Point Spring Bock
Stevens Point Brewery

Point Spring BockPoint Spring Bock
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From:
Stevens Point Brewery
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Bock
ABV:
5.2%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.72 | pDev: 12.1%
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
32
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 07, 2013
Added:
Jan 21, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.5 by matjack85 from Illinois

Feb 07, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by scootercrabb from Illinois

Dec 20, 2011
Photo of brewslut
Reviewed by brewslut from Pennsylvania

3.12/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
--12 oz. bottle poured into goblet.

A-Small, white head when poured (due to my pouring technique); lacing was nonexistent and head longevity appeared mostly diminishing; cloudy/hazy in the glass with an auburn color: red/brown color.

S-Moderate malty smell with hints of Welsh cookie (currants and sugar cookie dough).
Hints of: carmel, honey, grapes, raisins, plums, prunes, and dates.

T-Flavor and aroma elicit similar thoughts centering around the sweet lightness of carmel, honey, grapes, raisins, plums, prunes, and dates with raisins dominating the finish.

M-Short finish; body seems light to medium with a watery texture and soft carbination.

D-Overall, Point Spring Bock was an average Bock style; perhaps it would be more satisfying to drink on draught. I would drink it again, but I would not go out of my way to purchase it.
Jan 15, 2008
Photo of mooseisloose
Reviewed by mooseisloose from Florida

3.47/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
..more from my vacation up north in my old stomping grounds..albeit with much more beer selection in this new era...although there used to be a "Point Special Bock" always around the holiday season....Bottle smell is of caramel and slightly sweet. Pours to a dark bronze colour with a macro-bubble foamy head. Mouthfeel is smooth with good carbonation. Taste is a sweet roasted barley with sweet hops. This is a very good beer. Sweeter than usual for a bock but with a nice distinctive flavor.
Sep 30, 2007
Photo of Doppelmax
Reviewed by Doppelmax from New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Found this gem at O'Marro's Public House in Oshkosh WI.
Dark copper with a finger high head that slowly dissipated till my glass had just a bit of lace by time I finished.
The malt aroma predominated over any hops.
This is one of the best american bocks I've tried yet. Well balanced for a bock with just that bit of hops in the background. I detected almost a bit of New Castle brown ale malt flavor.
Nice full body that satisfies.
I would love to have a case of this in my beer fridge.
Jul 30, 2007
Photo of Atron67
Reviewed by Atron67 from Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A- poured a clear dark red amber with a tan head, although that fell really quickly
S- slightly sweet with a whiff of cinnamon(?)
T- a sweet malty flavor with some spiciness to it, no hops noticable
M- has a crisp carbonation with a slightly light body
D- has a solid smooth flavor that makes it extremely enjoyable, however it is lacking in the smell and appearance
Jul 08, 2007
Photo of cdkrenz
Reviewed by cdkrenz from Wisconsin

4.62/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
$3.99 / Six Pack
Copps Grociery Store
Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Appearance - Deep brown and amber hues allow glimpses of light penetrate the body of this bock. The head stands at about a 1/2 inch with a tan color. The head fades and leaves a a few swirls of lace in the middle of the pint looking down from the top. The head holds on towards the edges and coats the glass with each sip and then slowly migrates back to the surface.

Smell - When the beer is poured you know there's something special going on here. Immediately the aroma of barley and malt fills the air. The scent isn't overpowering. It is extremely tempting.

Taste - This bock is very enjoyable. It starts off by tempting the tongue with a malty goodness. The malt transforms itself to the sweetness of a tasty roasted carmel. Then a few seconds ofter swallowing there is a hint, and I mean a tiny hint, of hop. Just enough to beg sip after sip.

Mouthfeel - The beer is tasted with the back of the tongue, so it does take a second to register. The feel of carbonation on the roof on my mouth and the front and sides of my tongue, I think, adds to the enjoyment of the fine brew.

~ I am very spoiled to have this great beer made only two blocks from my home in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Every March the annual Point Bock Run kicks off the spring with a run past my house. At that time I know Point Bock is ready to be consumed. This past March I actually ran in the 5 mile race and was greeted by keg upon keg of Point Bock on tap at the finish line. What a great was to spend a day!

