December 2nd is a pretty big day for beer enthusiasts who live in range of a Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant. Fortunately, I do; we have one here in Atlanta. They're peppered around the country, of course; mostly in California but also in Arizona, DC, Hawaii, Florida and a few other places. So there were probably lots of other happy beer lovers like myself out there, too.

Gordon Biersch is a brewpub, and they brew some amazing stuff right in the restaurant. They specialize in German style beers, mostly lagers. And on December 2nd, the local Gordon Biersch held a coming out party of sorts for perhaps their most celebrated lager. It was the tapping of the Winterbock, and the beer was flowing as freely as the conversation while local beer aficionados waited in marked anticipation for this rich and warming brew.

Winter hasn't officially begun yet, of course, but we all know how cold December can be. A heartier, more fortifying beer is thus called for. And bock beer is just the thing. Traditionally, bocks are released in the spring, and the stronger double bocks in late winter. Gordon Biersch's Winterbock falls into the latter category, and even though it's early winter, this beer is just the thing to take the chill off your bones.

Gordon Biersch Winterbock pours to a dark brownish black color with a thick creamy head formation and a rich and sweet dark malt and molasses nose. As soon as you sip, your palate is assaulted by a symphony of slightly sweet, dark malty flavors. They served the beer a bit too cold for my taste, but as it warmed more of those flavors become apparent.

There are strong hints of molasses, some chocolate, a touch of coffee, and a generous does of sweet, nutty-malty melanoidin induced Munich malt goodness. The body is thick and luxuriant as you roll the beer over the tongue. In the finish, the nutty notes pick up, and there is a sweet finish with a touch of warming alcohol. Overall, I was very impressed with this German styled doppelbock (double bock), one of my very favorite styles.

Winterbock weighs in at about 7% alcohol by volume, so it's almost half again as strong as your average lager. It's a great deal at $4.25 for a half liter mug (you can take home one of those beautifully decorated mugs for an additional $5). I saw lots of them being hoisted when I was enjoying one of these beauties.

Gordon Biersch also bottles this wonderful brew, and they you can also buy it at Trader Joe's markets under their own label. But I still like it best on draft at a GB brewery restaurant. So if you live near one of their locations, make haste to try a Winterbock. The beer, like the cold weather, won't be around forever.



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