Your intrepid liquor reporter was feeling particularly pious this past March 19. No, gentle reader, not because that is the traditional feast day of Saint Joseph, husband to the slightly more famous Virgin Mary.
Your hedonistic liquor reporter has a much more secular explanation for this particular date in the calendar – it is also the traditional day that Bock beers are released!
Never heard of a Bock? That’s not too surprising, as the North American palate has never become accustomed to this high-gravity beer with a long and colorful history.
The Bock beer style came from the German city of Einbeck in the 14th century, and was first brewed by Catholic monks for consumption during Lent. Since the monks were required to fast during Lent, they brewed a high-alcohol beer that contained more calories than standard beers as a way to keep their strength up.
Reports that some of the more progressive cloisters used this as justification for a 40-day beer bash tend to get to get swept under the rug by the church, so I will leave it as a mental exercise for the reader to figure out just how many pints those monks guzzled each day.
Traditional Bock beers tend to have a low hop bitterness, so the sweet flavors of the malted barley are usually the dominant taste in this style of beer. The alcohol content is generally 6% to 7%, making it stronger than most mainstream brews.
Maibocks are often dry hopped, which adds hops after the wort has been boiled. This imparts a more intense flavor and aroma to the beer, but does not increase the bitterness released by the hop oils during the boiling process.
The most common Bock beer that you may have come across in your boozing career is the Holsten Maibock from the German city of Hamburg. Originally a one-off seasonal brew, it proved so popular that it has been brewed year-round for over a decade.
Widely available in Alberta in the tall-boy 500mL cans, Holsten Maibock weighs in at 7% ABV, and is the easy-drinking macrobrew of the Bock world, with a grassy and floral hop aroma, but very little bitterness, followed by a grainy malt body. Certainly an easy drinker, but perhaps not something to impress the beer nerds.
In a more crafty vein, your humble narrator can’t get enough of the Los Muertos Cerveza Negra from Bad Tattoo Brewing in Penticton. A small craft brewery in the heart of BC wine country, this is a Bock beer for beer nerds.
A medium-dark lager made in the German style, Los Muertos Cerveza Negra adds a Mexican twist by dropping the ABV to a mere 5%, which is quite light for the Bock style.
The dark malts impart a treacle toffee flavour, some hints of coffee, but the German lager yeasts make it crisp, clean, and with very little aftertaste.
Bad Tattoo Brewing only started distributing to the Alberta market earlier this month, so it can be a bit tricky to find. There is plenty of stock at Liquor Depot and a few of the Co-op Wines & Spirits locations, but Bad Tattoo products are not yet common in the neighbourhood booze retailers. Check www.liquorconnect.com to see if your local booze merchant keeps any in stock.
My all-time favourite Bock beer is the Samuel Adams Double Bock, from the long-established Boston Beer Company. Made in the doppelbock style, this brew has over half a pound of malt in each bottle, almost enough for a loaf of bread.
This was the style originally brewed by monks to sustain themselves while fasting during Lent, and is still the favourite of your intrepid liquor reporter. The flavours are similar to an eisbock, with slightly more hop bitterness and a darker colour.
As a beer with a relatively high alcohol content, it is best enjoyed with food to avoid a visit from the hangover monster.
A full-flavoured beer like this should not be paired with mild foods. Rather, a nice spicy sausage, sauerbraten or donderblitzen is needed to complement such a rich beer.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and this fine beer is no exception. Since Bock beers tend to be only a seasonal brew, pick one up soon or you might miss out!
