Sumptuous soft-fruited dry bock with perky hop subtlety, tangy orange peel blitz, and chewy caramel-molasses tether gains barleywine luster scurrying to sweet barley-roasted raisin-almond finish. Creamy mocha malt midst smoothed out by frisky carbonation and herbaceous recess.

Funky smellin’ spiced malts affect compressed chaffed wheat palate of buttery tan-headed seasonal bock. Less subdued than same brewer’s Big Ass Beer, finishing with fresh hay-parched dried orange pucker. Interestingly dry-bodied tributary to former Dodgers baseball great Duke Snyder.

Well integrated rye-toasted pumpernickel theme extends through dirty earthen graining, torrid vegetal souring, and dried cherry dirge. Though cumbersome phenol fizz gets in the way and sour mash waft may be off-putting, its chocolate-cocoa malting adds abstruse depth.

2006 version (a.k.a. Mountain Holidays in Vermont) lightly embitters roasted chocolate-caramel malt dehydration with spicy dry-hopped raisin-fig parch and skittish cashew-chestnut-pecan chafe. But seasonal nutmeg seepage lost amongst tertiary tobacco trickle.

Claret-hued dark double bock (with cascading bubbles quickly rising to tan-headed surface) gains dry prune prominence as strong cereal-grained barleycorn influence beckons. Cocoa, coffee, and raisin notes scattered.

Early woodsy cedar chip illusion fails to supplement oncoming toffee-like vanilla-backed theme of ruby-cola-hued springtime ’07 release. Barren prune-fig segue and astringent pecan-walnut toasting coarsen tannic red grape wisp, negating baker’s chocolate, powdered cocoa souring, and anise trace.

Blah bock goes adrift. Bland sugared corn malts and toasted rye scant reach harsh off-dry vegetal spoiling. Some earthiness spotted amongst fuzzy stewed prune whim.

Unassuming amber-cleared white-headed blonde lacks expressive ‘bock’ character as pungent grain exertion and alcohol-stricken malt astringency provide off-dry finish with cheap Scotch neutrality.

Modest reddish amber bock tightropes thin mocha-raisin tier to thinner fruited nut finish. Along the way, muted black chocolate and dark caramel fade to gray.

Black-as-night Belgian bock with brown chocolate sweetness, stiff hop bite, and stout-heavy mocha finish softened by toned down grain subtleties. Muted fruit spicing and orange blossom inflate deep roasted caramel malt backdrop of unexpectedly gentle ‘black beer.’ Brewery defunct: 2005.

Houston Bud factory promotes this coppery amber bock disappointment. Phenol hop nose, lurking malt souring, and cardboard texture displace off-dry nuttiness and muted prune decline.