Another offering by one of my favorite brewers. Beware, the Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock will fool you. It looks like a one of those nationally marketed “volume” beers. You know, the ones that are clear golden American lagers or pilsners. But once you put it up to your nose you will think “this isn’t from St. Louis”, and once you run it past your taste buds you will say “Wow! This isn’t from Milwaukee, either.”
Like most bocks, it is marketed as an early spring beer to remind us that the long cold winter nights will soon be behind us. It pours, like I mentioned, a clear golden color with a nice white head. Not the normal characteristics of a classic bock. But this is where the differences end. It had just a slight aroma of bready malts but the taste is true to it’s style. The first drink had me looking at it in the mug in disbelief. I involuntarily said outloud “Ooh…this sure doesn’t taste like it looks.” (Mrs. Porch asked me who I was talking to and I answered “my beer, why?” So, she thinks I’m nuts. Oh well.) It has a good balance of hops and malt in that they appear at different times. It begins tasting a little sweet but ends with a clean slight hoppy finish. Not too much though, just enough to clear the palate. This is a very good beer.
If you are afraid to try one of those thick, dark bock beers….don’t be. Here’s a suggestion, try one of these and compare it to another “bock” and you will find that this one is not as thick and heavy but the taste in comparison isn’t far off. It did leave a small amount of “skunky” aftertaste, but that didn’t last long and I only noticed it a couple of times. This is a good tasting beer with an inviting look to it.
P-O-R-C-H Rating: R+
Posted by Mr. Porch