It is said that
imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If that is indeed the case,
then Texas’ native brewery Spoetzel, makers of the legendary Shiner Bock
brand, should be quite flattered indeed. None other than Anheuser-Busch, the
world’s largest brewer, has deigned to copy their beer with it’s Ziegen Bock
Amber.
Of course, Anheuser-Busch is not the first to imitate Shiner’s success.
Craft beer legend Pierre Celis introduced a Celis Bock from his revered but
now defunct Texas microbrewery. It wasn’t a bock, but then most beers sold
under that name in Texas aren’t really bocks anyway. The law in that state
is such that you can’t call a bock a bock, but you can call anything else
one. Just another of those crazy beer laws legislated by people who know
nothing about beer.
Anheuser-Busch began brewing Ziegen Bock in 1995. It is brewed in Houston,
and only sold in Texas. You can, however, purchase Michelob Amber Bock just
about anywhere in the United States. Although the two beers are very
similar, there seems to be a slight difference, with the Amber Bock having
perhaps a slightly more roasted character. Very slightly more.
The label proudly announces the fact that this is a Texas only beer. It
features the traditional goat, a sure sign of bock even though this isn’t
one. The name of the beer is a tad strange when taken literally: “Ziegen”
means goats (as does bock technically). Goats’ bock? Perhaps They’re
implying this is the bock of all bocks? Who knows.
In any case, I picked up a six-pack of Ziegen Bock while in Dallas a while
back. I found it to be a decent enough beer, but were I in Texas again and
faced with a choice between this and Shiner Bock I think I would go for the
latter. Not that the latter is all that much tastier than the former, but
I’m always a sucker for the underdog.
Ziegen Bock pours to a deep mahogany color with a light head formation and a
lightly malty nose. The beer is mildly sweet at first, then becomes somewhat
nutty with toasty tasting malt and a touch of caramel. The sweetness
reemerges in the finish, but not enough so to make the beer cloying. It is a
very drinkable, fairly malty brew definitely worth trying.
I enjoyed a bottle with a wedge of sharp cheddar covered with a fiery hot
sauce made with garlic and cayenne and habanera peppers that I purchased in
neighboring Louisiana. The maltiness of the beer went well with creamy
cheese and spicy hot sauce.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft