"Now that's marketing!" Some 15 years ago, a former boss of mine (who happened to own a liquor store) uttered those words upon spying a bottle of Simpatico beer. He really liked the flat black painted bottle, thought it was eye-catching, and a great way to draw consumer interest. Earlier this week, as I happened upon a display of Yuengling Bock beer at my local package store, I couldn't help but think "Now that's marketing!" myself, as the forties-era artwork that emblazons the bottles and six-pack carriers on Yuengling Bock is surely an attention getter.

Pottsville, Pennsylvania's Yuengling Brewery is America's oldest operating brewery, having been established in 1829 and in business ever since. Now that the Big Three macrobrewers Bud, Coors, and Miller are all foreign owned, Yuengling has risen to become America's largest domestically owned brewery, too. More reason, then, to support them and buy their (rather tasty) beer.

Yuengling claims to have brewed a bock many years ago. They resurrected the style in February of 2009 as their first seasonal, in honor of their 180th anniversary. Distribution was rather limited though, and I never saw the beer in the Atlanta market. Fortunately, Yuengling Bock has returned in 2010, although production is limited.

Yuengling Bock Beer pours to an absolutely beautiful dark chestnut color with a light and spritzy head formation and a wonderfully nutty dark malty nose. The palate has a good dash of nutty, toasty dark malt flavors (Munich malt) along with a hint of chewy caramel and a touch of molasses. These are the kinds of things I'm looking for in a bock beer, and I'm delighted to see them here. Just don't drink the beer too cold, or you'll likely miss them.

The bad news is that those dark malt notes start to thin out a bit in the finish, and the beer does not have the depth I would like for a classic bock. That said, there is plenty of flavor here, even a hint of grassy, herbal hops in the finish to balance some of the sweetness. In a way this reminds me of Schmidt's Bock from another classic Pennsylvania brewery, though that one is sadly now defunct. Yuengling Bock, however, has more flavor than Schmidt's did, and it has quickly become my favorite Yuengling beer besides their idiosyncratic porter.

I like this beer. It's a solid, delicious example of a "single" bock beer, perfect for late winter/early spring imbibing. If you like Michelob Amber Bock, chances are you'll like Yuengling Bock even more. It has more of an authentic bock feel to it, I think, and with a touch more body it could really be a top-tier brew. Still, it's wonderfully drinkable, and at $6.98 a six-pack it's a bargain, too. Better grab some, while you still can. Because once it's gone it's gone, at least until next year.

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

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