Samuel Adams Long Shot Traditional Bock

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Bottle from SL, pour was tpyical for the style, brown with a decent pillowy 1cm type head on top, good lacing. The aroma was bready, grassy, some fruity chocolate elements too. The flavor followed, grass and bread at the fore, some chocolate in the background, a touch of nuts and even molasses. Mouthfeel was a bit sticky, foamy/airy texture, not bad, not that memorable either, though.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

June 2009 - Big chestnut brown pour with huge head and some decent lacing. Strong aroma of smokey caramel. The flavor was big fruit and caramel with a touch of smokiness that is reminiscent of a scottish ale or a dopplebock. Rich and creamy mouthfeel. Not terrible!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a big mug. Appearance: The body had a deep dark brownish amber color with a big light tan head on top. The head hangs on well and slowly fades down to a thin covering. Lacing on the glass is slick and sides down as I drink. Smell: Its aroma is full of deep rich bready malt character. Taste/Mouth: The flavor has a big malty sweet character and solid full body. There are some light toasted notes, pretzel notes, caramel and thick bready maltiness throughout with just enough hops to let you know they are there too. The finish has some mild bitterness and herbal hop flavor quickly fading off the tongue. Its texture is smooth and slick on the palate with light carbonation. Notes: This is a great example of Bock beer! Very Well Done!!!

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Part of the Longshot 6 pack. An enjoyable, albeit a bit boring beer. Perhaps I’m just not familiar enough with the bock style of beer. Either way, I did enjoy it. The beer pours out a nice dark amber color, clear with a light tan 1" foamy head. Aroma is pretty average with light toasted malts, caramel, a touch of honey and fruit. I didn’t get any plum or cherry aromas as the description suggests. I did get some light toasted malt, a bit of iced tea, roasted nuts and light cereal. A clean finish and after drinking the bottle, I really didn’t think another one was a good idea.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Poured a plain brown color with okay head and good lacing. Aroma was lots bread and grassy some fruit in there as well. Flavor was much the same with some added chocolate and nuttiness in there. Mouthfeel was little sticky. Okay beer.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Pours medium brown with perfect clarity, but very minimal head. The aroma is sweetly grainy; kind of generic maltiness. The flavor combined earthy malt against a molasses sweetness. Nothing too special but drinkable. Medium bodied and smooth, though arguably could have used more carbonation.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

One of the lighter bocks i have seen, a very clear mid browm body. Aroma of sweet caramel malts. Mouthfeel is light but it has a stickey sweet element. Flavor has nuts, sweet caramel and earthiness. Its a little on the thin and sweet side, but its a decent enough beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

September 2009 Best By Date; Sampled May 2009
A vigorous pour into my 25 cl tulip glass produces a four-finger thick, tightly beaded, dense looking, light brown tinged, full tan colored head. The head leaves a nice layer of lacing on the sides of my glass and has a nice staying power. The beer is a dark plum / amber color that shows a brilliantly clear, copper tinged, red tinged amber hue when held up to the light. Rich sweet malt aromatics are immediately noticeable. This has an almost vinous note to it that is sort of a cross between Port and fresh, dark grapes. This is lightly spiced with a toasted malt note up front that is quickly consumed by the chewy, sweet, complex malt notes. This definitely has the requisite hardy nose needed of a Bock and it is definitely quite satisfying.

Thick and viscous feeling as it rolls across my tongue, the carbonation is here at a medium level, but the body definitely makes this lean towards the rich side. The richness is quite nice and this isn’t overly sweet either, but does have a rich malt character. A rich, malted melanoid character, toasted malt notes, caramelized (but clearly not crystal malt derived) concentrated malt character, as the beer warms a hint of chocolate character, dark-bread malty goodness, and even a hint of well balanced darkly toasted grain character. This is definitely malt oriented (as it should be), as there is not much in the way of hop character noticeable at all; perhaps a hint of bitterness to keep the malt in check, but that is about it.

This was what I was hopping for when I cracked that bottle of Pandora’s Bock, I am glad this was able to deliver. This is definitely a tasty, spot on example of the style, I really like that this hits the thick, chewy, complex malt character without being much in the way of sweet. This is a hearty beer that is quite fitting for a winter’s evening around the fire (or even the 100ºF into summer day that I am currently experiencing).

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Very well made bock, this year's Longshot sixer is a winner. Rich toffee and raisin aroma with malty molasses. Ruby-brown body, frothy tan head and thick, blanketing lacing. Feels really creamy and smooth. Malty, malty, malty with a sweet finish. Hearty flavors of raisin bread, butterscotch, caramel and a faint grassy effect. Some noble hops to counter the sweetness and a subtle roasted flavor.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Pours a dark amber/ruby with very little head. Aroma is mostly sweet with just a hint of fruit (plums?). Definitely a malt bomb--taste is very sweet with some caramel and a fruity sweet aftertaste. Seems a little too thin though. Overall, not a great beer and definitely too sweet to drink a second in one sitting.