light & too-clear cola brown, cola-bubbly, with sad brownish-off-white fizzy head presentation (though, backing up, I love the Art Deco label with drunken goat), to the all-up-front-vanishes-in-flash, burnt popcorn kernel, bittersweet malt, bitter roast, sweet toast, burnt-toasty maple syrup, burnt caramel taste, to its real clean, real dry, little sizzle (this beer bites, literally), little strength, and NO DEPTH....I feel like there's a little left to be desired here.

Add some UMPH! - not a whole lot - and I think it would improve a bit. The bitter bite, wherever it comes from, got to me the most although it seems to mellow out a bit, and the flavor improves, when it's not so cold.

Still, I'll take your porter 10 times out of 10 over this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 05:18:52 | More by Bouleboubier

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle (no date) into pint glass. Pours a chestnut brown body with orange highlights on the edges and a smaller off white slightly creamy head. Aroma of orange juice, grains, slight chocolate and dust. Medium to fuller bodied that really fizzes up in your mouth with stronger carbonation. Flavor is much better then the aroma, although still not great, with notes of brown bread, chocolate, oranges, and slight sour notes. Weak on flavor, aroma and most importantly alcohol. Was nice to taste the beer celebrating Yuengling's 180th anniversary. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 22:30:54 | More by CuriousMonk

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Not a bad poor, decent head retention and a foam head. Scents of burnt coffee and caramel. A bit musty, however. Also pours an oft-reddish brown color. Nice deep copper. Tastes good. A bit over-carbonated and quite light. Very crisp and smooth finish, not much bitterness, and very dry. I would never refuse one of these.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 23:24:11 | More by bigdeuce

9InchNails

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A light copper penny body. A head that thins out quickly, it looks sudsy.

A grassy grain smell with a hint of cocoa. Not much else and kind of average.

I get some grass and grain, also some biscuits. Very bland chocolate taste and a watered down burnt coffee. It's okay tasting. A little weak for my palate.

Mouth isn't all that great. Kind of blah for a Bock. Carbonation is noticeable, nothing crazy. Leaves the lips a little sticky.

Despite the average taste and mouth feel, I did work my way through three bottles. If there is a session light Bock, this is it.

I love Yuengling, probably more than I should but I was glad when I heard they were bringing the Bock back. I had it, last year or the year before and I enjoyed it. My palate has radically changed since then with my discovery of all types of beer. Sadly, I rate this Yuengling Brew nothing more than average.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 07:51:09 | More by 9InchNails

sommersb

Tennessee

3.15/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. brown bottle with no dating, poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Appearance is a dark copper color, clear, with a couple of fingers worth of tan head. Lacing is decent.

There's not much in the way of aromas I can detect -- some caramel malt smells with also the bitter aroma of the hops. Definitely more hop presence than the malts.

Taste is mostly of the hop character and bitterness, with a little bit of the dark malt notes in the background. Seems a bit astringent to me as well. The feel is of a thin body with medium carbonation. Finishes with a dry aftertaste.

This is a decent beer for putting down when working in the garage, but seemed underwhelming to me. It also tastes more like an amber ale than a bock. Would not seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 04:42:14 | More by sommersb

DerekP

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Mahogany-brown in appearance with a light-gray head on top that slims down to a thin yet respectable rim with a misty surface. Smells of wet malts and strange hoppy aromas. Floral with citrus notes (lemon and lime). Alcohol shows itself in the nose as well. Swirled the beer for more head and caught a whiff of a well-herbed beef stroganoff with mushrooms. Call me crazy.

Taste is muddled at first sip. Dry, bitter, and a bit muted. Fairly hoppy. Attenuation, just a smidgen; I'm not complaining. Alcohol flavor pulls itself up from below the stage. Faint caramel notes.

Mouthfeel...drink cold for best results. I'm drinking another to take another look, and a cold Yuengling Bock feels a lot better than one that's warming up after 20-30 mins. Pretty close to their Black & Tan in that respect.

Not bad; a little messy. Similar to Penn Brewery's St. Nikolaus Bock, but not as good.

