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Gulpener Herfstbock

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A layered autumn bock from 100% local barley. It starts with malt, moves on to chocolate and caramel, and the caramel lingers in the finish. True to the season, it is sold only between 22 September and 21 December. Serve it at 10 to 12°C, with a Mexican fish dish, roast pork or gnocchi in sage butter. 6.5% ABV, brewed in Gulpen, Limburg.

ABV
6.5%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
deep amber15
PaceTwo or Three
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
caramelchocolatemalty
caramel
chocolate
malty
Aroma
The nose leads with rich, toasted malt and sweet caramel notes that define the beer's aromatic profile.
not found:hoppy,roasted,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Gulpener Herfstbock

◎ Appearance

Deep amber to light brown, displaying the characteristic copper-gold hue of a traditional bock. The beer presents good clarity with a persistent, creamy head that clings to the glass with fine lacing. Carbonation is moderate, creating a gentle effervescence that supports the malty character.

deep ambercreamy headpersistent lacingmoderate carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with rich, toasted malt and sweet caramel notes that define the beer's aromatic profile. Subtle chocolate undertones emerge alongside hints of bread crust, while the malt foundation remains prominent throughout. A gentle warmth from the 6.5% ABV is present but restrained, allowing the barley-driven character to dominate.

toasted maltsweet caramelchocolate notesbread crust

◐ Taste

The palate opens with full-bodied malt sweetness, transitioning smoothly into chocolate and caramel in the mid-palate. The beer maintains excellent balance, with restrained noble hop bitterness (25 IBU) providing just enough counterpoint to the residual sweetness. The texture is clean and velvety, with the alcohol warming on the back of the palate without becoming hot.

full-bodiedmalt-forwardsweet caramelsmooth texture

◑ Finish

The finish is medium-long, with lingering caramel and chocolate notes that fade gradually into a gentle warmth. A subtle dryness emerges as the beer fades, leaving a satisfying malty echo on the palate.

caramel lingermedium-long finishmalty aftertaste
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
85
Appearance
80
Finish
78
Serve at 9–12°C

Serve at 9–12°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Gulpener Herfstbock

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About Bock

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Bock?

Bocks are strong German lagers with 6.5–7.5% ABV. Rich malt sweetness — toast, chocolate, caramel — with low bitterness and a warming finish.

Finding a similar Bock

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same caramel, chocolate, malty character as Gulpener Herfstbock will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Bock beers in hopIQ →Browse Netherlands beers →