Heavyweight Cinderbock Lager

Cinderbock is a bock-style beer brewed with German smoked and munich malts. It's fermented with a classic Bavarian lager yeast and cold-conditioned for five weeks. The result is a malty, clean tasting lager laced with smoke and intrigue.

3.5

227 reviews

Ocean Township, United States

Community reviews

3.4 12oz bottle via trade with BrianK. Pours cloudy orange with a half finger pale tan head. Nose is smoky with a meaty character. Taste is smoky, bitter and very jerky like. This is a totally weird beer to me. Maybe I haven’t had enough smoked beers before but this is certainly different on a number of levels. There is a mulchy taste too. Certainly above average but not sure if I would seek it out again.

3.4 Bottle at the Blind Tiger, shared with others. Aroma of smoked malt, meaty, with some roastedness also. The flavor is similar to the aroma. I am still getting used to this style, but this one seemed like a fine example.

3.2 Date: 04/10/2004 Mode: Bottle Source: Trade opaque rusty orange, big frothy head (may have poured too fast), light sweet smoke aroma, nice sweet malt flavor, well balanced smoke character leading to a pleasant bitter finish -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 07/28/2006 Mode: bottle creamy body, lots of great smoke flavor, light bitterness, good balance, not much complexity Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20 Rating: 3.2/5.0 Drinkability: 6/10 Score: **+/4

3.6 Provided by jasonp. Hazy amber body with a tiny light tan head. Nose is smoke, toffee, vinous and light cherry. Flavor is cherry, jerky, raisins and caramel. Medium body is soft with light carbonation.

3.5 12oz bottle, courtesy of jasonp and artusory. Thanks, guys! Pours a hazy, ruby red color; light tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Slightly tart, smoky aroma; smoked meat and sugar. Chewy, cherry syrup and lightly smoky mouthfeel: relaxed carbonation, with a bit of syrupy texture; slightly tart and acidic; for all these disparate characteristics, it’s quite good. Medium, cherry tart and lightly smoked finish.

3.3 Pours a cloudy amber hue with a light white head. Aromas of smoked salmon, wood, and a hint of citrus. Mouthfeels is mdeium bodied with flavors of smoke, some more smoke, a mellow caramel, and a clean finish. While I may not be a smoked beer fan, I will rate accordingly.

1.9 Coloring is Binney & Smith’s Crayola Burnt Sienna (which I like) and the aroma is totally smoky (which I don’t like as much). Head didn’t last long, and neither did the lacing. This is too smoky for my taste, and I can’t even get any other flavors out of it. The initial, the aroma, the after.......it all tastes like I just had a mouthful of that "liquid smoke" crapola that people use when it’s too cold to B-B-Q outside. Unique, interesting, and I’m quite sure tasty to some people.............but the smoked flavor was TOO overpowering. Looked great, smelled okay, tasted nasty. THIS IS PORK RIND SODA POP WITH A KICK!!!

4.1 Cloudy dark orange body with a little off-white head. This is one beer that skilfully blends classic lager character with caramelized sweetness and smokiness without none taking over the other. Round and smooth as a Helles or other thirst quencher lagers. Bready malts and grassy hops. Spicy dessert caramel. Just enough smoke to make it funky without overdoing it (Shlenkerla). Brilliant dosage of everything. Another great beer from Heavyweight. This is a beer I would drink excessively if I could get my hands on it. Certainly one of the best smoke-related recreational substance.

3.7 Pours a clear orange amber color with a small white head. Faint aroma of malty smoked bacon and leather. Taste is mildly smoky with hints of malts, bacon and yeast. Not bad, but may be starting to be past its prime.

3.7 Color is translucent orange, high carbonation is evident from sight. Aroma is malty and smoky. Palate is extremely bubblly. Taste is smoked malt with a heavy yeastiness.

3.9 Bottled: Pours a deep rusty orange with a haze and a tan, lacing head. The aroma is very interesting. Salty bacon, chewy munich malts, light esters, wood, peat, leather, nice and earthy. The flavor has a nice smokeyness, yet less so than the hardcore Schlenkerla line-up. Creamy texture with a nice amount of carbonation. Solid German malty body. Gives off a subtle caramel background. The smoke is present but not overwhelming, rather subtle and pleasant. Has a bacon-like flavor with peat, leather, tobacco, and a nice malt accented finish with a hint of alcohol and residual smokeyness. Not as hardcore as some of the original Smoked beers from the homeland Germany, but this is easily the best US Smoked effort! A very enjoyable brew.

2.8 Hazy brown body with a small tan head. Sweet malty cand caramel aroma. Sweet malty flavor with a sour background. Everything seemed fine until the sour flavor hits you. Most likely a bad keg that’s since been removed from the tap lineup here. A shame since being retired, it’s unlikely to find it again.

