Knuckle Bock

[Yogprasad Moneta]

Thisbock from TXL is one of the original beers that launched the brewery back in 2017. It presents quite a rich mahogany brown hue with some orange and red flashes, topped with a head of light beige foam. On the nose, this is a very expressive brew, offering up notes of cocoa powder and rich caramel, with secondary hints of toasted bread along with herbal, lightly minty, hay-like, and mildly spicy hop overtones. On the palate, this is a very smooth operator; look for creamy notes of both milk and dark chocolate to jump out prominently, as deep-down caramel with a hint of sweetness contrasts with a dash of ash and mild hop bitterness. Well-balanced, super smooth, and very flavorful, all while retaining an easy-drinking, laid-back attitude, Knuckle Bock is tasty on its own, but pairing options abound. Stews, roasted meats and veggies, grilled brats or other sausages, cedar plank salmon, or a plate of nutty and earthy cheeses are among the many, many options. Cheers!

Located in Missouri City in Fort Bend County, towards the southwest of the Houston metro area, is Texas Leaguer Brewing. Founded in 2017, the brewery (often just called TXL, for short) is the brainchild of Houston native Nathan Rees, who began toying around with the idea of starting a local brewery while homebrewing with friends about four years prior. Nathan and his wife Elise ultimately made the dream into a reality, and their hometown of Missouri City was a natural spot for the brewery as there were no others within many miles. After much planning and perfecting of recipes with brewer Doc Rebeck, the brewery launched with four beers in the fall of 2017.

In addition to their canned beers for retail distribution, TXL currently offers over two dozen beers and a couple of hard seltzers on tap at the brewery. For more info on the brewery and upcoming events, visit them at txleaguer.com.

We strategically made Michelob Amber Bock our 100th beer rating because for both Father and Son Beer Love, and a large number of our Beer Love friends, this was our breakout beer. By breakout beer we mean the one that got us over the rank domestic hump and into the realm of beers that actually have taste. We feel like Amber Bock is the perfect beer to introduce to friends who are wanting to (or who you want to) break out into craft beers for several reasons:

My first run in with Amber Bock came in the late 90s. I was living with my best friend Rusty at the time and one day I open the fridge to find Amber Bocks that he brought home. Several sessions of Mario Kart, Amber Bock and Chewy Chips Ahoy later it was official.

For some reason, I have had bad luck with miller, bud etc beers, so, I stick with craft beers and expensive european beers. I like lagers, but then I like the dark color, and saving money is always good. So, Michelob Amber Bock fits what I was looking for, just had one, tastes great, looks great, and it is much less money than the Heineken or Stella Artois.

My step brother in law Mike introduced me to Amber Bock 5 or 6 years ago. He has since passed away I think of him often when I open a bottle and take a drink. I hold this beer and the memory of Mike dear to my heart he was the coolest guy to know. This is my favorite beer if not this its Sam Adams.

This is the best beer i have ever had, I have alot of friends that all they drink is busch light, bud light, Nati Light, Keystone, Etc. When i hangout with them i Drink Amberbock, because it is the best tasting beer i have ever had. Dark Beer, but has a great taste, and is the Best American Lager in my opinion.

Hi all. I'm relatively new to fountain pens and made my first big purchase (first over $150 anyway) recently. I bought an Otto Hutt Series 4, and sprung for the 18k gold nib. However, though the nib has a nice feel of slight flexibility and smoothness, I am having a couple issues with it.

First, it is hard starting. Once it gets writing it doesn't stutter or hesitate. But it often false-starts, especially on nice Rhodia paper. It's better on more-absorbent Leuchtturm1917 paper, but false starts sometimes on that paper too. (I'm using Diamine 1864 Blue Black ink, which I don't think is particularly dry or would be contributing to the false start issue.)

I've owned the pen less than week. However, I purchased it through the mail from Otto Hutt in Germany. Given this, what would more experienced folks recommend? Finding a local nibmeister for repair? Send it back for a warranty fix? Get used to it?

I have bought & had customized four 14c Bock/Kaweco nibs: BB, B, B, M in the last year & a half (each factory nib costing me more than 90.00 GBP). My last nib, the 14c "M" was not manufactured correctly. The breather hole was not centered, nor was the ink slot running to the tip of the nib. My eyes at the time were not as clear as I'd have liked them & I also didn't check my nib very carefully.

