(bottle) clear dark reddish amber colour with a small brown head; aroma of stewed fruit; thin palate; balanced flavour

To celebrate my 1200th rating on ratebeer I decided to have Anchor’s now retired Anchor Bock(replaced by an IPA). 2013 bottle so one year old from Sugaya & served in a snifter, it pours a dark reddish-brown that becomes a deep black in the glass with a thin brown head which dissipates fairly fast but leaves nice lacing. Lovely ripe plum, figs & port notes very fruity with dark malts. Medium bodied with a silky mouthfeel. The flavor is fruity cherry & berries, quite sweet with caramel & roasty malts in the finish. A delicious beer that makes me think of fruits dipped in chocolate or caramel. Too bad it is being discontinued but I can see how this beer isn’t a "trendy" style in the US.

Nice sweet bock, dark and roasty with a hint of molasses sweetness. Dark brown with small foamy beige head. Aroma is sweet (dried fruit)with taste bringing in some roast grain bitterness. Finish is some lingering bitterness. Nicely done, Anchor!

Dunkelbraunes Bier mit schöner Schaumkrone. Geruch röstig, malzig süß, nussig, Karamell. Geschmack malzig scharf, fruchtig, Karamell, nussig.

Bottles sampled 2010 and onwards, as recently as 2012
Quite light in color, a deep amber with darker mahogany tints. Clear with a beige head that is small and recedes quickly to cover.
Sweet caramel and biscuity malt notes in the nose are quite clean and straightforward, with a touch of herbal/spicy hops lending a bit of dryness. Light vanilla, cream, honey and melanoidin malt notes emerge as it warms and I don’t find any DMS or other flaws. Alcohol is well-concealed, aroma strength is medium.
Rich and malty, though not overly sweet or underattenuated, the maltiness takes on a slightly grainy or washed-out character as it warms and the beer breathes, in part due to the filtration, I’m sure, but perhaps due to the attenuation. Some molasses-like sweetness is left on the finish along with some slightly bitter herbal hop notes. The malt flavor is pretty spot-on for the style though, any other shortcomings aside. Biscuits, melanoidins, caramel, light vinousness; it’s all here. Perhaps a touch too astringent after it’s warmed fully, with a dull sort of brown sugar-like sweetness sitting on the finish. Best drunk well-chilled. Too bad they filter it, but alas. Body is medium, with the carbonation peppery as in most of their beers.

Refrigerated 12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Pours black with medium beige head. Aroma is roasty, medium/thick and chewy body, velvety texture, medium carbonation, and medium small bubble lacing. Taste is rich roastyness, herbal hops, and bitter finish. One of the best bocks I have had.

Bottle from saveur-biere.com. Black body with some red reflections and a creamy, quickly dissipating, beige head. Great aromas of chocolate, caramel, ripe banana, red and dried fruits, some roastiness. Interesting taste of red fruits, almond, banana, roast, toffee, some chocolate, also some fruity sourness. Medium, slick mouthfeel, with a pretty strong carbonation and a short, medium roasty, medium bitter, fruity and slightly dry finish. Very good, a unique take on the dark bock beer style, maybe the mouthfeel is a bit too thin for a Bock. But still very quaffable and most notably with very interesting aromas!

Poured from a bottle it is a dark chocolate brown with a tan head the aroma of coffee and tastes of bitter coffee and lingers on the palate

From a 12 bottle shared at home. Pours a clear dark cola brown with a thick ecru head. Malty nose with a hint of raisins. Flavors of plum and other red fruits. Moderately full mouthfeel. Slight bitter finish with a bit of tartness.

Bottle. Cola and cocoa malt aroma. Dark brown with giant light brown head. Mildly sweet brown sugar and chocolate malt flavor. Nice body. A tasty beer but tastes more like a schwarzbier.