The bottom line is that if you've yet to try this beer you owe it to yourself as a beer drinker to give it a shot. If you don't like it, fine. But if you do like it, you'll have one more thing to look forward to every spring.
Jun 05, 2007
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
In keeping with tradition, Point offers a Bock beer as their spring seasonal. It's dark in color, somewhere between a very deep chestnut and a deep mahogany. The creamy yellowed-tan head rises up majestically at first, settles to a thin cap, and then holds fairly well but leaves only spots and splashes of lace. It's moderate carbonation combines with its malty medium-full body to leave it dextrinous and smooth but not quite creamy across the palate. Sweetish, caramelized sugar appears in the nose with a suggestion of spicy hops in the background; and that same dark sugar and subtle hop return in the flavor. It's initially quite "tight" at first sip, but as it warms in the mouth it expands to reveal its rich maltiness. There are notes of toastiness, warm bread, toffee, a hint of dark-skinned fruit, and some mild alcohol as well. The floral and spicy hops take a back-seat flavor-wise, as they're supposed to, laying beneath the malt, accenting it, and occassionally helping to balance the sweetness. The bitterness, however, is pretty solid, and it never appears sweet. It's very well balanced, and from the first drop on the tongue to the lingering aftertaste, it's a pretty smooth ride that crests with maltiness at mid-palate and then slowly fades away. Overall, it's not bad... not bad at all. Worth trying.
Apr 01, 2007
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Reviewed by brdc from Wisconsin

2.77/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
There must be something wrong with this one I picked up at Festival Foods mix and match...
Despite a beautiful ruby color, its absolute lack of any head betrays there might have been a carbonation leak.
Nose is good, although lighter than expected. Fruity, mostly raspberries, it also has hints of malts, but no hops.
Very thin on the mouth, I am not sure if this is supposed to have this poor carbonation, but this one has no bite at all. The same raspberries and a little malt are there, but it starts sweetish and ends flat.
Unimpressive, but perhaps I will give it a second chance to make sure that with adequate carbonation (if it indeed has), this is not a better beer. As it is , it is quite poor.
Mar 12, 2007
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

3.47/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a three finger cream head that fades quickly to a ring leaving no lace. Clear amber/mahogany color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Molasses nose. Starts with a molasses flavor that mixes with some bitterness from the hops, clean finish. 99¢ for a 12oz bottle from Chalet Party Goshen, In.
Dec 20, 2006
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.11/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark, burnished bronze-like orange that comes alive with fire engine red highlights when backlit. The pale caramel-colored head puts the capper on a classic bock look. A king's crown of lace is extent of the glass coverage at present; perhaps there'll be more as the beer falls with drinking.

It was obvious after the pour, and it's even more obvious after smelling it, that Spring Bock isn't a maibock. Odd that a spring seasonal would be a just plain ol' bock, but it is. As expected, the nose is malt-dominant with caramel malt making more of a statement than chocolate or Munich. It's too weak in the knees, however, to be deserving of even the slightest praise.

This is an okay version on first blush (something that Stevens Point appears to specialize in). As the nose suggested, there isn't much malt in what should be a malt showcase. To say that Spring Bock is a lighter take on the style would a huge understatement. The lack of an adequate backbone is most evident in the underwhelming mouthfeel, but also because sour supercedes sweet at all points along the flavor arc.

Unripe dark fruit is most prominent, but isn't exactly at the top of my 'preferred bock flavors' list. Hallertauer hops aren't all that noticeable either, either in terms of flavor or bitterness. Actually, this beer most resembles a standard issue dark lager since it doesn't have the cojones to require anything larger than an XXS bockstrap.

I know that beer of this style isn't necessarily supposed to be full in the mouth, but the body on this one is laughably light. How does any brewery hope to brew good beer when they skimp on ingredients to this extent? There's really nothing wrong with the mouthfeel... for a dark lager.

Spring Bock is trumpted as a brewery 'limited edition'. Who knew that limited refers to the malt load? With the possible exception of their Cascade Pale Ale, Stevens Point has failed to impress me after more than half a dozen attempts. Wisconsinites should have no trouble finding a better local bock.
Aug 23, 2006
Photo of keoki182
Reviewed by keoki182 from Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I tried Spring Bock today, with only one month left of production for 2006. Boy, I am glad I had the opportunity. In my area of the country, Point Brewery is one of those local breweries that do not get the advertising of a Miller Brewery nor the critical acclaim of a New Glarus Brewery. For that reason, Point has always been kind of low on my list of "must tries" in Wisconsin. However, I was assured by a friend that the Spring Bock is really something. I do enjoy heavier brews rather than the grain-tasting water many in the area refer to as beer. This bock is certainly heavy. I drank it from the bottle, but it looked dark enough that I could tell the level of the beer in the brown bottle. It smelled quite malty and sweet, like most bocks that I have tried. It brought to mind a higher-octane version of Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark, though that’s a different style. The flavor was candy-sweet, but not disgustingly so. I don’t think I could drink bottle after bottle for an evening at the pub, but it’s a great treat for people with spring fever!
Jul 16, 2006
Photo of ByTor2112
Reviewed by ByTor2112 from North Carolina