I suggest you return the pen to Otto Hutt so that he can swap out (or correct) the defective nib. I would hope that this maker/seller is upright enough to stand behind his pens. The 18c nib would make up a good part of the price of this Series 4 pen. It is fortunate that Otto Hutt is relatively close, in Germany. I don't know how smoothly the mail travels between various countries in the EU, but at least you are on the same continent as the maker.

There are cheap but lighted 40X Chinese loups that have an actual strength of about 10 X on a good $35 Belomo loupe. The sooner you buy one, which ever the better. Then you can see how far out of alignment a nib can be and adjust it.

In the long past, in analog days a university tested how a package is tossed around in the postal service. They broke the gauge. Today we have robots doing the damage. So a nib can be jarred out of alignment in normal postage.............or it takes only a slight bang on a table to do so yourself.

When and if you have a loupe and a second pen with alignment problems. Again, you do need a loupe. Put your thumb nail at the start of breather hole and press the up tine, down under the low tine for 2-3 seconds do that 2-3 times checking between each press.

On the top right side of the FPN page there is a search window. Type in "baby's bottom" & you should find to a bunch of discussions on that topic. Quality German nib makers like Bock & JoWo are often named in connection to baby's bottom..

Being on the "Rock" would sure be convenient for shipping to Germany. I would think that shipping to the EU would be similar in the States as it is here in Canada. I've shipped to Kaweco & have received packets from them.

You want to get your first "big purchase" pen right. It may help if you are able to take a close up photo (today's smart phones take a decent shot) of your nib's tipping, both from the top & from the bottom. Crop, enlarge, show off the fault.

If you include these in your e-mail to Otto Hutt, it will "help" to explain you nib problem. They will be more receptive to having the pen shipped back. Talking to them on the phone can be useful, though expensive. Once Hutt has your pen, ask them to test write it before sending it back to you.

If you get a pen from a USA maker like Franklin-Christoph, they will set up the pen for you, polish the nib if need be, adjust for proper flow, then test write,...all before sending it to you. I'm sure that Hutt could do the same in Germany.

Let the pen 'rest' just behind the index knuckle at 45 degrees, if it want's to 'rest' at 40 degrees at the start of the web of the thumb, let it. If it is a long or heavy pen it might be more comfortable resting in the pit of the web of your thumb. The weight of the pen, resting there takes weight off the nib.

If it is a C/C pen...cartridge&converter pen, you will need a rubber baby bulb to flush the pen out fast and easy. Just shove the nozzle of the bulb over the little spike in the front section. Squeeze water in and out until clean...takes a minute.

I'm pleased to report that Otto Hutt GmbH put a new 18k gold nib in the mail the same morning they heard from me there was a problem with the original. I received it today and find that it writes very well. No hard starting, very smooth, and perfectly aligned. Great service from Otto Hutt both with the purchase and the nib replacement.

I like the new nib. It certainly writes better than the first one they sent. A slight quibble is that it is so smooth that on very smooth Rhodia paper, there is so little friction that it sometimes skips slightly. On Leuchtturm paper it is better.

AxonSkin Natural impresses with a particularly natural look and unique aesthetics; it is also very robust and relatively durable. A special finish makes it considerably more resistant to soiling and easier to clean. Hand-drawn details such as veins, knuckles and fingernails make the glove look like a natural hand.

I do not often make baked macaroni and cheese, preferring my quick and easy stove top recipe. Mainly I like a high sauce to pasta ratio and, at least in my experience, mac and cheese is less creamy once subjected to nearly an hour in the oven. Could I make a baked mac and cheese that would retain the gooey goodness I so love and desire? I decided to find out.

I started with what flavors I wanted in my dish. That got me thinking of other cheese dishes I love and beer cheese soup came to mind. When paring beer with cheese I prefer bock beers. The malty flavor of bock beer is a nice contrast to rich, sharp cheeses. Another flavor I wanted was onion. I tried a recipe for macaroni and cheese that included grated onion and, while I disliked the texture, the grated onion had a big impact on the flavor.

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