Super Bock - UNICER União Cervejeira S.A.

DoubleJ

California

2.69/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Super Bock sounds exotic, but its classification of being an adjunct lager dissapoints my hopes. Still, I hope to get something out of this. Coming out of a 330 ml bottle, on to the beer:

A lighter than golden color shows in the body. A short head forms on top of the beer, retaining in an average manner, dropping to a patchy lace within a minute of the pour. Oh, there's the nose. Definately not a bock. A little stinky grass, milled corn and cooked corn arise. Ok, vamos...

Run of the mill adjunct lager. It's not horrible, however don't get your hopes up. Rather clean with a slight honey sweetness, white bread, and a pleasantly crisp, light body. Maybe too crisp, as the bubbles are eating away at my throat! Somewhat steeley towards the end of the sip.

Hard to believe this is my first Portuguese beer. What's not hard to believe would be this first and last visit with Super Bock.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 05:57:26 | More by DoubleJ

Pegasus

Texas

3.05/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Appearance: Quite clear medium golden in color, with a large, coarse snow-white cap.The carbonation is slight, and there is scattered,patchy lacing.

Aroma: Notes of cooked corn, pale malt,moderate herbal hops,and a bit of Heineken-style skunk aroma.

Taste: Opens with mildly sweet malt, soon followed by cooked corn. There is a faint toasted quality to the malt as well, Later in the taste, some mildly earthy and metallic hops appear. Finishes with a lingering, mild metallic note.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, a touch thin, but pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: An interesting example, not sure why its called "Super Bock", but certainly its inoffensive and drinkable. Also, its my first beer from the great land of Portugal.

Presentation: Packaged in an 11.2 ounce brown glass euro-style long-neck bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Sourced: This was a gift from Colonel Bill, intrepid nickel hunter and connoisseur of fine craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 15:06:01 | More by Pegasus

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.01/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

11.2 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced quickly to a thin layer. It is a golden straw yellow with great clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: sweet pale malts, grainy and grassy notes, and a little bready notes too.

Taste: Tastes just like the aromas. Pretty simple with a little bitterness in the end.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, crisp, medium carbonation, and medium bodied.

Overall: Being Portuguese, I have drank this plenty of times on both sides of the Atlantic. Pretty average tasting beer that is there solely to quench my thirst and get away from all the hop nombs out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 06:08:14 | More by Flounder57

asnider

Alberta (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

I ordered this thinking that Portuguese beer would go well with Portuguese food. I also assumed, incorrectly, that it wasn't just another adjunct lager. I mean, it has the word "Bock" right in the name!

This is not a bock. It's definitely an adjunct lager with a lot of unnecessary sweetness to it. It actually lists sugar syrup as an ingredient. Points to the brewer for being honest, at least.

The aroma was not particularly pleasant, smelling a bit like stale cereal grains, but wasn't off-putting, either.

The taste was decent for the style, but the sweetness was a bit too cloying and it didn't quite work for me. It was still better than the typical BMC lagers, but not by much.

The mouth feel was strange on this one. It was relatively smooth, but could have stood for a little bit more carbonation. It was OK, but not great.

I likely wouldn't drink this again unless my options were extremely limited.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 17:37:44 | More by asnider

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.14/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2

Half finger of head on a clear, pale straw colored body.
I can barely stand the aroma. It's a mixture of dirty barnyard and grain.
The taste isn't as offensive, it just tastes like water with the slight bit of bitterness.
Fizzy texture, moderate carbonation and light body.
It's one of the less enjoyable beers I've had. The smell is a real put-off.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 20:56:12 | More by Fatehunter

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

11.2 oz bottle, 10.2012 stamped on label, not sure if that is a bottling date or best by date.

appears a pale straw yellow color, brilliantly clear. bright white colored head that fades. slightly sweet, grainy aroma. a little bit of cooked corn. more of the same with the taste, on note. thin and fizzy body.

Slightly better than the American BMC beers, but not much.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 03:19:01 | More by jmdrpi

dansmcd

Australia

1.75/5  rDev -38.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Picked this up so I could tick off Portugal on the list of nations of beers tried. Mistake.

A - Thin coat of flimsy weak bubbles, retreats instantly to a ring. Clear body demonstrates 20 seconds of effervesence before its as flat and still as can be.

S - Corn, metallic stinky skunkiness, slight yeast.

T - Typical adjunct lager flavours of corn syrup and lemon juice.

M - High carbonation, light fizzy body.

O - Shite.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 08:31:56 | More by dansmcd

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.13/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Light amber to straw colour with a large, foamy white head on top that has good retention and looks quite thick. There is some lacing and lots of bubbles, a typical lager look albeit with a good head on it.

Light smelling with lots of cheap adjuncts, corn and some bread. There is some cereal and a watery citrus aroma but the smell is a pretty poor one.

Cereal, bread, corn and very light hops along with other basic adjuncts and a hint of citrus although none of these flavours are particularly strong or pleasant. This was not a good beer at all though and there is some skunky flavours towards the end.

