Plum Rye Bock - Short's Brewing Company

tectactoe

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a dingy copper color, very opaque and very hazy, impossible to see anything on the other side. Dark beige-colored head, thick and fluffy - this beer was very volatile, even with a modest pour. Musty plum sweetness on the nose, some funk and some crisp tartness, slight herbal notes; some malt and spice also in the background. Not really getting any rye in the aroma. The taste is actually nothing what I expected from the aroma - very, very sweet taste up front. Huge abundance of plums and grapes, the sweetness turns into a sharp tartness for a moment, almost puckering. The carbonation peaks at the same time, giving one hell of a mouth shock midway through. Apple skins and phenol comes to mind as well. The rye doesn't get picked up until about three-quarters of the way through and even more so when the beer warms up a bit. The aftertaste is like stale rye bread and yeast - this beer is malty all the way. Very light perfume-like florals can be picked up but play tertiary to the malt and rye. Medium body, crisp with lots of carbonation. Beer almost floats away on your palate.

I didn't know what to expect with this one, but my expectations weren't very high. Maybe that's why I liked it so much? I was very pleasantly surprised with this one. Delicious fruit beer (and I don't normally like fruity stuff), fruit tastes authentic and sweet and it isn't cloying or sickeningly sweet. I'd have this one over and over again.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 19:04:27 | More by tectactoe

SaisonRichBiere

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

03-02-2013 00:52:04 | More by SaisonRichBiere

larebear

4.25/5  rDev +19%

12-10-2012 09:36:57 | More by larebear

mzeld

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +26.1%

12-01-2012 20:17:09 | More by mzeld

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

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

Review from notes, sampled spring 2011
Pours a clear golden brown color with a good sized white ehad that persists for a while. The nose is sweet with caramel and burnt sugars offset with a tartness that I suspect comes from the rye as well as a tart dark fruit that should be from the plums. The flavor is rich and sweet like you'd expect from a bock, but there is a tart edge that makes this just a bit different. Spicy malts and tart dark fruits compete heavily with the clean malty richness of a bock. Medium body with a hint too much carbonation and a sweet tart kind of mouthfeel going on. Kudos to Short's for always pushing the boundaries, but this one doesn't work for me. I kept wanting this to be a clean bock, but that fruity tartness always jumped in.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:51:11 | More by johnnnniee

CheapBeerBuzz

California

3.25/5  rDev -9%

07-17-2012 21:07:15 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

klipper

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

05-13-2012 21:29:57 | More by klipper

senorscientist

Michigan

2/5  rDev -44%

01-30-2012 06:44:45 | More by senorscientist

imperialking

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2%

01-20-2012 23:55:48 | More by imperialking

Marti403

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +26.1%

01-01-2012 23:35:09 | More by Marti403

melissab318

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

12-27-2011 00:36:00 | More by melissab318

twkirkby

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

12-18-2011 20:15:06 | More by twkirkby

TasteTester

Ohio

4/5  rDev +12%

12-17-2011 00:38:59 | More by TasteTester

WeisGuy

New York

4/5  rDev +12%

12-04-2011 23:28:31 | More by WeisGuy

brandoman63

Illinois

2/5  rDev -44%

11-30-2011 03:08:30 | More by brandoman63

RudiNicole

Michigan

5/5  rDev +40.1%

11-29-2011 19:39:47 | More by RudiNicole

zoso1967

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

11-25-2011 05:44:45 | More by zoso1967

Another6Pack

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

11-22-2011 01:57:27 | More by Another6Pack

Gtg642

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +5%

11-19-2011 03:21:29 | More by Gtg642

tclapper

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +12%

11-17-2011 03:29:59 | More by tclapper

rtepiak

Poland

3.73/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

abv is 6.2%

for a fruit added beer this is fantastic. there is notes of the original brewed format as an undertone. the fruit sour note is primary andy would recommend that this be a beer you don't add the additional sediment. it makes it more fruit forward.

pour is nice and sticky white head and a nearly clear orange body. nice carbonation that is consistent after the pour but not too much. nose is fruit pulp like that of a food leather chew. palate is sour with a hint of malty sweetness and subtle straw and dry honey notes. this is replaced rather fast with a fruit domination. not that much balances but i imagine excellent as a summer yard beer. better than some of the fruit beers by this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 03:26:52 | More by rtepiak

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours burgundy chestnut with a large amount of short lived head. Lacing is slight, but exists.

Plum and rye form the aroma in that order, with plum being quite dominant. A bit of caramel peaks through.

The taste is largely different than I was expecting. I guess I had a bit of a negative predisposition against it since it was a lager, but I sort of figured that the plum flavor would just be on top of a watery base, which is far from the truth.

The plums, and what tastes like grapes as well, form a considerably thick and potent taste. It doesn't taste weak or too light at all. Bready malts and caramel give it some character and it takes on a bit of a belgian taste. At the same time, it has hints of sourness which again add to the character.

The body is slightly below medium. Carbonation does it's job quite well by making it light and a bit fuller at the same time. Swishing this around feels just right, and the carbonation at worst is slightly prickly.

Overall, this was a lot better than I expected. I love a local store that features Short's beer in singles or in a mixed 6 for savings. It really lets me try the plethora of their offerings without the potential risk. I can certainly say though, that there are few beers I wouldn't buy again.

Shorts has an ability to make the strangest sounding things work. This beer is no exception, and actually less far out than most. I recommend it to anybody looking for their hit of fruit.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 04:44:38 | More by BBP

oline73

Maryland

2.83/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear reddish amber with a finger of off white head and good retention.

Smell: Sweet malt with dark fruit and some tartness. Another slightly sour bottle from shorts.

Taste: A lot like the smell. I'm enjoying the plum flavor, but it's a little too sour for me. Some bready malt. I wouldn't have this one again.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a good amount of smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I guess I should stay away from bottled short's beer. I still enjoy this brewery, because they try so many things that are damn interesting. Wouldn't have this one again, don't really taste the rye.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 03:04:08 | More by oline73

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From 12oz bottle to Bruges hybrid glass on 7/12/11
*From notes

A: Pruney-plum in color. It's deep amber red and quite dark. A standard pour yields a 2.5 finger head and decent stickiness.

S: Big time rye, first and foremost. Faint amounts of sun dried fruit, but they're not discernible.

T: Fruity, and that's clear right away. Up front it's a bit malic and tart. The rye kicks into gear soon after and stands strong through the finish.

M: Appealing. This carried decent weight and was much fuller in body then I'd expected.

O: Short's Plum Rye Bock is my first encounter with Short's brews. I can say that I was genuinely impressed with the balance here. This beer wasn't as obnoxious as I feared it may be.

This is a pretty solid rye offering, and the plum flair really adds a nice complexity to it. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 23:00:56 | More by Rhettroactive

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

deep black with a huge brown head and a huge amount of lace. Looks pretty much as good as it can look, awesome, can't wait! Smell is a strong licorice with hints of plums, smoked touches, light rye? and some other fruit notes perhaps rasberry. The taste is very very sweet. Deep flavors of licorice and candy, is that dark plum raisin taste I taste..yummy to say the least! Nice as thick as I would have liked, but it goes down very easily and could be an easy all night drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 01:44:45 | More by mikesgroove