Hoppy Bock Lager
New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Hop Kitchen
Style: Maibock
1pt 6oz bottle
6.9% abv
$4.99 a bottle
Left over from spring time – I put some bottles in the
cellar and they never made it the beer fridge back then. Maibock is a spring seasonal brew. I always joke that it the leftover
Oktoberfest beer that they did not sell and they just repackage it.
Anyways, this is not a true Maibock; it is a blend
obviously. This is what I like about the
beer industry today. The craft brewers
are willing to try anything to be different.
Appearance: golden body with a big white as snow head – easy
2 finger; good lacing – took me by surprise on the appearance – bocks are
usually dark
Aroma: crisp fresh hops with a sweet malty back drop
Flavors: you get the feel for the Bock style; a little bit
of toasted malts, a little nut, and then the hops kick in and you are left
thinking this is not a bock beer; nice grassy hops;
Mouthfeel: a little sweet – a little bitter; semi-dry yet
refreshing; smooth feel; light carbonation; pleasing to drink
To the Point: to me this is a surprise; I was not expecting
myself to like this one; guess what? … I like it. I would buy more. I like the fresh crisp hops with that malty
back drop that is on the aroma and the palate.
Don’t overthink this beer just enjoy it.
Surrogates Bone Crusher
Size: 5.25 x 54
Profile: full dark roasted coffee; rich compost with toasted
fall leaves; a nice full earthy style; light to moderate spice; the mid-point
has a musty white peppery note; very meaty and heavy on the palate and the
sinuses; somewhat bitter on the mouthfeel
The Pairing
This ended up being a good pairing. The hops in the beer are not overly bitter so
it worked with the slight bitter style of the cigar. An IPA bomb and the Bone Crusher would kill
your palate for a day or two. The
toasted malts and nuts of the ale mixed well with the earthy style of the
cigar. The grassy hops of the ale
blended in with the spice and white peppery notes of the cigar.
These two played well together. I am sure glad I did not try this cigar at
the cigar store – for water is not enough to drink with this bold cigar. I’ll bet this cigar would be great with the
right red wine.
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