Bock To The Future

Some of our more pious readers may be in the middle of observing Lent, those forty days of fasting and resisting temptations between the festival days of Shrove Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) and Easter. While I was able to resist the siren call of the assorted vices of our modern age for the first week or, I had to make an exception for the annual release of the Bock beers on March 19, also known as Saint Joseph’s day, husband to the slightly more famous Virgin Mary.
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.
Fortunately, over the past few years, our local Alberta craft brewers have jumped on the Bock bandwagon, at least for seasonal releases this time of year. Alberta’s famed German-styled Fahr Brewing in Diamond Valley puts out a Weizenbock every year around this time, made from wheat instead of barley, pouring a dark brown into my glass, with notes of plum and stewed fruit, and despite weighing in at 6.5% ABV, tastes much heavier.
Looking north to Edmonton, Alley Kat Brewing recently collaborated with the Fallentimber Meadery to produce a seasonal Pollinator Braggot Doppelbock, a blend of barley-based beer with honey-based mead, a robust and full-bodied lager that weighs in at 8.2% ABV, moderated by the honey and caramel undertones of the mead. Not your typical Bock style, but interesting enough that I was a wee bit sorrowful to hear that I bought the last 4-pack at my local bottle shop, so I am hoarding the last can for a special occasion!
Turning to the west coast, Vancouver Island Brewing was the pioneer for brewing the Bock beer style in Canada, first brewed as a seasonal treat for the brewmaster’s own family way back in 1987, and quickly becoming an annual tradition that persists to this day. The Hermannator Eisbock was named after the brewmaster Hermann Hoerterer, now long since retired, but his legacy lives on in this annual release, weighing in at a hefty 9.5% ABV, a malt-forward robust brew with notes of toasted chocolate malt, toffee, and brandied plums. Truly a brew to get the monks through Lent!
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!