Koźlak
Browar Amber

KoźlakKoźlak
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From:
Browar Amber
 
Poland
Style:
Bock
Ranked #77
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
82
Ranked #24,927
Avg:
3.6 | pDev: 13.61%
Reviews:
69
Ratings:
117
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 29, 2024
Added:
Dec 02, 2005
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  14
Hops are not the only thing that is important in beer. This is just one element of many. Therefore, in the era of admiration for hops, it is sometimes worth looking at beers that focus more on malts.

We did it and we brewed our Koźlak, or Bock. An unique beer with a characteristic ruby ​​color and an essential caramel-hoppy flavor. The durable, fine-bubble head is light and only slightly tinged with the color of the beer. The aroma, of course, has hints of malty, reminiscent of dark bread. In addition, a delicate plum and raisins. Strong malt flavors are well-balanced with bitterness.

The Polish name “koźlak” is a translation from German, where “bock” means a goat. The word “bock” itself comes from the Hanseatic city of Einbeck in northern Germany. This is where, since the 13th century, strong top-fermented beer has been brewed using wheat malt and barley malt. Almost every inhabitant of this city was involved (directly or indirectly) in brewing. Great importance was attached to the quality of the beer, so the beer was always tasted before being sold. The one that did not pass the “check” was simply poured out. Such good and even quality gained fame and popularity outside the country.

We have been brewing Koźlak since 2003.
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Rated: 3.5 by NickThePyro from Washington

Feb 29, 2024
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Solid brown color where light passes through the center of the glass. Appears clear. Small beige head that remains throughout the tasting. Moderate spots and a few streaks for lacing.

Darker caramel smell, approaching toffee and chocolate. Brown sugar aroma.

Chocolate, darker plum flavor. Less sweet than the smell. Full bodied but with an elevated carbonation level. Some caramel in the swallow and it has a decently long aftertaste.
May 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.7 by SayBoom from Ukraine

Jan 13, 2023
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle purchased at Polska Chata in Irondequoit, NY.

This one pours a golden ruby amber color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells pretty sweet, as bocks go, with caramel, honey, sweet breadiness, and some toffee.

This is definitely tasty, but too sweet to fully enjoy all 16.9 oz of this. It’s richly malty and fruity, with toffee, caramel, honey, and lots of breadiness. There’s no real hop character or any bitterness to help balance some of the sweetness out.

This is medium bodied, creamy, and reasonably drinkable, even with the higher level of sweetness.

I want some more toastiness or hop character here, but it’s still cool to try.
Nov 21, 2022
 
Rated: 3.62 by Robertas from Lithuania

Aug 10, 2022
Photo of Captain69
Rated by Captain69 from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
smooth malty bock refreshing beer
Jun 14, 2022
 
Rated: 3.06 by brutalist from Pennsylvania

May 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.35 by Beecham from California

Apr 10, 2022
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Unknown date; drank 3/17/22 @ the Yarchives.

See-through orange/brown appearance.

An even pour yielded a nice tan head; thick, frothy lace.

Toffee, caramel & honey notes in the nose...so sweet!

Thick, sticky, mostly flat mouthfeel.

Honeyed grain, caramel & toffee flavors.

Almost undrinkably sweet; more like a mead than a beer. I've had my last.
Mar 19, 2022
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This is Amber's second largest seller in the U.S. and I can see why: it is nice, malty brew that has just enough hops to keep balance and remind us that bock is beer. But then, I'm a malt-head and Kozlak suits me fine.

Some dark, amber tones to this traditional dark. Smells are mostly malt. Tastes are balanced in a barely sort of way. Only in the after-taste does my mouth feel the sweetness.

