Alaskan Birch Bock (Pilot Series) - Alaskan Brewing Co.

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured a thin head on a cloudy light brown colored body.
The aroma is dry wood and dark malt. Interesting.
The taste is wonderful. It's fairly sweet overall, but less "annoying sweet" than most doppelbocks. There's definitely a syrup flavor with a background of dry malt sweetness.
The texture is slightly sticky with moderate carbonation.
Well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 04:37:16 | More by Fatehunter

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.11/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In my opinion, the beers in the Pilot Series are some of the best work from Alaskan. The taste is general bold and lacks the bothersome oily texture that I can not overlook in their more noted brews.

Poured into a glass, the beer was a murky brown with variation in the shades of brown. The aroma was the expected malty doppelbock type aroma. In fairness, I am not exactly what birch syrup is supposed to taste like, never having had it. I can only assume it is similar to maple syrup. In the initial taste, one detects the sweet malt as well as a certain syrupy sweetness with hints of dark fruit. There was a certain smokiness in the taste, but it was not overpowering. The thickness reminded me a little more of a barleywine than a doppelbock, but this was not a big detractor for me. In the aftertaste, one will notice the maltiness continues with a twang of sourness. The taste on this doppelbock is well developed and nicely rounded. I would certainly do this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 23:13:27 | More by JohnnyHopps

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.86/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a toffee colored body beneath the thinner off white head which quickly dissolves to leave little lacing behind.

Sweet aromas of birch syrup and brown sugar and hints of fig float from the glass. The aromas are sweet and candy like with typical doppelbock malty sweetness as well.

The flavors are similar featuring the birch maple and brown sugar sweetness the aroma has with hints of earthiness.

The body is fuller with medium carbonation and a nice sherry like, dryer finish.

This is a pretty nice doppelbock, clearly even a bit sweeter with the addition of the birch maple syrup than others but you can certainly appreciate the Alaskan twist.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 23:24:24 | More by CHADMC3

jdkitchi

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Acquired this for $6.99 at Discount. Poured reddish brown color into a snifter from the 22 oz bomber bottle. There was a small head that kept some lacing.

Smells of sweet dark malts and a little woody. The taste is very sweet mostly malts up front, some earthy character, slight hop balance and alcohol, some lingering sweet syrup in the finish. There is a medium mouth feel and low carbonation.

This is a pretty good Dopple. It 's a little different, a little cloying but pretty enjoyable too. I would have this again if I ran across it.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 02:25:48 | More by jdkitchi

Etan

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into a stout glass

A: Pours a wood amber-brown with a small light tan head.

S: Sweet, fruity malt - grapes, raisins, prunes, molasses, maple.

T: Maple, figs, brown sugar, caramel, brown bread, light birch spice.

M: Medium-bodied with light carbonation.

O: This was better than I was expecting. The birch is pretty mellow. The beer is a bit sweet, but not so much as to ruin the beer. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:44:34 | More by Etan

drinkyourcraft

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just a note to any readers - I have a slight cold and my taste and smell is a bit off.

Pours a good amber copper color with a good foamy head.

Taste is very malty and "maple-syrupy?" but nothing overwhelming.

Overall a solid doppelbock, tastes a lot like a homebrew I had recently.

Recommend - yes, share

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 03:35:08 | More by drinkyourcraft

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of Alaskan Birch Bock based on a sample at the St. Paul Summer Fest a few weeks ago. I have an affinity for "tree" beers after helping make a spruce ale with the MN Home Brewers at the first Teach a Friend to Homebrew day in 2005. The experience helped me get into homebrewing more, so "tree" beers have an odd emotional appeal to me.

Classic doppelbock color: deep copper to ruby. Dirty white head falls quickly over alcohol hotness and deep malt with a clear birch nose. Dark fruits and malt are smoothed by a slick oiliness over, what I assume, is a birch spicy note since it's low on hops. Very fun to drink.

