A Pleasant Surprise from Michelob
Written: Mar 12 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Dark beer for those who don't like dark beer
Cons: Lacks in complexity, honesty
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| caconti's Full Review: Michelob Amber Bock |
As with many of my beer reviews, I feel the need to start this Epinion endeavor with a personal confession. I simply do not enjoy Michelob beer in any of its usual incarnations, never have and never will. In my mind this only makes it that much more surprising that I enjoyed their Amber Bock so much. It's good enough that it doesn't deserve to be called Michelob...
First of all, let me share a little secret or two with you. Technically this isn't a real bock, and its made with rice. What this means is that its very existence tends to upset a lot of beer purists(ChuckV included). Usually I'm just as tough on a brew, but since my experience with Amber Bock followed up on two very strong Old Fashioneds I was feeling forgiving at the time.
The most distinctive feature of the beer is its pleasant toasted flavor, with the light note of roasted hazelnuts at Christmastime. This is due to the usage of dark roasted malt in the brewing process. It has a hint of honey sweetness, again lighter than I would have enjoyed it. The beer seems to have some good flavors that just aren't aggressive enough to make a real impact on the palate, a bit disappointing but not surprising from a macrobrewery of such low standards as Anheuser-Busch. The beer is quite crisp for a dark brew, with little to no finish to speak of. For this reason it is probably an ideal beer for those who want to try something dark without the "bitter" Guinness finish, but I'm not one of those people. Overall the taste is enjoyable but passive, a hard sell in a supposed bock.
The reason I chose to break with tradition and try the new Amber Bock was on the vehement insistence of my waitress at a Florida fondue restaurant who swore that "This beer was made for fondue." Actually, she was right. The dark but lighter flavor matched well with almost everything we dipped into our cheese and broth filled pots, from pumpernickel bread to sesame-marinated pork. It especially responded well to the cheese and to the saltier sauces, both of which seemed to give its faltering confidence a much appreciated boost. Beware fish, however, as a sip of Bock and a bit of salmon caused quite a frightening commotion in my mouth.
Michelob Amber Bock is a beer made for those who want to make the transition into dark beer without jumping right into its intimidating complexity and levels of bitterness. At $5.25 a six-pack its a good deal for those looking to experiment, try it and you'll swear its not a Michelob, I did...
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
caconti
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Christian Conti
Location: Washington, DC
Reviews written: 636
Trusted by: 481 members
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