Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Charlie, Fred, and Ken’s Bock
This is the second in the 30th Anniversary beers from Sierra Nevada. I grabbed this one pretty late, and may be harder to find right now. It was released mid-May, and their 3rd beer is already out. Here is a style you don’t see too often. This imperial helles bock, is a lighter bock, but higher in alcohol. Let’s see if it’s as good as the stout.
Stats:
Imperial Helles Bock. 8.3% ABV. California.
Dark yellow color with an aggressive head, but goes away.
Definitely hops on the nose. It has this spice and fresh apricot aroma. I really like this cinnamon component that I get.
Mouthfeel is pretty good, low to medium bodied and highish carbonation.
Hops really pull through on the palate. I get some of that apricot, apple, and spice initially, but then gets pretty aggressively hoppy. It ends with considerable bitterness and juicy apple flavor. It’s a bit earthy and floral on the back, as well.
A pretty good effort, though the hops are slightly too aggressive for me. 88 points.