Light with medium carbonation and a some touches of grain coming through on top of what for the most a smooth beer. There is some sweetness in there too and it is pretty light on bitterness levels.

This one was an awful beer, I honestly can't think of anything that I particularly enjoyed about it and it was a real struggle to finish with it becoming hard to drink after only a couple of sips and it tasted quite skunky at parts.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 19:47:10 | More by flyingpig

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

For the most part, this is your typical adjunct brew. But the flavor profile isn't all that bad. It gives a slightly sweeter and less dirty characteristic than you might normally get from beers like this. Still though, it's bland and crappy. Just not the worst thing ever. And why exactly is this called a bock?? Ha!

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 06:09:33 | More by RblWthACoz

SmashPants

Australia

2.45/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle: light brown 330mL bottle, pretty ordinary looking label. Macro standard I suppose.

Appearance: light amber body, crystal clear. Head bubbled and disappeared in seconds.

Aroma: sweet-scented cereal with lighter fruit and hops.

Taste: very mild, and what there is is not terribly impressive. Cheap cereals without and hops bitterness or malt undertones.

Aftertaste: not much better, but at least there is the lack of metallic fug you expect in a cheap and poor tasting beer.

Mouth feel: light bodied and fairly high in carbonation. The carbonation carries too much metallic fug flavour.

Overall: a cheap tasting beer replete with cheap rice, cheap grains and a lack of anything note-worthy.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 09:11:19 | More by SmashPants

mikeg67

New Jersey

2.15/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

11.2 oz bottle from Portuguese restaurant. Pours golden with a thin, long-lived white head and soda like carbonation. Aroma is of grassy hops, bready malt and sweet corn. Body is light and smooth. Some light hops and grain combine on the palate. Regular macro crap, but at least inoffensive.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 16:03:49 | More by mikeg67

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.23/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours gold with a large, fading head.
Nose shows hay, skunky, grassy hops and unexpected caramel.
Same story with flavours: hay, grass and some redeeming soft sweet malt, followed by a mild bitterness. Thankfully not too sweet.
Carbonation is too high.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 08:32:23 | More by CrazyDavros

ckollias

Maryland

3/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a pint glass at Nando’s PERi PERi in National Harbor..

A: Pours a clear golden straw color with a 1-finger white head that quickly dissipates.

S: Not a huge nose – grains and very mild hops.

T: Grainy flavor with lemon background and finishes slightly bitter with the hops.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: When I ordered this I thought I was ordering a Bock – and was confused when it poured a golden color. But – surprises are sometimes a good thing – but in this case this beer was just ok. Nothing special or anything I would grab again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 01:38:18 | More by ckollias

Samp01

New Jersey

2.9/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a golden pale yellow with a white lasting head with some lacing. Aroma and Taste is cereal, grains, grassy notes with some malt sweetness and light hops. Plate is light, crisp with light carbonation. Finish is sweet malt, cereal, grains some grassy notes and some light bitterness. Overall not too bad, best when cold, an ok drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 02:40:14 | More by Samp01

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle picked up as a single at the LCBO; listed at 5.2% abv. Best before October 2012.

Pours a pale golden-straw colour, generating about a finger of soapy white head on top. Retention is average for an adjunct lager, i.e. not that good, but at least it leaves behind some smears of lacing. Why do some European breweries love these clear/green bottles so much? This sample is only 3-4 months old and it's already almost at the point of raunchiness. Other than the sulfurous skunk-stank, the aroma is pretty mild - grainy, a bit sweet, noticeably corny. Slight hop presence that reminds me of wet hay. I am not cringing, but I am not exactly enticed.

Tolerable flavour with no deal-breaking flaws. Damp, grainy malts with some light, corny sweetness describes the bulk of the flavour. Mostly clean finish, with only some slight, grassy dryness from the hops. A bit more than light-bodied, but still watery, with a good, firm, crisp bite from the fairly heavy carbonation.

This is a highly unremarkable lager, acceptable for the style but nothing more. And let me be clear (because the packaging is not): this is not a bock, and there is nothing super about it at all. It's easy to drink and refreshing enough, I guess - but there are domestic lagers that can accomplish this while putting far less of a strain on your wallet.

Final Grade: 2.73, a forgettable C- grade. Portugal has never been known for its thriving beer industry, past or present, so I should not be surprised that this brew was bland and devoid of any creativity. I would be genuinely annoyed if I had paid 13-14 dollars (!) for a six-pack of this expecting an actual bock-style beer. This is a generic industrial-style lager that happens to cost a few bucks more than the others.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 03:50:35 | More by thehyperduck

whitefire

California

2.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Typical color for a lager. Pours into a nice yellowish color.

S: Nothing worth mentioning.

Taste/Mouth feel: A refreshing beer that misses the style overall. Taste is somewhat metallic which is a turnoff.

O: I really want to like this beer... Being Portuguese, I like to support the "homeland" product, but this one disappoints. I would like to try some of their other beers though.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 04:00:41 | More by whitefire

mralphabet

Virginia

2.15/5  rDev -24%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

11.2 oz. bottle poured into Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass.

