Brewview#41 Ice Boom Bock Dark Lager by Resurgence Brewing Company

Here I am, back at it again with our next Brewview. This one is brought to us by Resurgence Brewing Company, a nice flavorful dark lager the Ice Boom Bock. I stumbled upon this beer on the way home from work one day and figured I haven’t written any thing for Resurgence lately, so here we are. Thanks to social media, one of the few advantages of it these days, I was able to get ahold of Resurgence through Facebook. Through this discussion I was able to obtain integral information for Ice Boom Bock, allowing me to give a more thorough insight in this Brewview. Thank you Resurgence, I hope I do not disappoint.

So what is Ice Boom Bock, besides a dark lager. It derives its name from the Ice Boom, which during the cold winter months prevents large chunks of ice from floating down the Niagara River. I believe I may have seen it in action the other day while taking my daughter to the Niagara Falls Aquarium. Very impressive, not an easy job I assume.

There’s the history, what can expect when drinking Ice Boom Bock? Resurgence provides some nice input on the side of the can for us:

‘This traditional German style dark lager is brewed with lots of dark, rich malts for a deep flavor that will warm you up on an ice day. That toasted caramel aroma follow through the flavor, with low bitterness taking the backseat.’

Though we’ve had some warmer weather recently here in Buffalo, previous to that we’ve reached some bitter lows. Either way Ice Boom Bock has been nothing but refreshing and enjoyable this winter.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty!

The Beer: Ice Boom Bock Dark Lager by Resurgence Brewing Company

ABV: 6.0% IBU: N/A

Hops: I was told it was a general hop blend, not too much to take note of.

Malts: Weyermann

Pilsner

Chocolate

Breaking The Ice

So I’ve already had one of these while working on my basement and it was great, a nice conclusion to some hard work. It also helped prepare me for tonight’s Brewview!

Popping open the can and pouring Ice Boom Bock into a glass allowed me to pick up on what I assume to be nothing but malt aromas. There is nothing at all that stands out to me that makes me think hops when it comes to the aromas. Out of the three malts, two come to mind when sniffing around and getting a good sense of Ice Boom Bock’s aromas. The two being Weyermann and Pilsner malts. Both provide a nice sweet caramel aroma, alongside an enjoyable graham cracker and honey aroma as well. Putting the two together is very nice and holds true in its simplicity. If you ask me, it shows a true understanding of what both malts can provide and how well they work in combination. It’s not a very strong aroma, but you can get a sense of it from a few inches away. Either way it works for me.

On a side note, after my wife came down from putting our daughter to bed I asked her to lend me her pregnant sense of smell. Though I did not pick up much of a chocolate aroma, she noticed it alongside the other aromas. Thanks again Toots!

When sitting in a glass Ice Boom Bock holds a solid dark amber, copper color that is crystal clear. This allows one to see the carbonation and strength held within. The head sits at an impressive two to three finger widths and is here to stay. It has a very creamy, malty characteristic to it. I’m guessing that comes from the Pilsner malts used.

A very nice as well as solid presentation. It will leave your mouth watering before each sip.

Boom!

As I stated before Ice Boom Bock sits more in the malt corner of things, this holds true as well when it comes to flavor. I only notice a very slight, if any hop background with each sip. Though I am not entirely convinced to be honest.

But here is what I do know, I can taste all three malts and it’s easy to break each of them down and how they contribute to Ice Boom Bock. In all honesty, it shouldn’t be in any way difficult to understand how the malts work when you look at them. First, the most obvious, the Chocolate malts. Though I did not find them present in the aroma, I am getting a sense of them in the flavor. It’s not as strong as I’ve seen it before in previous beers. In Ice Boom Bock, I’m finding the chocolate flavors more towards the back end of things. More towards the end of the sip and into the slight after taste that remains with you. A very nice touch if you ask me, smooth handling of what can be a strong malt. Similar to their aromas, the Weyermann and Pilsner malts provide a sweet graham cracker, honey, and caramel taste to the beer. It’s swings more towards the sweeter notes, which makes me think more caramel but the graham cracker and honey flavors are there. All three provide a very wholesome flavor to the beer. Providing a nice warming flavor as Resurgence stated.

The mouthfeel of Ice Boom Bock really brings the wholesome aspect full circle. It’s more medium but has a creamy characteristic, probably contributed by the Weyermann and Pilsner malts. It’s bitterness is very low though you do hold onto a slight after taste.

All together a very wholesome beer if you ask me.

Closing Thoughts

Before I bring Brewview#41 to an end, I would like to thank Resurgence again for their speedy correspondence. Without that I do not feel that I would have been able to provide a review deserving of Ice Boom Bock. Thanks!

I feel like I’ve already said it, Ice Boom Bock is a very wholesome and warming beer. From the aromas to the slight after taste. You are jumping into a strong malt beer that I do not find myself drinking at a fast pace. I suggest taking the time to enjoy it and allowing yourself to experience it’s heart warming nature.

Thanks for reading, I’ve got my next one planned for early next week. Coming from Ellicottville Brewing Company.

Cheers!