Back Forty Bock - New Glarus Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

deep russet brown, very clear with lots of carbonation, really quite nice and a classic look for a bock. Thin off white head formed on the top, but quickly faded to just a thin film that stayed throughout the session, but offered no side glass contribution.

The aroma was your classic malty bock. Nice sweet caramel and nutty aromas mixed in with a good earthy tone. The flavor followed through very closely with a nice bitter malty flavor and a good amount of sweetness in it as well. Carbonation that is more then decent never let it go flat and kept you entertained throughout the session. Easily a sessionable beer, as I could have thrown down more then one.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 00:36:06 | More by mikesgroove

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle purchased @ Mrs. Sippy's and poured on-premise into a pint glass.

Pours a hazed chestnut brown with a thick khaki-colored head with decent retention and patched lacing.

Aromas of green apple, grass and dark bread. A hint of brown sugar. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel introduces a sharp cider crispness. Subtle sweet maltiness follows with suggestions of brown sugar and biscuit. Mild hopping balances out the taste profile. Bright effervescence throughout the session. Dry finish with a puckering tartness. Overall, Back Forty is a highly sessionable Bock with a robust malt character that's worth exploring.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 22:45:17 | More by CaptainIPA

Jayli

Massachusetts

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

Acquired from Sinatra716 via Show Someone What You're Made Of BIF so a big THANK YOU goes out to him!
Consumed 6/7
Poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours a cloudy, chestnut brown with a one finger of khaki creamy head. Nice retention leaving sticky lacing.

S: Nose is very sweet - lots and lots of toffee notes, brown sugar, and a bit of molasses.

T: Taste starts off somewhat nutty - didn't pick this up in the nose. Then the sweetness completely takes over. Heaps of toffee and molasses come through. A bit of breadiness comes in mingled with caramel. A bit of faded hop comes in during the finish.

M: Lighter side of medium body, moderate carbonation, somewhat thin but nice and crisp.

O: Goes down alright, somewhat tasty, not filling, mild kick, ok representation of style. This was cool to try but not one that I would seek out.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 03:20:00 | More by Jayli

Trilogy31

California

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a muddied chestnut brown with a frothy two fingers of foam leaving nice lace retention. The nose contains rich bready malts, a strong grassy herbal hop scent with almost a slight sour roasted chocolate note. The taste has dry chocolate malt upfront with the slightest sour hint. Finishes with dark cacao at the end along with hay. Refreshing if not a bit thin - a hearty sessionable beer, not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 02:13:02 | More by Trilogy31

brewballer

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice nutty brown with white lace on the side of the glass. Smells a bit toasty and nutty. First taste is of malty bready goodness that just keeps you drinking more and more. Finishes a bit nutty as well. did i say nutty?? lol This is a great brew. Definitely something I could drink for a few hours with the boys. Highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 00:36:38 | More by brewballer

Lunch

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle courtesy of leftmindedrighty, thanks!

Poured into my goddamn Aventinus glass and the beer is a medium brown with a large off-white head. Lots of lace and great head retention. Fairly clear overall. Smell is quite malty like a Bock should be with some breadiness. Taste is very similar, but more subdued which is a surprise. Quite clean in flavor and finish. Appropriately carbonated with a medium body. I could drink several of these in a sitting and be quite satisfied. A solid Bock from New Glarus.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 01:10:09 | More by Lunch

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Matt (mtunnell) for this one. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a Harpoon Weizen glass.

A: Standard pour yields a 3 finger fluffy, creamy, light off-white head with great retention. Beer is a clear mahogany with a light brown tint. Lacing is thick and layered with great stick. An awesome looking brew.

S: Nose is pleasantly sweet. Caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and some malty nuttiness round out the flavor combination. Spot on for the style.

T: Opens nutty. Some caramel and toffee flavors along with walnuts and pecans. Big malt presence the whole way through. Refreshing and simple. End is sweet brown sugar and sweet toffee with a clean finish and a nutty caramel aftertaste. Exactly to style.

M: Light bodied and moderately carbonated. Warm and a bit fizzy in the mouth. Goes down crisp and easy with some bubbles on the side. Finish is clean with a slightly lingering aftertaste. A tad thin but decent overall and appropriate for the style.

O: A solid representation of the style the whole way through, Back 40 Bock is highly sessionable and really easy to drink. Body is a bit thin but its still crisp and refreshing. Another above average beer from New Glarus.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 17:28:15 | More by SpeedwayJim

bennetj17

Arizona

4.3/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours leaving a thick pillowy tan head. The foam holds nicely as it's supported by vigorous carbonation streaming below. Deep brown, with a nice clarity that glows amberish in the light. The aroma seems a bit basic with a light doughy maltiness that is semi-sweet.

