Name: Bockenator
Brewing Company: Ross Brewing Company
Location: Port Monmouth, NJ
Style: Bock โ Dopplebock
ABV: 8%
A tasty, dark lager with a sweet, chocolate twist.
From the Ross Brewingโs Facebook post announcing the beer:
๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ is our ๐ด% ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป-๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐น๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ! The beer style that inspired us to start brewing way back when finally sees a release under the Ross pennant!
Our tribute to all of the amazing German Doppelbocks we’ve had over the years, Bockenator has the ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ, which in turn are only accentuated by the ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ. Maintaining balance without being too sweet, with the ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฉ% ๐๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐น, this is the beer ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐! Enjoy at your next feast or special occasion, or any other time you’d like an amazing beer. Prost!
Iโve been happy to see Ross Brewingโs growth over the past year despite launching their brand without a taproom and during a pandemic. When I learned they had a doppelbock in the works I knew Iโd have to grab some. This beer is brewed with chocolate, so I was even more intrigued.
The beer is adorned with cool label consistent with the clean branding of Ross Brewing along with the iconic goats symbolizing the bock style of beer on the can. But the contents of the can are always more important, arenโt they? Letโs dive in, shall we?
Yep, that looks like a doppelbock. Dark brown, slightly translucent, and a thin khaki head. I donโt get too much of an aroma outside of what Iโd expect. It smells like a malty beer.
First sipโฆI get some sweet malt and a crispy/snappy lager finish. I like this first impression of Bockenator. The chocolate comes through more each time I go back to my glass. Not coincidentally, the beer is warmer with each sip I take which, as we all know, allows the flavors to breathe and express themselves more.
That chocolate wakes up more the closer the beer gets to room temperature and consequently, Iโm finding myself enjoying the beer that much more. The chocolate also helps to smooth out the starkly crisp finish.
The folks behind Ross Brewing have continued to show their mettle, especially on a style like Dopplebock. Given one of their launch beers was a somewhat dark lager, I shouldnโt be surprised they brewed a tasty Dopplebock, another dark lager.
Recommended, link to 3.75 bottle cap untappd rating check in.