Not a knock-your-socks off beer, but a testament to the creativity of the beer world. I like it and would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 02:07:06 | More by FightingEntropy

phishsihq

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Birch Bock, a dopplebock brewed with Alaskan birch syrup. The brew pours a beautiful mahogany color, and it is caped with a thin, off-white head that provides spotty lace. Aromas of dark fruit and sweet malt hint at the flavors to come, and a little bit of sweetness pokes through as well. Malt forward, Birch Bock showcases the addition of birch syrup in the sweet finish, with a touch of alcohol lingering too. Medium-light in body, this dopplebock features a lower-level of carbonation. If you have access to ANY Alaskan Brewing Company's beers, do yourself a favor and buy them!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:37:48 | More by phishsihq

Gavage

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: pours a light brown color with a short wispy head that falls apart quickly.

Smell: sweet malt and brown sugar is most noticeable by the nose.

Taste: very sweet malt profile, as brown sugar and ripe dark fruits are up front. Bitterness is mild and alcohol is mildly noticeable too.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp up front, smoother argue finish. The sweetness lingers on the tongue for a while.

Overall: I expected a little more from this beer, as it just was not as satisfying as I expected. One bomber bottle was more than enough for a session.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 13:19:55 | More by Gavage

woemad

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber purchased a while back at Huckleberry's in Spokane for $8.99. "081112" was stamped on the label, but it's not clear if that's when it was bottled or when it's best by. Considering the style and abv, I'm not too worried.

Poured a reddish amber color with a decent sized off-white head. Said head didn't stay large for long, but never entirely faded away.

Big, boozy scent grabbed the attention at first. There was also some brown sugar-like notes. There's a bit of a nutty scent in the background, as well.

Similar to the nose in that there's a boozy, brown sugary and nutty taste, but there's also a raisiny, dark fruit flavor lurking in the background, providing a little depth, but not enough for this to taste like a leading contender in the doppelbock category.

Body is somewhere between medium and full, with a slightly sticky mouthfeel.

This is a decent attempt at a doppelbock, but it falls short when it comes to the style's general complexity. If this had a little more depth, there'd be more fours in this review.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 20:14:08 | More by woemad

mltobin

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap at Roman`s in WI.

Appearance is dark copper with one finger head that is off-white in color. Its` nose has brown sugar, nuts and malts. For the taste of this doppelbock, I note raisins, caramel, some more of the nuts. Mouthfeel is medium with a slightly sticky finish. All in all, a pretty good beer, but nothing worth seeking out imo.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2012 01:41:25 | More by mltobin

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Berkeley Bowl West in Berkeley, CA. Brought back to Australia and shared with @tobeerornottobe and @Laituegonflable.

Pours a lovely clear and bright reddish umber hue, with a mild creamy beige head of fine bubbles. Minimal lacing, but the body is very solid. Body is very solid, and leaves fine carbonation when tilted. Very good looking beer.

Nose is smooth and round, with a bite of slightly medicinal astringency, which cuts through it and prevents it from being unanimously sweet. Sweet banana bread characters, hints of cinnamon bun and a wafty, slightly boozy phenolic note. It's very pleasant.

Taste is, ooh, surprising. I expected that phenolic or biting astringency to be very prominent, but instead, we get a truly sweet, syrupy beer, that doesn't ever get too heavy or overpowering. Mild maple syrup notes, along with a slight piney fragrance (is this birch? I wouldn't know). Feel is clear and smooth, almost glassy as it goes down.

Overall, good stuff: the birch syrup, I think, really comes through and gives an interesting twist, and the base beer is solid. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 02:32:58 | More by lacqueredmouse

sprucetip

Alaska

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Active, mahogany, thin tan head with little retention and no lacing. Good looker for what it's worth.

Malty sweet, toffee, a bit of dark fruit, and some warm boozy esters. Not especially deep, complex, or strong. But pleasant. ... Toward the very end of the sample it comes together better, but I still don't feel right bumping up to a 4. 3.75 anyone?? You can do 3.75 on "hads."

A little bit boozy and a little bit bitter, but sweet and malty is the primary character of the flavor here. I get some malty sweet and toasted flavors, embellished by toffee and dark fruit. But it's not quite as good as that might sound. The synergy of those elements isn't great. It tastes good, but not great.

Good carbonation, medium full body, moderately viscous, fairly strong warming, and some gentle bitterness in the finish.