3.7 Bottle shared by nolankowal: Hazy amber in color with tan head. Aroma, bacon, smoke, and some malts in the back ground. Flavor, smoky malts, some bacon notes, citrus, some sweetness, the smoke wasn’t as strong on the flavor as it was in the aroma. Pretty solid stuff though.

3.4 Orangish amber coloured body with a non-existant head. Aroma of super-smoked malt, toffee and figs - the smoke was by far the strongest scent. Medium-bodied; Strong smoked flavours with alcohol in this one. Figs and even more smoked peat were picked up afterwards. The aftertaste showed strong and potent flavours - alcohol, bittering hops and of course, smoke. Overall, an interesting smoked beer - definitely good to try - get it if you can still find it! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Chevy Chase Wine & Liquors in Washington D.C. a year or so ago, on 10-March-2007.

3.7 Hazy amber pour, rich in appearance. Well retained light orange head. Lacing is full-on and thick. Truly an odd but interesting looking beer. Moderate smoke in the aroma is neatly encompassed by tropical fruit notes, heavy malts, peat, velvety woodiness and trace amounts of candies. Flavor is just as smoky but less confrontational. More peated malts and fruits than in aroma, definitely a powerhouse flavor. Caramel is lingering in a mildly dry and alcoholic finish. Palate is medium bodied, warming, quite smooth and easy to quaff away at. An interesting take on rauchbier, and a tasty one at that. Another beer that will be missed from Ocean Township.

2.8 12 oz. bottle. Pours a cloudy orange with a moderate, off-white head that lasted through the entire glass. The aroma is strong with a combination of pleasant and unpleasant smells. There is an earthy, yeasty aroma that I liked. Also some very light smokiness, which I also liked. There is also a strong aroma of over-ripened fruit which I did not care for. I’d have to say the same thing about the flavor; there are aspects I liked and others I did not. Malt and some light smokiness, whch I liked. There was also a flavor that reminded me of matzoh, which I also liked. This beer also had an excessive sweetness that reminded me of rotting fruit and a metallic aftertaste that I did not care for at all. I’m not sure how much of this is due to the age of the bottle, as I never had this beer fresh. I have three bottles left and I will rerate if I get a better example.

3.8 3rd beer of my "Stay @ Home b/c of Snow Rating-Extravaganza." Bottle has been sitting around for a while, not sure how long though. Pours with a medium but quickly dissipating head. Color is a beautiful orange, a very thick looking beer but lots of clarity. Aroma is strong with ripe malty sweet fruits thats accented with smoke. Taste is similarly sweet but the smoke is faint. Altogether it just adds up to an overall melting sweetness. Its not smoke heavy but the smoke is definitely present, in the aroma at least. When I have had this beer earlier it was too bland on the other aspects and similar on the smoke . It seems time has brought out the flavors from the malt. Leaves a sweet bookended faint smoked aftertaste. Low on bitterness, slight lowered carbonation, and a slightly heavy body.

2.4 Hazy amber/orange pour with medium whitish head. Smokey malt aroma with some citrus undertones. Smoked meat (bacon primarily) flavor. Heavy metallic flavor as the beer barely touches my tongue, followed by rauchbier smokiness, leading to an odd lager like finish. Can’t say I like it.

4.0 Pours a cloudy, hazy orange with lots of sediment. Great smokey aroma is very pleasant but not overwhelming. Flavor is smokey and sweet with some honey, brown sugar and lots of smoke... kinda like a honey baked ham. Fantastic (just like almost every other Heavyweight beer I’ve had)!

3.7 Bottle from Cornboy; Nose of smoke, almost like a ham hock, and some caramel, hazy copper with a small beige head; sweet caramel glazed ham flavor, a lot different than the other smokeds I’ve had.

4.0 12 oz bottle thanks to JHop. Didn’t reaize this was smoked unitl I smelled it. I guess I just wasn’t thinking about it, cuz it all makes sense now. Lots of smoke aroma and more in the flavor. Still sweet like a bock. NIce malty flavor under the smoke. I liked this beer.

2.4 Straight amber body with a moderate head and verticle carbonation bubbles. Smells spicy and acidic with campfire overtone. Damp sweet forest wood and aged cheese tastes sustain a deep and strong grip on the palate.

3.6 Bottle thanks to Pineypower! Poured a hazy, medium orangish-amber with a short cap of off-white head. Nose was heavily smoky with tobacco, sticky-sweet caramel, and dried floral hoppage. Smoked beechwood, toffee, dried fruit, and caramel in the flavor... soft on the palate with some dry bitterness and alcohol at the edges. Smoky-sweet finish. Glad to have tried this one!

