Penn St. Nikolaus Bock Bier
Until the 19th century, St. Nikolaus was a tall, stern, patriarch in bishop’s robes. Then he became a sky-riding, jolly old elf. He may be a milk-and-cookies kind of guy today, but he knows what you want and it’s this St. Nikolaus Bock Bier. It’s rich, dark and full-bodied, brewed with a variety of roasted and chocolate malts. Celebrate the holidays with St. Nikolaus. He’s in this bottle. Gee, we hope you’ve been good this year. 15°
3.3
231 reviews
Pittsburgh, United States
Community reviews
Bottle. Berry, apple, caramel malt, and alcohol aroma. Chestnut brown with moderate light tan head. Sweet red cherry, toffee malt, and lightly bitter herbal flavor. Full body. Excellent.
Refrigerated 12 oz. brown bottle poured into a shaker. Clear dark copper with small/medium off-white head. Aroma is caramel malt, medium body, low carbonation, and some small-bubble lacing. Taste is caramel malt, dark malt, and some fruit.
Transfer from BA review on 12-6-12-
Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass
Appearance – The beer is served a deep brown color with a small tan head. The head fades very fast to leave only a light amount of lacing.
Smell – The aroma was chocolaty with hints of caramel and honey sweetness. Mixed with these sweeter aromas was a nice backbone of a roasted malt and brown bread aroma with a very light almost earthy smell rounding it all out.
Taste – The taste begins of toasted malt mixed with a bit of chocolate. Upfront there is also some sweetness of a caramel taste. The chocolate grows a bit stronger more toward the middle with a honey flavor coming in as well. While it was on the slightly more sweet side upfront more toward the end it dries out a bit as some holiday spice and nut flavors come to the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the average side in terms of creaminess with a carbonation level that was on the slightly lower to average side. It keep it rather easy drinking, but really was not too light to where it took away from the darker flavors.
Overall – A pretty nice holiday brew. Not overly spiced and when combined with its roast and good level of carbonation and thickness made for a good easily holiday drinker.
12 ounce bottle. Pours a dark reddish brown color with a small creamy beige head. Faint roasted malt aroma. Smooth roasted malt flavor is somewhat subdued, yet exhibits notes of dark caramel and dried fruits. Very drinkable, with a touch of spicy resinous hops in the finish.
Pours reddish brown with a tan head. Aroma is dark chocolate, roast, caramel and a bit of coffee. Taste is mildly sweet with some trace bitters. Medium bodied, slick texture and easy to drink for 6.8%. A good Dbock.
Bottle from trade, and my first from Penn. pours dark brownish red, somewhat opaque, with some red shin fun through and an off white to khaki and creamy head. Aroma screams lager with sweet brown sugar, lager yeast, a little dirty, some dark fruit. Flavor is chocolate covered prunes with some brown sugar sweetness. A bit on the watery side in flavor but easy drinking with light plus mouthfeel and medium low carbonation. Acceptable brew and worth trying.
Malt forward, dark in color and flavor. Subtle candy/sugar notes. Brown color with a white head that leaves quickly.
Bottle. Pours cola colored with a 1 finger light tan head. Aroma is fruity and nutty with a hint of banana/bubblegum. Taste follows suit but adds some chocolate, roasted malt and pretzel-like breadiness. Absolutely delicious. Medium mouthfeel and moderate carb. I hadn't drank this in a long time and it's way better than I remember. What a nice surprise.
Draft at Spring House Taproom. Pours clear medium brown with a thin off white head. Tastes sweet and malty, with dark fruit and caramel notes. Smooth medium body and low carbonation. Smells like dark fruits and brown sugar.
Tap at Lancaster Taproom. Pours clear dark copper with creamy off-white head. Aroma is caramel and cookie malts, dates, fig, floral notes, and faint spice. Flavor is bready malt base with rich caramel sweetness, dried fruit esters, and light toast; semi-sweet finish. Medium body and low carbonation.
on draft, pours dark, fruit and dark roasts, pleasant beer but nothing special although much better for a Penn beer than I remember from 10 years ago
Hohoho! 12 ounce bottle thanks to Dan. Pours a dark brown red color with a small beige head. A yeasty and fruity nose some chocolate. Fruity smooth flavor with toffee, sweet chocolate, dry and yeasty at times. Excellent. Perfect for tonight.