I really like the flavor of this lager. The malty sweetness is bright but not overpowering. It's a doughy/biscuity taste with a slight vegetal character. The finish has a hint of bitterness to provide balance and it seems to taper off cleanly making it easy to quaff. There is a light chewiness in the body, but just enough to provide character. Overall it is not heavy though, and the carbonation creates a velevet smoothness that is pleasant on the palate.

Overall a tasty, drinkable beer, and surely underrated. Don't take it for granted...

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 04:05:27 | More by bennetj17

roadhouse

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into pint glass

Pours up brownish red with a nice tan head on top with good retention.

Aroma is mild with very light caramel and a touch of earthy hops.

Flavor is also mild, almost watery to me, with a touch of caramel and sort of a weird taste I can't really describe.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied more light, but sort of harsh due to the odd flavor.

Pretty weak overall, I'd expect better from NG.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 01:08:38 | More by roadhouse

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had at SMBDC growler/bottle tasting thanks to BlessedBeBeer.

A: Bubble light head, murky light brown peach color.

N: Toasty darker malts, nutty brown sugar and molasses, dark wheats, semi sweet.

T: Sweet malts, brown sugar, dark wheats, nutty, light earthy bitter hops, light rustic darker malts. Little sweet and syrupy, toasty and nutty, lingering bittering hops.

M: Med bodied, decent carb, little syrupy.

O: Decent, nice malts, nothing too special, little syrupy, decent hops, nutty, tasty, nice dark wheats.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 03:19:40 | More by jlindros

BasementBer

Manitoba (Canada)

2.1/5  rDev -43.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: Hazy nut brown to amber in color. Minimal lacing from the light brown head. Best feature imo.

S: Sweet brown sugar if anything.

T: Not much here to describe. Water comes to mind, possibly the waters of New Glarus, WI? Bock in the nose but it just stops right there. Not only do i not believe its over 5% because of the thinness of it, but that its the back 40 ive heard about.

M: Slight fizzyness from solid head retention and a dryness in he mouth.

D: Not impressed. Wheres the body? Has little to no bulk at all. Could pass as a standard brown ale really.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 00:23:46 | More by BasementBer

Bighuge

Minnesota

2.95/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Slightly hazed mahogany body. Thin off white head leaves sporadic patches of lace. Weak maltiness on the nose with allusions to adjuncts. Body is about medium. Moderate amounts of carbonation. Very easy going beer without a lot of malt depth or richness. It's just kind of there. Maybe a good crossover bock for the macro crowd, but this pales in comparison to the Uff Da Bock, which is exceptional IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 03:37:22 | More by Bighuge

ZAP

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Kind of a light weight bock/dark lager offering. Dark copper colored...disappointed in the clarity...a bit hazy...somewhat nutty in flavor with some bready notes...but overall not a lot of strong malt flavors expected. Drinks fine but something I'd more expect to experience wearing a Leinie label....actually I think I prefer their 1888 Bock to this..run of the mill and another NG beer that seems dumbed down for the masses (like their Honey Bock).

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 18:17:18 | More by ZAP

GregSVT

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a pint glass

A: Pours a slightly hazy brown with an off-white head that fades to a small layer and leaves a bit of lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is full of cocoa, sweet malt, and a bit of a cherry/yeasty aroma. Smells pretty darn good.

T: The taste is malty sweet with a bit of a fruity flavor in the finish. Nothing crazy and pretty average.

M: The feel is a bit over carbonated and light to medium bodied.

O: An average bock with decent aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 01:33:51 | More by GregSVT

scaliasux

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Medium dark brown. Might be just a little haze, carbonation apparent. Tall light tan head that is persistent.

Smell - Not real strong. Toasted malts. Caramel and coffee.

Taste - Roasted malt - bread and caramel. Much less sweet than I expected and slightly watery. A little citrus hops is noticeable in the finish. Nutty, caramel lingering aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium and creamy, but crisp.

Overall - I like my bock a little richer than this. Not a bad beer, but not one I'd pick from the New Glarus stable.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 04:23:27 | More by scaliasux

maximum12

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Finally picked up a single of this relatively new NG beer. They do good work with drinkable, low-ABV beers. Brought down into the basement into the just-completed game room to watch my girls rock out "Dani California" before I send them off to bed & get my game on.

The pour de-virginizes my new Evolution pint glass (thanks Adam!). Looks like liquid copper piping, very nice. Sweet malts & serious caramel come off the surface of the glass.

Back Forty Bock takes the nose & transforms it into the taste buds: caramel, sweet malts, touch of Hawaiian Bun, grainy. No alcohol presence, perhaps a touch thin, but disappearing like somebody torched a hole in the bottom of the glass. Eminently drinkable.