4.0 Resplendent papaya orange, topped of a dense off-white mousse that collapses rapidly. The nose is rich and juicy, smoked ham appears willingly but does not distract from the prominent fruity combination of apricot, peach and mango. Sweet honey and black pepper add to the complex and unique aroma; simply a clever and enjoyable fusion of fruit and smoked malts. Burnt bacon and ham rise to a greater emphasis in the flavor, supported by pineapple and caramel. Abundant and mellifluous, coating the palate in an effusive blend of dry coffee, ham and pepper, Cinderbock is a straightforward but hearty and delicious beer. I didn’t have any expectations of the style or brewer, but I must say I was rather blown away - shame it is likely the first and last taste of Heavyweight I will have.

3.6 10/15/06. Poured out of 12 oz. bottle, obtained in a trade with Jetsbeer on BeerAdvocate 7/18/06. Rated blind. Hazy orange-caramel color, poured with a small and mostly diminishing cream-colored head that sits with a tight film surrounded by a pebbly rim. Lacing and sub-surface lacing are both pretty poor, hardly sticking at all no matter the temperature or how much head is stirred up out of solution. Still, the color and the thin tuft of head is alluring. Call it "a high 2." Aroma is brightly yeasty at first, spiced and spicy enough to remind me of a Unibroue pseudo-Belgian, then swiftly opens up to a cleanly tangy, smokey, and woody (cedar chips) medley. Fairly faint overall, and I find an interesting play with the smokiness fading in and out with the yeastiness. Not very malt-forward. Flavor is softly and delicately woody, smokey, not really meaty at all, and seeming German in its malt-hop interplay (lightly peppery and dry hop profile with no piney and little-to-no vegetal notes, slightly toasty and caramelly but not very sweet malt character). Sublimely creamy and smooth integration of the carbonation makes it nicely drinkable, matching the slight tang and dryness of the smokey wood character. Finish sucks the moisture out of your mouth and leaves a lovely toasty, smokey trail. Some baked appley fruit notes in there too. Medium-thin body and almost no alcohol apparency. Extremely solid but somehow lacking that extra oomph, most notably in the nose, to really impress.

3.0 Bottle. Hazy amber/orange with a mostly lasting off-white head. Didn’t realize this was a smoked (which I’m not really a fan of...should check labels more carefully) until I got that first whiff. Smelled of canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Basically smoky, with some malt, grass and vegetable notes underneath. Flavor of smoky malts, like BBQ chips, kind of oaky or cedary, with some dried fruit flavors on the finish. Slightly fizzy but mostly smooth medium bodied palate. I really would like to like this more, but I just can’t due to my preferences. However, I can imagine fans of the smoked style would be totally into this one.

3.5 Amber body with a large head, average lacing. Aroma is smoked malt with notes of bread and caramel. Aroma is very promising. Flavor brings all of this, but it’s overly acidic with light alcohol. I love smoked beers, but the acidity killed this one.

3.8 12 ounce bottle purchased from Oliver’s in Albany, NY. Smoked, roasty aroma with some banana yeasty notes present. I also detect some minute citrus orange hoppiness as well. Interesting and pleasant aroma. A little booze also comes through in the nose, though. Moderately hazy orange body with some amber hues and a decent creamy off-white head and above-average lacing. Roasted, smoked flavors initially to start, which turn a little sweet and banana-like in the middle. I think I can taste some chocolate malts in this. Finishes with some decent hoppy bitterness. A little too lively in terms of carbonation. Very good and enjoyable.

4.0 What a treat. I was not very familiar with heavy weight until they closed =) and now I miss them already. This beer is very unique. The hearty smoke flavor in the aroma and in the taste is intense. I should have guess this was a smoked beer but I didn’t know what is was, a kind gift from froggyfrog last night, I brought it with me to my inlaws. So a goat is smoking strange labels I have seen. When I popped the cap I instantly smelled smoky Rauchbeir bacon and fish. I thought there was a mistake. I studied the bottle looking for the word smoked. Anyway what a pleasant surprise. Appearance: Pours an assertive orange amber color with a small head. Smell: Bold Smokey raw meat and smoke aroma that is certainly aggressive. (particularly having caught me off guard). Taste: Acidic like tomatoes but sweet and laden with maltiness, and intensely smoked. This beer is a bit intimidating. I would not consider it approachable by any mean but for the experienced Rauchbier drinker it is mm mmm mm mmm mmmm! Mouthfeel: This is a medium body beer plenty smooth a bit thin for a dopplebock but certainly strong enough with the malt back bone. Drinkability: While this is a very tasty beer I only want one tonight. Thanks froggyfrog for hookin me up! Hope this is helpful. Cheers!

3.8 This was a good one but not very smoked. A dark golden appearance. The aroma was smoked malt, caramel, and lemon. Some smoke appears in the flavor along with some citrus, vanilla, whipped cream, and ginger. I must be crazy but thats what I got. It was a good beer regardless.