Pours a dark brown with a nice head and lingering lacing. Slight nose of dark malt sweetness. Light medium body and well carbonated. The balanced flavor of dark / roast malt is pleasant and only hints at sweetness. Smooth crisp finish aided by the carbonation. The roast malt is most evident on the finish and leaves a nice residual flavor.
Medium brown with no head. hints of dark fruit in the nose. Thin and a bit sweet. Not bad but nothing great.
Nice rich color, Carmel head
Hints of nuts and fruits
Great taste, medium body
Overall, good beer
Dark amber/red with nice, white head and consistent lacing and retention.
Nose of sweet malt and fruits.
Thin-bodied, with very faint taste of nuts, fruits and sweet malt.
Bleh.
12 oz bottle from the variety pack.
Nice aroma. Lots of raisin and malt..some spiciness and cola notes. Deep reddish brown color with a pretty two ginger thick tan head. Sweet raisin and black licorice fore. Cramel malts. Molasses and brown sugar.
Tasted a bit flat?
Medium brown body with chestnut highlightsm medium pale tan head, no lacing. Dark malts, raisins, prunes, caramel, toffee, chocolate. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, light sweetness.
Tap at Sybarite Pig. Tulip. Jet black pour with thin, white head. Decent lace. Very light on the nose. Hints of roasted malts. Creamy and thick with serious malt, roasted malt, cocoa, chocolate and raisins. Some spicey notes. Great, thick milky taste. Love this double bock.
Poured from a 12oz bottle. Clear, dark, red-brown ale with a good off-white head that fades slowly.
S: The aroma is mainly of roasted malts, with only faint hints of yeast and hops. Attractive but light.
T: The taste is well-balanced but a bit under-flavored.
M: Medium body seems a bit too thin, good, if slightly high, near-medium carbonation.
O: Certainly a good beer, but tame for style (versus European versions): a bock leaning towards an amber.
Very clean and crisp bock. Smooth drinker with caramel malty flavor that isn’t overpowering.
1/8/13. 12oz bottle from Brad! Clear red pour with a nice khaki head. Light caramel and toast on the aroma. Nice lightly sweet caramel flavor with biscuits, toast, and just a touch of metal. Nice!
12oz bottle, thanks to Jay. Clear dark red / brown color. Good thin off-white / khaki head. Light spice and bready nose. Medium body, light, crisp carbonation, good dry texture. Moderate bitter taste, light spice. Solid winter bock.
Dark brick red with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, melted caramel, chocolate. Syrupy body. Flavor is toasted malts, chocolate, caramel, malts, dark fruit. Solid brew and nice for the cold weather.
Pours a dark brown with a red tint. The aroma is all malts with caramel, some chocolate and a little bread. The flavor has the same with a nice balance to it. Easy drinking and tasty.
Had this from bottle, decent head and lacing. Smell is not coming through, nice roasted taste.
12 oz. Bottle. Not sure why this is a Christmas brew other than it being a sweet treat for the holidays. However, it is a bock of great quality and complexity. Caramel, bready scent with a molasses base. Dark brown/black pour with a white head to ring. Caramel fronted taste, bready, dark chocolate notes, finishing with the molasses flavor. Medium bodied, silky feel.
This beer is subtle, but awesome. A nice dark, bready beer... great for a cold night, but not so much that you couldn’t have more than one. There’s a very pleasant dry red wine finish to it that pairs well with a hearty winter meal.
Bottle shared amongst friends. Not sure who brought this to our most recent tasting but it seemed fitting since we’re in July and we were discussing Christmas in July. The beer itself wasn’t much to speak of but it made for a good conversation starter.
Not much on the aroma- get the roasted malts some. Ruby/brown in appearance with a nice fluffy head that leaves lacing. Great taste. The chocolate undertones are fantastic.