A: Poured a very pale straw yellow with about a finger and a half of soapy white head that settles to a spotty layer with little to no lacing to speak of.

S: Little skunky.... Some sweet malt and corn. Not very impressive.

T: Lots of sweet corn here.. with a touch of hops. Very Euro big name Euro Lager.

M: Very light-bodied, not very crisp and a little heavy on the carbonation.

D: Not the worst I've had just very plain big brewer Euro lager... Nothing very interesting or good.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 04:11:02 | More by mralphabet

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

330ml bottle. Seem to remember this on Three Sheets a few years ago...

This beer pours a clear pale golden yellow colour, with one finger of thin, but tight, foamy white head, which maintains a modicum of retention, eventually leaving a low wash of painted lace around the glass. It smells of bready, crackery, corn grain, some citrus wood polisher, and a subtle, overarching weedy skunk. The taste is grainy malt, the corn element receding a fair bit, if favour of a somewhat acrid warming alcohol, and softened earthy skank. The carbonation is average, the body medium weight, a tad cloying, but mostly smooth. It finishes grainy and a bit boozy, the now-internalized stink wafting away.

Well, there are bock elements here, but cheap ones at that, so I can understand the confusion in BA style descriptors. Not as bad as the initial whiff would indicate, but still too hot for the proclaimed ABV. Nothing worth revisiting, unless you're a hedonistic TV show, and they're giving it to you for free.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 22:24:44 | More by biboergosum

jadpsu

Georgia

2.8/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle purchased in Middletown NJ.
Pours very light and clear pale straw yellow with a full 2 finger pure white head that clings to the side glass.
Aroma: got a little Euro skunkiness and grains.
Taste: definitely grainy with distant cietric tones.
Has a dry acrid finish.
Mediocre beer. At least it didn't find a way to offend. Tried it once won't look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 21:07:57 | More by jadpsu

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

2.1/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

330ml bottle poured into pint glass 6/10/11

A clear straw yellow with a few particles being moved around by loads of bubbles that feed a long lasting thumbs width of foam that leaves only a random patch of lace

S skunky corn with some sour lemon

T some skunky sweet malt with some grassy hops but unfortunately it mimics the smell

M thin and watery but well carbonated but a nasty aftertaste

O not feeling this one all that much, dark bottle but still skunked? perhaps just a lousy brew

15$ a 6er? you gotta be joking. don't bother unless you like waaayyy overspending, just buy a cheap macro its pretty much the same thing. from the name I was expecting a Bock not a shitty lager

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 05:20:27 | More by wordemupg

UCLABrewN84

California

2.9/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a crystal clear light yellow with a 1 inch fizzy white head that fades to nothing. Random tiny spots of lace dot the glass on the drink down. Smell is of skunk, grains, corn flakes, and grassy notes. Taste is of grains and corn flakes primarily with a slightly bread-like aftertaste. There is a metallic taste present in this beer as well. A decent carbonation level makes for a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average beer in all respects. My first beer from Portugal and I am not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 22:14:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.4/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear, sunshiny gold with a snowy white head that retains well. The aroma is pretzels and vodka, bready, malty, dry, and slightly boozy with a bit of toffee and some grassy, dandelion-floral hops. It smells dry, and not very deep. It's full and frothy on the palate, solidly malty but very airy at the same time. Sweet corn and quinine dominate, without much else going on except some light citrus and a faint metallic tinge. Not bad, not good. You could do worse at Nando's.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 11:20:51 | More by soulgrowl

DefenCorps

Oregon

2.5/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A rare Portuguese tick. Woo! With a name like "Super Bock", I am going to review it as one.

Pouring a fizzy yellow with a dense white head that falls off leaving nothing, this isn't particularly impressive to look at. The nose isn't all that better either. Plenty of cereal with grain, honey, sugar and a distinctive non-typical grain character, this almost smells like it's brewed with some sorghum. No hops and definitely no bock character to speak of, this is in some ways like a light malt liquor. The palate opens with a grainy sweetness, very cereal-like with honey, sugar, simple malt and again, that mildly spicy malt character that's either sorghum or millet-like. Sweet on the finish with no hops, this beer is moderately carbonated and is medium-light on the body. Ultimately, a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 02:43:53 | More by DefenCorps

jale

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +34.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a light straw color with a good finger of white head.

S: Very light malt and hops.

T: Very light malt and hops. I would like to say more, but not to complex.

M: Light body with good carbonation.

O: This has slightly more flavor than many others in this stlye.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 22:57:26 | More by jale

Ralphs66

New York

3.28/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Went out for Portuguese food last night and asked for the appropriate beer...nothing special here, but also nothing bad. Poured as a lager should. Had a slightly sweet odor, bready and fairly clean. Taste was decent and it went well with the braised veal I had for my meal. It drank easy. For the cultural component, it was worth it.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 11:30:08 | More by Ralphs66