Like many Alaskan Brewing beers, it's pretty good but not nearly amazing. I'd be proud of it if I made it, but would also be trying to figure out what I could do differently or better next time. I wouldn't recommend trading for it or going to great efforts to get it. And at $8.50 a bomber, I would maybe have one a year or so, if that. If I'm in the mood for a doppelbock, and I can get Celebrator, there is no question or discussion. That said, I do appreciate the attempt. But I keep wondering why Alaskan so often comes up short with these special releases. It almost seems like they purposefully dumb them down? I know they can make truly awesome beers (e.g. Smoked Porter, Baltic Porter, Barleywine), but so many of these special Pilot Series beers wind up being somewhat disappointing. Not bad, of course, but not sending me hustling back to the store for more before it's gone.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 05:00:40 | More by sprucetip

DCon

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on-tap @ the Beer Shoppe in Yakima, WA for $4 (special). Tapped from a Non-Labeled Tap Handle into a 16oz Beer Shoppe Pint Glass. Saw this one in a 22oz bottle at the shop so decided to enjoy on-tap instead.

Aroma- Tons of sugar and maple sugar hit the nose first. The sweetest malt you can find as well. Strong and enjoyed it!

Appearance- Received with no head... Tapping issues? Deep amber/light brown body with decent clarity. Leaves a few suds behind.

Flavor- Burnt sugar and caramel comes around very rich and dominant. Awesome! Malty and has a light bitterness at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Medium Carbonation, Sweet, Smooth, and a finish like a dessert beer.

Overall Impression- Wow! Not too traditional for the style but enjoyed GREATLY! Reminded me of an aged Thomas Hardy's Ale. This is a great compliment to this beer! Would love to get a bottle of this but have many others to drink first. Maybe next year. Highly recommend!

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2012 19:39:32 | More by DCon

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle. Best by Date: 8/11/12. Poured into Philly Beer Scene chalice.

A: Hazy amber orange color. Quarter finger of off white head that faded quickly into an off white ring around the edges. Carbonation appears to be there though as I see some tiny bubbles. Some alcohol feet are present and some lacing sheets.

S: Lots of sweet malt goodness. Maybe like a dark cherry underneath it all. But lots of candied sugar sweetness. Some caramel maybe.

T: No hop presents on the tip of the tongue, aside from a slight prickle. Carbonation is there

M: Medium bodied. Almost DIPA like, but UNFRESH DIPA mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 20:00:12 | More by inlimbo77

yamar68

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My palate is freshly raped by a glass of Hop Stoopid (sorry).

Poured from 22oz bomber to pint glass:

Nice looking bock. Looking rather still.

The nose certainly boasts some caramely birch syrup - such a unique ingredient and surprisingly distinguishable from other tree syrups. Nice. A bit of leather and toffee here as well.

A lot of the same notes tend to surface on the tongue with the addition of a pretty distinct mineral type finish. Smells better than it tastes.

The after taste detracts from the feel but the consistency is good.

I always love trying beers that utilize birch syrup.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 02:22:08 | More by yamar68

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a mug.

3.0 A: Clear orange amber color. One finger of frothy beige head. Retention is lacking, but it's possible that that's due to the birch syrup. No lacing.

4.0 S: Wow, the birch really comes through in this. The strongest aroma is maple nut candies, but with birch instead of maple. There's something else that's really distinct, but I just can't figure out what it is right now. Good bit of toffee with some caramel underneath. An almost tanginess that could come from the syrup or the malts. Light booziness. Candied date fruitiness.

4.0 T: Again lots of birch, toffee, and sugariness. Candied date, currants, and plum fruitiness. Not as tangy as the nose, but there's still a little bit of it. It tastes like it smells, but it's a bit smoother actually. Booze is well hidden.

4.0 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation that is almost spritzy. Good here. Super smooth.

4.0 D: Of the one other birch related beer I've had, this is by far the best. Done very well, tasty, and great on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:50:26 | More by DavoleBomb

snaotheus

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle split into a pair of large snifter

Pours a pretty ruby color with very little head and lots of carbonation. Smell is alcohol and syrup.

Taste is unexplainably bland. Alcohol is plenty present, syrup is there, there is a little bit of a woody flavor, something about it reminds me of sweet tea.

