Bock beer! I love bock beer! Having been a beer enthusiast and guru of brew for about 35 years now, I’m often asked what my favorite beer is. My favorite style is about as close as you’re going to get to that one, folks, and that would be doppelbock. Bocks are right up there, too, and so you can imagine my delight to find Omaha Non-Typical Bock on tap at my local Canton Taco Mac.

As it happened, my good friend Douglas Smith and I were just talking about how classic styles like this are so underrepresented today. Bocks are lagers that require extra cold aging (lagering), and I don’t see enough of them from American brewers.

Omaha does not list this beer on their website, but did mention it in an early November 2017 blog post:

Non-typical Bock, a German-style Bock, is a high-gravity lager expected to be released in late November.

This is, to me, a doppelbock in style. At 7.2% alcohol by volume it is stronger than Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock, equal in strength to Spaten Optimator, and slightly less potent than Augustiner Maximator and Paulaner Salvator. All bocks should be judged against the German classics. This was running $7 a pint (or in my case 23-ounce mug) at Taco Mac.

My mug of Omaha Non-Typical Bock arrived a beautiful mahogany color with a thin tan head and toasty nutty melanoidins in the nose. Those notes are the hallmark of a good bock or doppelbock, and they carried through into the palate, where I got a fair amount of Munich malty goodness, a touch of molasses, dry roasted nuts, and a balancing bitter finish.

I thought the beer was delicious, I would like a little more melanoidin character, but I’m fussy like that. Not quite as good as the German versions, Omaha Non-Typical bock is nonetheless a worthy example of the style and kudos to Omaha of South Georgia.

I’m on the fence with this one at 4 ¼ stars. Should I round up to 4 ½ for rating purposes here, or down to 4? I will say this, I enjoyed a second full mug the same night I had my first. These days that’s a rare occurrence indeed, so we will go with 4.5

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

 

 



Home