This is a review of *Super Bock Stout* and my entry for this week's #BeerSaturday challenge, I hope you enjoy. Cheers!   

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I came across this beer on a recent trip to Portugal and really enjoyed it. There is something about a local beer in a local setting that makes it that much more enjoyable. 

It's never quite the same when you buy the same beer back home that you had on vacation but I found this one on the shelf at a local grocery store and decided to give it a another go.

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## <center>Details</center>

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Brewery: Unicer Bebidas (Superbock Group Carlsberg)
Origin: Portugal
Inception: 2003
Style: Black Lager
Alcohol: 5% abv

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Something a little different and somewhat interesting about this beer is its lid design. It's not a pop top or twist off but a sort of innovative pull tab. 

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This may be something that has been around for a long time but it's the first that I've ever seen it so it stood out to me as unique and kind of cool. I'd still say that I prefer a pop top but this definitely makes opening the beer super easy. 

## <center>Imagery</center>

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The label on the bottle is pretty unremarkable in terms of its design. It has very basic and simple marketing and is somewhat boring really. But these things don't really matter a whole lot if the product is good. 

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## <center>Color</center>

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The color of the beer is black with a light tan head that disipated rapidly for me.

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## <center>Nose</center>

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The aroma was pretty mild with generic roasted notes. I didn't detect any coffee or chocolate and struggled a bit to pick up on anything really. 

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## <center>Flavor Notes</center>

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It was similar with the flavor as well. I noticed some generic roasted flavors way in the background but no chocolate or coffee like you would normally find in a stout beer. No toasted notes either. 

There was initially some sweetness at first and only a very mild bitterness that didn't linger at all. Overall I was underwhelmed by both the tast and smell when drinking the beer critically back home. I think I just expected more, especially given its color.  

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## <center>Palate</center>

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The mouthfeel was smooth and velvety. It had sharp bubbles yet a somewhat mild amount of carbonation.  

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## <center>Conclusion</center>

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Overall I was a bit perplexed by this beer in the end. It's super dark and yet it was very lacking in the aroma and flavor that you would normally find in a stout beer. The color of a beer traditionally comes from the malt(s) that are used during the brewing process and generally the darker the malts used the more roasted the beer tastes and smells (obviously). That being said, the Super Bock Stout seems like should have the usual chocolate and coffee notes coming through given its color, yet is has none of them. Hmmm...? Strange. 

I did some mild digging into the ingredients used in the brew and learned that the color is added and comes from the chemical E150C. Yuk! 

Call me a "purist" and a "beer snob" but I really hate shit like this. It makes me think what's the point? The beer isn't a real stout beer but wants to look like one, and to what end? To be cool? So that the people who drink it can feel unique and special because they like to pretend that they like really dark beers when they actually don't? I don't get it really.

I will admit that I really liked the beer while on vacation, but at home I found it to be quite bland and boring really. Now that I know that the color isn't even real I don't think I will ever buy it again. 

#### So in the end, to me this beer is a typical case of **Style over Substance.** It looks good but it's all just fake in the end. 

What do you think? Am I being silly here in my opinion or too snobbish? Let me know in the comments.  

## <center>Well thats it for now. Until next time, thanks for stopping by.</center>