Mouthfeel is sticky. Overall, too sweet and bland to be any more than average for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 21:53:47 | More by snaotheus

TexIndy

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass. No dating info on the bottle but the website says it's a March 2012 release. It was a rich red-amber color with few carb streams. It had almost no head when poured and what was there quickly evaporated. No lacing.

The aroma is strong on birch syrup and caramel malt. A little booze maybe. Not bad but man it's sweet. The taste closely follows the aroma and again is very sweet. It's dances over the cloying line then comes back. Not getting any of the other traditional doppelbock aromas or tastes but this is supposed to be birch syrup heavy so can't knock it much. Medium to heavy mouthfeel with good sweet aftertaste but lacking in carbonation.

Overall, a good speciality doppelbock that I do recommend if you can easily get. While Alaskan is now in Texas this isn't one of the beers that they offer here yet. Got from Hoss in a care package. Rotation - glad I tried it but wouldn't seek out again. But would try on-tap. [N;O]

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:41:21 | More by TexIndy

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.43/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

$7.35 for the 22oz bottle best by 081112.

A nice clear amber colour, great 2 finger head of stubborn foam, does very well with the lacing.

It smells very malty..maple syrup like but it's birch syrup. Worthy for the style and very inviting.

Really sweet up front from the birch syrup, slightly earthy, more sweetness, caramel malt kind of way, zero bitterness. Tasty but just a tad too sweet for my personal preferences. There's also a big bite from the alcohol that slows things down.

A nice mouthfeel here but again, the alcohol is too up front and given how sweet the overall taste is, it's a chore to drink.

A good effort from the brewery but I'd call it a slight miss according to my palate.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 01:20:39 | More by Bitterbill

Halcyondays

California

4.53/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a dark amber to brown with a medium tan head which leaves some thick lace.

S: Heavy birch and maple syrup, dark turbinado sugar, distinct and inviting.

T: Classic malty dark dopplebock flavours. Dark bread, molasses, the birch is a nice addition. Sweet for sure, but never gets overbearing.

M: Full-bodied, never cloying which was astonishing in an American dopplebock with this much residual sugar. Crisp carbonation.

O: This was a really good effort from Alaskan. The best new beer I've had from them since the Baltic Porter. The bomber was pricey, but the QPR is good, a delicious strong beer with a unique touch. Well worth a pickup.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 20:18:43 | More by Halcyondays

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.18/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Alaskan Birch Bock (Pilot Series)

Appearance: dark amber, small head, and some lacing.

Smell: birch and alcohol.

Taste: nice malt and birch notes.

Mouthfeel: medium and smooth.

Overall:
This is a very nice brew. The flavors are very well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 03:10:50 | More by megahurts4

hreb

Washington

2.23/5  rDev -38.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle pours red-brown, crystal clear, with a tiny amount of white head. Holy crap, intensely estery aroma. Flavor is similarly chemical. I don't detect any birch-beer like flavor, though there is some sweetness, either from that birch additives or from the normal heavy malt load of a bock beer. I didn't expect much, but this disappoints. Would not try again.

Pros are it looks decent in the glass, there's a pretty scene with a moose on the label, and it hides its ABV very well. Cons are that it hides its ABV with bad flavor. And everything else.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 02:39:40 | More by hreb

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 6.1.12.

A - Pours a cloudy, red-amber with a small light tan head. Fizzy with good retention.

S - Sweet mapler, bready, carmel.

T - Sweet fruit, carmel, wood, raisins.

D - Ok carbonation with a medium body.

O - Sweet and woody. Boring.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 04:15:10 | More by HuskyinPDX

beertunes

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a semi-cloudy amber/brown color with an inch of tan head that had good retention and very light lacing.

The aroma was mostly sweet malts, with some different type spice notes that I couldn't really put my finger on. On the tongue, the malts were again the most notable feature. The beer was on the sweet side (coming from someone who likes sweet beers) and also had a noticeable alcohol taste. The did have a pleasant, earthy finish.

The body was fairly typical for the style, perhaps a bit too sticky sweet. Drinkability was good, I enjoyed my pint, but I'm not sure I'd have a second in a row, and I think a 22 would be too much at once for me. Overall, a solidly decent, but not really notable, beer. Worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 19:07:54 | More by beertunes