I’ve only had one other Full Sail brew (Hop Pursuit) in the time that I’ve run this blog. It’s only been recently appearing more and more in a couple of shops in my area, so naturally (as with all new products) I had to pick this one up last month.

Full Sail’s LTD products are part of “…an ever-changing series of small batch beers, available for a limited time only. Each new LTD Series brew will showcase an original lager recipe, pimped out by our ace crew of libationary wunderkinds.” Batch 01 is a pretty tasty bock that the company plans to bring back this Winter, as well.

Appearance

LTD 01 pours a copper in color with a nice sized, off-white colored head that faded slowly to a patchy lacing.

Aroma

Smells like a good bock. There’s a lightly toasted malt presence along with balancing hops. The hops bring a light bitterness and carry a grainy character.

Taste

The components of the nose carry on over to the taste just about perfectly. The malts bring along a sweetness and caramel aspect. The welcome, yet subtle, hop bitterness in the lingering finish helps balance out the malts. LTD 01 has a fairly smooth, medium body to it that makes it very drinkable.

Overall

I can see myself drinking a good amount of this beer. It’s got plenty of flavor, is easily drinkable and would do just fine on a hot, sunny day as it would a cooler Autumn afternoon.

Rating: 3.5/5

You can read about Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock in more detail, but in summary, is brewed based on a recipe that brewery first used 121 years ago. Not only is this a resurgence of an older brew, but it is also the return of the brewery’s first seasonal released so many years ago.

Appearance

1888 Bock looks good in a glass. It’s got a copper color with a light tan head that’s quite creamy in appearance.

Aroma

The nose is rather subdued, even when poured at cellar temperature. There’s a malty, caramel presence followed by light apple and a small amount of hop bitterness.

Taste

This is a real smooth and well balanced brew. It’s got just the slightest hop bitterness in the semi-dry finish after a rich, roasted malt front. It’s medium bodied with a slight crispness. For a bock, it’s light and refreshing enough for a warm spring day — at only 5.2% ABV, you’ll probably have a couple of them celebrate the thaw of winter.

Overall

I enjoyed this one. It’s probably the best brew I’ve gotten from the company thus far. It’s not over the top in terms of complexity or flavor, instead sticking with a well balanced taste profile for easy drinking and enjoyment. Good lord, that last sentence sounded like a commercial. Anyway, it’s tasty and my wife loved it, so we’ll be be sure to keep an eye out for it on the shelves.

Rating: 3.5/5

This past weekend I was able to find myself a bottle of Human Blockhead, a bock weighing in at 10% ABV. Piling in eight different malts, as well as six different hop varieties, the beer is full flavored and daring.

Appearance

The Blockhead pours a dark brown with reddish edge. The head was minimal and didn’t stick around too long.

Aroma

Malty and sweet, this one has a pretty potent punch in the aroma area. You can definitely tell it’s a bock. There’s not much of a hint in the nose with regards to the alcohol.

Taste

The aroma is only the tip of the iceberg with this brew. It’s upfront malt presence is demanding while a solid hops character jumps into the fray. There’s a slight bitterness behind the sweetness and caramels. It’s a bit spicy, as well.

Overall

I’m a big fan of the bock style of beer and Schmaltz have done a great job knocking this one out of the park. It’s full bodied flavors are bold and smooth with an unassuming alcohol presence that can really sneak up on you. I think I still prefer the Albino Python overall, but as far as the season goes, the Human Blockhead is the way to go.

Rating: 3.5/5