Local Beer Review: Propeller Spring Bock

A new month, a new growler-only one-off from Propeller Brewing (this is a tradition we can really get behind). Spring Bock, the third release in 2012's One Hit Wonder Series, started pouring at Propeller's Gottingen St. stronghold on April 2. Unlike last year's traditional Bock (strong, malty lager), this year's release is a Maibock, or Helles Bock, which generally tends to be paler and a bit hoppier. Maibock is a classic Bavarian transition season brew, so the Spring Bock's release this month is right on cue. (As, of course, is its name.)

The One Hit Wonder series has been great for introducing us to new styles, and the Spring Bock is no exception. To give us some basis for comparison, we picked up a bottle of Trois Mousquetaires (TM) Maibock, which (if Beer Advocate reviews are to be trusted) seems to be regarded as a pretty solid representation of the style, but perhaps a bit on the sweet side. We split the 750 mL bottle after a late (and light) breakfast of bagels, confirming that this is indeed a strong lager (the 8% ABV on the bottle somehow wasn't noticed until afterward). We enjoyed the floral hop notes and touch of honey that this golden-hued lager brought to the table, but yeah, it was kind of sweet.

With this as our guide, we broke out our growler of Propeller Spring Bock, acquired from the brewery that morning. Earl was pretty pumped, as he was a big fan of the Bock released in last year's One Hit Wonder series. Pouring two pints, we were presented with something distinctly different from the TM Maibock, amber in colour and lightly carbonated, with a nose of mild cherry. The flavour started with some floral notes up front from the Hallertauer hops, but quickly turned into sweet cherry and malt, with a lingering cereal finish. The body was smooth, but heavy, like an overweight Bavarian lynx, suiting perfectly the brisk climes of early spring.

All points considered, the Spring Bock's bold and malty flavour profile is sure to please those who enjoy such beer. While it isn't something that either of us typically seek out, this release provided a great opportunity for us to gain more familiarity with the style, and we appreciate Propeller putting their own spin on it. Our growlers eagerly await the next release in the One Hit Wonder Series, whatever it may be.

Petebrau: A Celebration Ale

This past Saturday, the condo brewery was abuzz with activity once again, as we began our latest batch. In honour of my father's upcoming 60th birthday, Darkside Brewing has offered to provide the beer for the party. After talking to him about what he likes in a beer, he summarized with, 'I like a beer with flavour and kick.' Knowing that he normally drinks Moosehead Dry Ice provided some additional insight as to what we should brew. It also let us know that the bar was set pretty low.

After giving it some thought, we decided to draw upon my family's decidedly British roots and create a recipe for an English India Pale Ale. We've never used Maris Otter as a base malt, and figured it would be both an appropriate choice and a great opportunity to give it a go. Keeping with (our) tradition, we decided to use a rather large bag of East Kent Goldings (EKG) hops (7 oz. to be exact) to provide the bitter kick that Earl and I both really like. Oh, and my dad... yeah, he wanted something with kick, too, right?

We started by throwing in a significant portion of the EKG for first wort hopping, added more with 30, 15 and 5 minutes left in the boil, and then saved the rest for dry hopping. If anything, this beer should give us a solid understanding of what EKG hops taste like. Hopefully it will be an understanding that they are good. Keeping with the theme, we used a liquid English Ale yeast from Wyeast.

By the end of the brew day, things seem to have gone as planned. With an Original Gravity of 1.044, we were a little lower than we'd hoped, but it should still have the kick that Dad requested. If everything turns out as planned, it should help make for a memorable celebration.