Solid, good bock that one could easily be taking down by the twos & threes on the patio in the springtime. Nice addition to the New Glarus line, & one I'd consider for kicking back.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 02:33:32 | More by maximum12

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a black color, with very small head. The smell was rich, and malt, and had a doughy oder to it. The taste was full, and had a doughy malty like flavor. Nice feel tot he beer, easy to drink as well. Overall a very nice bock, would get this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 01:42:04 | More by vette2006c5r

ne0m00re

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Live review of a 12 oz bottle (labelled 2770 18:08) thanks to arvjunk.
A: Murky brown, it poured with a good dark cream head that died to a good collar and film with good lacing.
S: Brown sugar, slightly woody and green hops, some caramel... a relatively clean, yet earthy smell.
T: Creamy brown sugar, oatmeal-esque grain, a slight walnut, and overall what you'd expect from the smell. Woody hops linger with a slightly gin alcohol character. Pretty good.
M: Heads from creamy to slightly frothy to crisp on the finish.
D: Overall, this is a pretty good example of the style. Even though this isn't my favorite style, I'd probably order it if I saw it on draft.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 03:38:23 | More by ne0m00re

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #47 (Dec 2010):

The head graces the glass with a random patchy pattern of lace; muddled brown color shows some chill haze. Fresh-cut hay, ripe apple orchard and fresh-baked dark bread fills the nose. Lagered smoothness unleashes a re- freshing crispness in the medium body. Sweet, toasted, bready maltiness is the tune this brew is singing, a broad reach from caramel to toasted pie crust to biscuits. Modest hopping stretches far enough to balance and leaves some oily herbal flavor in the drying, malty end. "Wow" comes to mind; extremely drinkable with a tightly packed, toasted character that unfolds with each sip. A good hunt for any true lager lover out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 23:35:24 | More by BeerAdvocate

spointon

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this one from a 12oz brown bottle into a tall thin pilsner glass.

A= This beer poured a very clear, deep reddish brown color with a slim 1/4" off-white head. The head dropped to a skim within a minute or two, but left a ton of sheet lacing down my glass. Good looking beer!

S= Sulfur in the nose leaning toward too much. I also smelled some sweet maltiness waaay in the back.

T= Tasted better than it smelled. Started off with a lightly sweet and rich burst of malt. There was a tiny hop flavor that flashed briefly midway, then a long sweet finish that showed tiny hints of brown sugar and a kiss of dark fruit.

MF= Medium bodied with a tingly crisp carbonation feel.

D= Pretty insanely drinkable, but then it is only 5.5% abv. Would be a perfect beer to pair with food. I could easily see myself killing a six pack of this at a summer cookout...

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 05:38:19 | More by spointon

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer has a beautiful pour; two fingers of head that slowly deflate, leaving thick lacing on the glass. Smells sweet and of brown spices, cinnamon or nutmeg. The taste is crisp, sweet and creamy. Caramel and mild spices mixed with something leafy and fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 22:31:07 | More by keeganfrank

krazyboi

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -23%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A: Brown in color, with a two finger light tan head which dissipates rather quickly.
S: Slightly malty and sweet.
T: Malty with barely any other noticible flavors. Not very complex.
M: Medium bodied with light carbonation.
D: This is very drinkable, but not anything I would go searching for. There's just nothing special about this beer. It's a bit tasteless. I love New Glarus beers, but this one just doesn't cut it. I do know a lot of other people like it though, so go try it out for yourself!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 01:49:23 | More by krazyboi

BeerSoup

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz poured into pint glass.

A - Clear brown body with a 2 finger tan head and little lacing.

S - Grainy, nutty, hint of cinnamon.

T - Same as the smell, grainy, nutty, small cinnamon notes.

M - Smooth medium body, light carbonation.

D - Very easy to drink, gulper for sure.

Final impression - Lacks aroma and flavor. This is the stuff that makes alcoholics.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 02:38:37 | More by BeerSoup

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.18/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Muddy brownish color with red tinges, light light tan head of not even a finger. No lace, rather bubbly.

Average aroma: slight malt sweetness and a hint of nuttiness.

Fairly similar taste with the maltiness, nuttiness, and maybe a hint of sweet citrus faintly in the back.

Feel is light in body, creamy, slick and clean.

Drink ability is decent: Overall an above average Bock, but doesn't wow on any fronts.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 00:19:45 | More by EgadBananas

Birchgrove77

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a nice burnt sienna with a pillowy mocha-like head of foam. Doesn't appear to be highly carbonated. Head disapates quickly to leave a touch of lace. Smell is of lightly toasted bread, malt sweetness, and a touch of yeasty goodness. Flavor seems to vary with hints of prune and bran cereal. Touch of sweetness rounds out the flavor profile. For a 5% beer this is packed with flavor that gets a bit tiring on my pallete, but is still a great beer as winter turns to spring.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 00:25:43 | More by Birchgrove77