SIDE NOTE: I've heard whispers that Yuengling Bock is merely another Black & Tan style of beer; this time a mixture of Yuengling Traditional Lager with Yuengling Porter or the Black & Tan. In my opinion, Yuengling would do better to create an authentic Bock. Still, if you're a Yuengling fan (and I'm one), not a bad seasonal change-up from the year-rounds.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 02:29:25 | More by DerekP

Ricochet

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Light brown and transparent. No head, little lace. Small beads.

S: Powerful "old beer" smell. It's like a day old Amber. A little burnt grain scent, maybe a little fruit.

M: Foamy, thick, with a grainy wash and a little corn pop aftertaste. Not unpleasant.

T: There is a small amount of bitter rolling over but the grainy burn corn malt makes itself known. I'm not sure about this representing a bock, but I'll go with it. (Even the Genesee Bock left a different, more bock-like profile.) Still the thickness of the mouth and the hint of burnt grain and raisin and even a little Yuengling Amber profile thrown in...

D: I like this a bit more than the Amber because of the stronger flavor. Black and Tan overtakes this though and Lord Chets, isn't as expensive and seems a better choice. Hey, I'm a Y! homer.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 04:38:45 | More by Ricochet

TheLegendaryGary

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This is a good dark beer with a very appealing smell thou a bit weak. It has a very bold taste with a kind of citrus undertone. There was another flavor in it I couldn't quite put my finger on. This beer wasn't as smooth as other beers I've had in the past, so it was a little rough in the mouth and I had trouble drinking a lot of them in a rapid fashion.

All in all this beer is worth a try. I also just found out it is a spring beer so that's pretty cool i guess.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 22:52:57 | More by TheLegendaryGary

Justin23060

Virginia

4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great retro art-deco label with a goat dinking from a goblet. Amber brown with a very thin head that quickly dissipated. Has that traditional pretzely malt bock smell. Taste is pronounced pretzel malt/bread crust w/ just enough hop to bitter. Finishes dry but not astringent. Mouthfeel's a bit watery for the style. Also a bit creamy which was pretty good. Not bad at all for a $7.00/6pk beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 07:49:54 | More by Justin23060

dtivp

West Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured a dark cherry brown with ruby tint, nice two finger white head with moderate retention and some lacing.

Aroma of malt, grain and bread.

Taste lead with the malt, bread and finished with a slight hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel was light body and lots of carbonation. As the beer warmed, it started to become thin and watery. My drinking companion noticed the same thing.

Drinkability was good at first then the characteristic of the beer went down hill as it warmed. This is an average bock at best and not one of Yuengling's finest.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 00:27:39 | More by dtivp

obrendano

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - great logo work, sort of art deco and very distinctive. beer is deep clear red, and pours a massive head, but the retention is lacking, head disappeared within 30 seconds

S - almost the same as original Yuengling, that trademark snappy, sharp red beer smell. a bit of floral hop comes through

T - good enough, but kind of all over the place. alternates a lot between sweet overly malt and tart, spicy, bitter toasted tones. esthery alcohol is present as well. interesting enough to keep drinking, but seeing as me and regular Yuengling aren't best of friends, I'm not surprised that this isn't my favorite either

M - smooth lager, a bit heavier than most people would like out of an American lager probably

D - a good adventure, but I can't help feel something is off. label says "Tastes Good", which I can't argue with, but toning it down a little might help things out. this is a lager, after all. other bocks I've had aren't quite as bossy

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 23:25:29 | More by obrendano

adam42381

Florida

3.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pilsner glass. Bottled on January 13, 2011 per code printed on bottle.

Appearance: Pours a medium cherry wood color with ruby highlights and a 1 finger white head which dissipates quickly. Decent lacing.

Smell: Biscuity malt with floral hops.

Taste: Bready malt up front followed by pale malt in the middle and a bit of hoppy bitterness at the finish. Aftertaste is mildly bitter. Has a bit of the flavor I associate with Yuengling Traditional Lager, but this tastes a little better and is more well-balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a high amount of carbonation. Goes down smooth.

Drinkability: High drinkability. You could knock back a few without much trouble.

Overall: Good beer overall. I like Yuengling Traditional Lager from time to time, but this is a better beer from the same brewer. This could become a go-to cheap beer for me. It's not world class by any means, but it's worth trying if only because it's cheap.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 19:41:32 | More by adam42381