Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Old Chico Pale Bock

Old Chico Pale Bock

 

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California, United States 🇺🇸

  Bock - Heller Bock Spring
Score
6.31
ABV: 6.8% IBU: 38 Ticks: 22
Old Chico Brand Pale Bock is a beer of legend. Once a brewery-only treat, it was so coveted that we heard tales of folks traveling hundreds of miles to get it. Golden and robust, Pale Bock is back from hiatus. We’re proud to reintroduce this full-bodied local lager, the perfect beer for the coming of spring in Northern California.
 

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5.8
Appearance - 5 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6

Dark yellow color, thin head. Full flavor of sweet malt followed by a crisp, moderately bitter finish. Lasting hoppy bitter aftertaste.

Tried from Draft at Sierra Nevada Brewery - North Carolina on 16 Jun 2025 at 20:12


6
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Frothy white head on a well carbonated unclear pale amber coloured body. Malt, cigarette & newspaper aroma. Medium bodied, soft over the tongue with a heavy cloying back. Sweet, malt, syrup, peach & grain tastes with a big hitting peppery finish. Standard.

Tried on 07 Sep 2023 at 21:15


3.6
Appearance - 3 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 3 | Overall - 15

Can online from the Cascade Club. Pours clear pale gold with a decent white cap. Aroma: toasted malt, bread. Taste: moderate sweet & light to moderate bitter, toasted grains, bread dough, honey. Medium body with foamy carbonation

Tried from Can on 25 Jun 2023 at 07:56


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Can, 6.8% ABV. Gold with a large white head. Aroma of dough, light biscuit, spice, some lemon. Fat and rich but the maltiness doesn't overstay its welcome because it dries out enough at the end and there's decent amount of fairly discreet bitterness. By the end of a big glass (this can is 473.18ml) this sort of thing is usually cloying, harsh or both but this is neither.

Tried from Can on 13 Sep 2021 at 14:11


7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

16 oz can. Pours a clear golden amber with a white head. Aroma light honey and biscuit. Flavor is again honey and biscuit, with a very light toastiness and some floral hops. Well done.

Tried from Can on 03 Jul 2021 at 03:33


6.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Tap at the SN tap room. Pours amber gold with a white head. Lite citrus aroma. Med + body. Flavor of light malt, tho not really bready, and citrus. Neither sweet nor dry. Mildly bitter. Rather refreshing and pretty drinkable.

Tried from Draft on 19 May 2015 at 16:49


6.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Draft at Taphouse. Medium brown color, off white head. Aroma of caramel, taste is like a dilute bock. Pretty average.

Tried from Draft on 21 Aug 2014 at 10:11


5.2
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

Pale gold coloured body with not head at all! Aroma of pale malt and cardboard. Medium-bodied; Strong malty and metallic taste. Aftertaste bitter and strong - not sweet nor terribly pleasant. Overall, decent but great to finally try this one! I sampled this beer on draught at O’Briens in San Diego, California on 23-September-2006.

Tried on 15 May 2009 at 18:29


6.2
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Draught pint at Sunset Grill on 6/23/07
Mostly clear, buttered popcorn colored body topped by a small, mostly diminishing off-white head that leaves some blotchy lacing.
Sweet, heavy honey-dough in the nose wraps about the nostrils with a pinch of herbal hoppiness inserted as an afterthought. Vanilla icing and light caramel intensify the sweetness, but add some moderate complexity. The dryness and "lager" character of the beer immediately seem questionable, though as it warms, there is a touch of dry yeast and definitely some emerging breadiness from the malts that "helps" to dry it out. I say helps, but it never really comes off as very dry in the nose. Perhaps a touch of medicinal qualities? It’s tough to separate the yeast character and herbal hops from what might be problematic phenols, as herbal hops and lager yeast tend to be very similar in aroma to certain peppery/medicinal phenols. Anyways, even if it is (doubtful), it’s marginally apparent. Medium strength of aroma overall, with no alcohol present.
Upon first sip, it comes of very sweet, and oddly slick (like oily almost). Partly due to the low carbonation, no doubt, but I’m not sure that’s the only reason. Vanilla icing and overly sweet honeyish malts build up and sort of wallop the palate. As it warms, more of the breadiness comes out and dries the beer, especially on the end, just as in the aroma. But again, it’s certainly got a huge sweetness to it, especially right away, and the sweetness is not a very elegant maltiness, but more of a simple sugariness. Herbal, obviously German hoppiness seems a little less than fresh, and sort of half-assed at that, but does at least provide something else to think about besides the heavy sweetness. I’ve never been a fan of bready maltiness used for balance, and though the style certainly has leeway for being sweet, I just think it’s a bit much. Too much wateriness on the finish, as well. No alcohol noted, however, and definitely nothing phenolic in the flavor.

Tried on 15 Aug 2007 at 16:03


5
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5

Clear golden amber body with a small off-white head. Light fruity malt aroma. Sweet sugary fruit flavor with a malty corn kick.

Tried on 16 Jul 2007 at 18:53