While only my second from Amber, they are a very thoughtful crafter. And I am glad that I tried their bock.
Apr 26, 2021
Photo of officerbill
Reviewed by officerbill from New York

3.69/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
L: a lovely deep copper with little carbonation and almost no head
S: faint molasses
T: molasses, dates, faint brown sugar, dark Russian rye bread
F: syrupy and sticky
O: not bad, but to sweet, more like a dessert beer than a Bock
Apr 24, 2021
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.82/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Dark ruby brown with a tight tan finger of foam. Aromas of raisin, prune, caramel malts, brown bread, brown sugar, and golden raisin, obviously very fruity complexion. Taste is much the same but with gentle earth and a touch of roasted nut, both joining the fruit and apple cider about halfway through the sip. Sweeter than the usual bock, but sneaky complex. Feel is not complex: malty, sweet almost cloying, medium bodied finishing bright. Solid though a different take on the bock
Dec 11, 2020
Photo of Mister_Faucher
Reviewed by Mister_Faucher from Washington

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
500ml bottle served in a nonic glass.

L- Hazy medium mahogany color. Nice foamy light khaki head that slowly recedes to a thin foam cap, moderate lacing and light carbonation streams as it sits.

S- Caramel malt, dry dark fruits, molasses and toasted brown bread, cherry and light spicy hop notes.

T- Caramel malt sweetness, toffee/brown sugar, citrus notes and cherry, a bit of nuttiness, toasted dark bread, light spice notes.

F- Medium/light bodied, fairly sweet and sticky with a slight bitterness in the finish, medium carbonation.

O- Saw this one at my local euro deli and thought I'd give it a try. Pretty nice, worth a purchase.
Jun 28, 2020
Photo of carternac
Reviewed by carternac from England

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Quite lively when poured but very soon settled down with a nice head. Lots of caramel on the nose that carries through to the palate. Overall very refreshing and enjoyable but would have liked a little more to the finish
Jun 13, 2020
 
Rated: 3.69 by Jcarriglio from Florida

Jun 09, 2020
 
Rated: 3.93 by chiefz1 from New York

Apr 25, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by Dentist666 from Russian Federation

Jan 06, 2020
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a bottle I found at my local Russian market.
I poured it into my Real Ale 16th Anniversary tankard. The beer pours an intense amber caramel with a creamy cap. I get a lot of malty caramel on the nose, with a sweet caramel amber taste. Bready as all get out. Paired nicely with my pumpkin pie. I drank this for the online tasting.
Dec 01, 2019
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75
(500 ml brown bottle, 6.3% abv, code PO 1/1.01; purchased single off shelf at Wine Legend... poured into fat tulip similar in shape to the snifter/goblet suggested on their website)

L: clear, garnet leaning-to-ruby-colored liquid; tight, creamy, tall foam stand with slight orange and tan shading - looks superb!... foam does eventually crumble away, leaving thin, tight collar on one half, bubbly collar on other half, hmm

S: caramel and little else but caramel; incredible richness in expression; maybe a soft floral hint, and little booze, but seriously 99.4% caramel

T: definite caramel overtone on the palate, though the bottom does drop out nicely with a toasty tone and mellow herbal bitterness; thankfully, not too much residual sweetness... malt richness is certainly in realm of doppelbock, caramel aftertaste pervades, as well as a subtle dried fruit or sherry(?) undertone... unfortunately, not much depth; blocky, fuzzy expressions

F: rich, thick, creamy shell around what's essentially a dense, taut, booze-spicy core (subtle spice does creep into the texture build)... just tweak the 'octane' up to high 6s or low 7s and I may be hopelessly in love

O: could've sworn I'd had this and/or reviewed it before... dynamic yet dissonant, static noise... seems like the prudent thing to do would be to bump this up to full doppelbock strength as it's a bit too swollen in its maltiness to pass as a simple bock... marginally dreamy for malt maniacs (1626)
Nov 23, 2019
Photo of Eapressocycle
Reviewed by Eapressocycle from Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I'm more familiar with double bocks than regular, but I didn't find much to love with this one. Pours a hazy brown with almost no head. Medium carbonation. Flavor is your basic sweet roasted malt. Not particularly complex, no hop bitterness I could detect. Overall I'm not a fan of this beer, but it's not bad, just boring.
Sep 17, 2019
Koźlak from Browar Amber
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 117 ratings