Thursday, September 19, 2013

Hoppy Bock Lager and Surrogates Bone Crusher Cigar: Review

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. 



The Cigar

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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