I’m a beer drinking guy. I’m a big fan of most beers and I really dig getting my hands on something new, especially if I’ve heard good things about it. My Texas friends have always sung the praises of this one, which up until recently was impossible to get here in Northern Illinois. Well lo and behold tonight there was a sixer sitting at the liquor store of Shiner Bock just waiting to come home and say “Hi Cluricaun, here I am”.
Color me not impressed, even in the slightest. Please tell me this isn’t what’s passing as a decent Bock these days. Everything, from the color to the palate to the carbonation was weak sauce 1st percentile ho hum stuff. This stuff makes Fat Tire look like a Belgian Trappist ale. If I didn’t know better I’d say that this is pretty much what a BudMillerCoors Bock beer would taste like. This is not worthy of being such a popular microbrew. It’s not cheap, it’s not good, so why the crazy love for this stuff?
I enjoy Shiner, though I’m no beer snob. In fact I prefer it to most other beers that are “gas station” available around here. Here is why I like it: I don’t like being punched in the mouth by a fistful of hops, nor do I enjoy drinking a barely carbonated sludge as bitter as three week old coffee, nor do I like trying to force down what tastes like a liquefied hayfield. I’ve been told that Shiner isn’t a real bock style beer, and as far I know that may be true, but whatever it is I like that it is kind of a middle of the road beer. It’s a little heavier and tastier than American mega-brews, but not too much. It is lighter and sweeter than darker micro-brew beers, but not as watery as American mega beers. Maybe my tastes would change if I cared enough to pursue a beer drinking hobby, but when I try dark beers that my beer-nerd friends rave about I find them to be either too thick to enjoy, or . . . hard to explain, too “grassy? grainy?” Those tend to give me indigestion, filling my belly with an unsettling churning of wheaty flavor that keeps coming back up the pipes.
Maybe you can suggest for me a real bock that would suit my tastes that is better than Shiner - I’m willing to give it a try.
Also, I don’t consider Shiner to be a micro-brew, I think of them as having too large an output for that, but maybe that’s because it is so ubiquitous around here.
I agree - it’s widely available, it’s way better than most of what’s widely available, and I like it. I’m sure there’s plenty of better bocks, but they don’t have them at Devine Foods on the menu. I would, however, like some examples of what’s considered a really good bock style beer that’s widely available, I’d like to compare. I do drink what’s suggested to me as “good” beer when it’s available and enjoy it, but at home we get a lot of Rogue Dead Guy and Shiner Bock and Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and Yuengling, and we like it because we can get it at Publix.
Shiner is good for me. It’s not always my #1 choice but it’s always close to the top. Actually, I prefer ZiegenBock over Shiner. Neither one would ever be mistaken for a German Bock, but still damn good on a hot Texas afternoon with a sizzling platter of fajitas
neorxnawange pretty much nails it. It’s not supposed to be a beer snob’s beer. It’s just more interesting than Bud, Miller, Coors, et al. I don’t really drink much of it, as I can afford better. But when I’m at a party or some such, it’s always a relief when they have Shiner Bock instead of the megabrews.
You got me. Whatever Shiner Bock is, it ain’t a bock. (Well, it might technically be a bock, but it doesn’t taste like any bock I’ve ever had.) It’s one of the more overrated beers I’ve had, up there with beers like Fat Tire. That said, it was one of the beers I had today, at the end of the night when I wanted something a little lighter to cleanse my palate. So it certainly has its place, but I think the beer was just way overhyped to me and I was expecting something a lot different when I first encountered it.
What has been said. It’s a step up from the megas, and it isn’t über-hoppy. For me it’s a good “food” beer, and easily available. My wife will drink it, which is also a plus when shopping. Now if you want an over-rated beer, it’s Fat Tire. That stuff is vile.
Shiner’s made at the Spoetzl Brewery, in business since 1909. Somehow, they kept making beer while the giant brewers drove everybody out of business. We used to drink Shiner because it was cheap & better than Pearl or Lone Star. Now, styles have changed & the brewery is thriving. And Shiner beers are still pretty cheap–& easily available down here.
I love my city’s St Arnold’s Brewing Company. St Arnold Winter Stout is comparable to Guinness Stout–not a comment I’d make lightly. And St Arnold Elissa IPA knocks me over with hoppiness!
St Arnold’s is a microbrewery. Spoetzl isn’t. I’ll gladly drink beers from both. Of course, the rest of the world brews some excellent beers. And I’ll sample them–while traveling or from a reputable establishment. But a 6-pack on the liquor store shelf may have had a long & bumpy trip.
Come down to Texas & we’ll explain the details. Over several mugs or bottles. In the meanwhile, support your local brewers!
I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it, but it is a decent, entry-level non-crap beer* – a poor man’s Dos Equis. I’m living in Texas and I find it available even in places that normally sell only the likes of Budweiser, and it’s quite often on sale.
And mind you, anybody who’s happy with watery or pissy tasting domestic brews can give the snobs the finger, as far as I’m concerned
I think it’s fine, though some places charge import/microbrew prices for it, and that’s not worth it. I guess it depends on your location. They charge something like $7/6 pack here for Lone Star here! (retch).
Where I’m at, Yuengling is the best inexpensive beer to be had, better than the megabrews. Geez, Yuengling’s as cheap as Budweiser here (4.99/6 - 8.49/12 - 14.99/case at the Rite Aid).
I like it. Like others have said, it has better taste than your Buds and Millers, and it’s widely available, at least down here in Texas. I don’t drink much beer, but sometimes it hits the spot. Usually in August when you just mowed the lawn - at 9:00 in the morning 'cuz it’s too hot later than that!
Bock gets its name from where it was first brewed–Einbeck, Germany. Any dark, malty lager can be thought of as a bock.
I hate Shiner personally–but I understand what others have said about its availability and the fact that it is better than most swill.
Schneider & Sohn makes several good examples of the style, and you should be able to find their beers at any decent beer store. Their Aventinus is a wheat dopplebock which is incredibly good.
I think that’s part of it. If the six had cost me $5 or $6 I’d have been happy, but this stuff cost me (with tax) $9 a six pack. If some of you can get it cheaply, then I’d understand more, but it’s certainly not worth what we’re being charged for it.
I think it is pretty good beer for a semi micro-brew. It’s a little stronger than I like, but I will certainly buy it again. Not everybody thinks bitter hops are what beer should taste like. Unfortunately, in America, hops are what so called beer snobs use to determine a beers worthiness.
I like that swill (it’s called pilsner), and take offense to anyone that suggests that it means my taste in beer is unrefined. I make a point of trying new beers to learn their flavor. I brew beer to see how I can improve the flavor myself.
It is hard to get up here in PA (but available in Delaware for about $20 a case), but I liken it to a “darker than usual lager”, and find it quite drinkable. If you get a chance, pick up some Shiner Bohemian Black Lager , which was their anniversary beer in 97 and received such attention that they made it a regular beer. It is in the family of Schwarzbier but the Shiner version is somewhat lighter than the traditional German style.