3.92/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Very nice aroma, sweet with a little a hint of toast or roasted barley. Very thin head. A nice light brown color with a hint of red if held to the light. Malt sweetness dominates and this Bock has a somewhat dry finish. Wonderfully sweet with a very mild bitterness. I love this beer and I will continually say that Stevens Point has upped their brewing game. A vigorous froth further releses the sweet malt flavors and actually livens up the hops. Very drinkable. This beer would also be killer if it had a little higher alcohol content. Cheers, Joe
Jul 14, 2006
Photo of Winter
Reviewed by Winter from Wisconsin

3.36/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a reddish brown in color with a light tan head. Thin aroma with hints of fruit and sweet malt. Feints hints of barley also on the nose. Mouthfeel is thinner than I expected, just barely bordering on medium in body. Well carbonated. Taste exhibits a malt sweetness upfront, with an ample fruitiness to it. Sweetness makes an abrupt shift in direction and the bock's taste becomes slightly bitter and dry midway before returning to a pleasant malty finish.

Overall, though, this was a really enjoyable bock to be had on a cool summer night sitting around a fire in the back yard.
Jul 05, 2006
Photo of hylton44
Reviewed by hylton44 from Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Rich, deep color with pillowy tannish head that fades to a very fine lacing and finally altogether. Carbonation seems quite non-existant; which is OK, but left an ever-so-faint flat taste to the beer. Other than that, it is a quite yummy brew. It tasted of roasted barley and sweet, clean caramel malts, with not a hint of bitterness. Almost buttery, sliding down.
May 15, 2006
Photo of hanco005
Reviewed by hanco005 from Minnesota

3.16/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle with no freshness date poured into a pint glass

A—pours, clear almost cola brownish amber, with a 1 ½ inch tan fluffy head that slowly collapses in the center leaving a volcano like mound floating on top, laces in spots

S—sweet caramel, butter, some fruit and spices mixed in there too but I can’t name them specifically

T—light faint coffee and spice, bitter in the start, the mild flavor fades away rather quickly

M—thin and watery, light bodied, moderate carbonation

D—not much for distinctive flavor, easy to drink, might be a good cross-over beer. I will save the other 5 I have for my relatives that I am trying to convert.
Apr 27, 2006
Photo of dmowen
Reviewed by dmowen from Iowa

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice dark amber color with a fair head that soon disappears to fine lacing. smell is slightly toasty. mouth-feel is good and goes down real good.has a nice toasted flavor with slight hint of chocolate; does leave a lingering after-taste but it's not too objectional. noticed after warming up to room temp the flavor is even better, a characteristic I like to look for when trying a new beer. Over-all I like this beer and I recommend trying it.
Mar 05, 2006
Photo of TastyTaste
Reviewed by TastyTaste from Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: Dark clear brown body, tan head, small, with a little lacing.

Smell: Roasted, bready malt, slight brown sugar sweetness.

Taste: Sweet and roasted, relatively basic flavor, but not bad. Not a lot of hop flavor, sweetness gets a little old.

Mouthfeel: OK carbonation level, slightly slick.

Drinkabilioty: Not my favorite style of beer, and not the greatest example of that style.
Feb 07, 2006
Photo of Frozensoul327
Reviewed by Frozensoul327 from Michigan

3.44/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I really liked this beer. Very refreshing and crisp. Poured out to a red/dark amber color with a nice head and lace around the top of the glass. Medium-low carbonation. Not much in the smell dept. but traces of yeast and sweetness were detected. Taste was very nice, with overtones of caramel, malt and roasted hops. Very nice indeed. Finished slightly watered down, but had a decent mouthfeel, not too heavy, not to light. This is a well made Bock, and for the price, it's worth it. Recommended.
Aug 24, 2005
Photo of karengarys
Reviewed by karengarys from Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Point Bock? I haven't been a Stevens Point fan. I didn't expect much. Well - to my surprise it turned out to be a very drinkable solution. Read on...

Pours mahogany reddish brown, clear, leaving little head but a nice ring.

Smells very oddly rich. Can't quite place it. It is like a dark sweetness I can't place.

Tastes - here I go again, I can't place these flavors. Maple? Honey? Candy sugar? Molassis? with spices - correander? Cinnamon? And it is balanced with a nice touch of hops.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin, but it is creamy enough and refreshing enough to work out real well.

This is a rather thin bodied drink, but it is still satisfying.

This beverage really surprised me. I don't like the Point selections, but this will be an exception. Give it a try!
Jul 17, 2005
Point Spring Bock from Stevens Point Brewery
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 32 ratings