Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s "Glissade" is a Golden Bock, "with restrained sweetness... balanced against delicate aromas of spicy and floral European hops."
The ABV on this is 6.4% and it claims 42 IBU's.
Review:
I could be wrong, but I don't think that "Golden Bock" is a recognized style. Therefore, I am left to assume that this beer would fall under the jurisdiction of a Hellesbock or Maibock category. Both of these categories call for a lighter color and more hoppy profile than your everyday Bock, and they are commonly brewed for the spring time. Glissade seems to fit this mold.
Looking at the above photo, you can see that this beer is a nice orange/gold color with a small head. The flavor starts a bit sweet but quickly sours across the tongue. More correctly stated, it begins malty but finishes hoppy with a grassy/citrus punch. There is a small amount of malt husk character present, but it is not distracting. As far as medium strength lagers go, this is fairly complex... Upon further tastings, there is a certain dry pepper flavor to the hops and some sulfur notes become evident.
(Side Note: Glissade is a term that can be used in three ways. In this instance it is referring to the practice of sliding down a steep snowy mountain either by putting your weight on your heels and alternating your weight back and forth in a sort of improvised "boot-skiing" fashion, or riding on your butt and feet down the mountain. -- I'll bet you're wondering what this has to do with beer, well, read the description at Sierra Nevada to find out.)
Last year, before I was blogging, I had this beer and it was different. Reviewing my notes, it had a much larger head and no yeast notes. This year it lacks the same malt presence that I found so magical in 2010. It is still good, but I admit, I am a touch disappointed that the flavor couldn't quite meet the high expectations set last year.
(bottle purchased The Liquor Collection.)
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