Spring time beers...

[brewmonkey]

Well Spring is almost here and that means it is time to tuck away the big beers of winter and break out the Bock's.

Now bock beers have several different styles within the family and range from golden Helles to a traditional dark sweet Eisbocks. They also range in alcohol content from a modest 6% ABV of the Maibock/Helles to the 14% of the Eisbocks. They are not brewed from the dregs of other batches or the last runnings of whatever was being brewed and they are a style unto themselves.

The bock family has the Helles (Pale) or Maibock which are probably the more known of the style and would include Ayinger Maibock, Hacker-Pschorr Hubertus Bock & Capital Maibock. This style will have a sweet malty aroma and may have a low amount of fruity esters. They will have a rich flavor from the continental malts used to brew them as well as a hint of the spicyness from the hops that are generally used for this style. This is a beer that should be well attenuated which will leave a finish that will be moderatly dry with a hint of hops and malt.

Traditonal bock are dark in color and notable examples would be Einbecker Ur Bock & Aass Bock. This beer will have a rich aroma with a hint of taosty malt notes in the background. The flavor of this beer is complex and may have hints of raisins or plums which would ome from the specialty malts used in the brewing process. These flavors should be subtle but at the same time they are very pleasing on the tounge. To get the deep copper/brown olor the brewer may use roasted or chocolate malt which may lend a slight roasted flavor to the beer. Again not overpowering, just enough to give this beer a kick in the pants and make it interesting.

Dopplebocks are known for their strength. This is a beer that has so many wonderful flavors and aromas that are derived from the malt and yeast the brewer selects as well as an extended boil. The extra boil time will allow for the mailliard reaction and this will help give the beer a darker color as well as a carmelization which adds a very nice sweetness and some wonderful flavors to the beer. Between thae melanoidins formed suring the boil and the malts used you will find hints of plum, raisin, currant and even madera or port wine flavors in this beer.

Now none of those are actually used in the beers but by using specially kilned malts the brewer can get these flavors. They add complexity to these beers which make them a great beer to sit and sip on a cooler night. They are very full bodied beers and were originally brewed by the Paulaner Monks to sustain them through the lenten season when they would fast.

Classic examples of this beer would be Paulaner Salvator and Spaten Optimater.

The last beer in this family is the Eisbock.

They are quite mallty and like a dopplebock have a tremendous range of flavors that are achieved through both the selection of malts and the boil time allowed. The longer the boil the more kettle carmelization will occur.

These will also be a rather fruity aroma as well as a sweeter flavor profile. Some of the expected flavors would again be like the dopplebock but the carmel notes would be much stronger and you might also expect to find a hint of chocolate from the malts used.

This is a tough style to define overall as every brewer will make his in a different way. Some brewer a lighter color version while others will be quite dark. The one thing they will all have in common is the strong alcohol content, a very fruity aroma and the wonderful flavors.

This is also a tough beer to find in the US as to achieve the higher alcohol and such concentrated flavors the brewer must literally drop the temp low enough to form ice crystals in the beer. Since alcohol will not freeze at those temps the only thing that will be in the ice crystals will be the water in the beer. This will concentrate the beers flavor and alcohol content which is how they make this beer so malty and wonderful.

Since freezing beer is essentially distilling it is prohibited by the ATF in breweries. This does not mean that someone is not going to try it though and you may find one here or there at the pubs in this country.

A classis example would be Kulmbacher Reichelbräu Eisbock.

These are really some great beers and since they have a wide range of alcohol content they are perfect for the temp swings we get this time of the year. I hope you find one and get to try it, I think you will be surprised.

Now since we all live across the US there will be different brands available. If you would like to know who in your area is making one that I think is worthy of hunting down let me know. I will be glad to track down the pubs in your area and find out what they have going on.

Cheers!

[Roguish Lawyer]

Great info, Brew.

How about some recommendations?

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by brewmonkey

Classic examples of this beer would be Paulaner Salvator and Spaten Optimater.

I like these. First tried them in Munich, and was hooked immediately. Good substitutes for bread.

[Pete]

Damn, just damn.

I'll never just say "Beer" again when asked what will I'll have.

I'm off to the fridge for whatevers cold. That post made my throat very dry.

Pete

[Trip_Wire (RIP)]

I love Aass Bock!

My local Sports bar used to have it on tap, it was one of the greatest I have ever tasted!! It's still available in bottles, but I have found that it isn't as good that way!

[brewmonkey]

For those of you in SoCal I would look for Pizza Port, they have 2 locations with one in San Diego and the other in Carslbad. Tomme Arthur is the brewer and makes some excellent beers and should have his Bird Rock Pale Bock out.

Some other left coast beers would be Sierra Nevada Pale Bock, Northcoast Traditional Bock and if you have a Rock Bottom near you they might have a decent bock on tap.

There may also be a bock or two on at Gordon Biersch but I cannot vouch for the quality of their beers. It has been some time since I tasted their stuff and I remember it as being very commercialized.

[QRQ 30]

The Hofbreu Haus in Munich is famous and full of tourists. I frequented the place on the Main Ave that featured Spaetenbreu. It was huge and always packed with locals. One main hall was larger than the entire Hofbreu Haus.

[brewmonkey]

Originally Posted by QRQ 30

The Hofbreu Haus in Munich is famous and full of tourists. I frequented the place on the Main Ave that featured Spaetenbreu. It was huge and always packed with locals. One main hall was larger than the entire Hofbreu Haus.

Home to Octoberfest!

The origins of Octoberfest

Once upon a time, long long ago in a far away land known as Bavaria, a Crown Prince - who later became King Ludwig I - married the beautiful Princess Therese von Sachesen-Hildenburghausen. The loyal soldiers in the Prince's National Guard thought that the horse races would be a most fitting way to celebrate the happy event. King Max, proud father of the Prince, gave his consent to the races and so they became the finale of five days of wedding festivities on October 17, 1810. This was the unlikely beginning of Oktoberfest.

The horse races became an annual event and were combined with the state agricultural fair the following year. It wasn't until 1818, that booths, serving food and drink, were set up at the event. In the late 1800's, the booths had grown into large beer halls or tents, which are still set up each year on the Theresienwiese named in honour of Ludwig's bride.

[QRQ 30]

One of my favorite beers was brewed in Czechoslovakia in a town called Pilsen. It had the original name of Pilsen Pivo. (pivo=beer).

[lrd]

I used to drink a lot of Shiner Bock...year-round. lol

Any east coast recommendations, brewmonkey?

[brewmonkey]

Originally Posted by lrd

I used to drink a lot of Shiner Bock...year-round. lol

Any east coast recommendations, brewmonkey?

I would check out Ellicot Mills, Genesee's bock, Black Forest or Sweetwater's verisons of bocks. Brooklyn brewery and Dog Fish Head may also have put out a bock and while I have not had their's I have had their other beers and will say they are great breweries.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by brewmonkey

...large beer halls or tents, which are still set up each year on the Theresienwiese named in honour of Ludwig's bride.

I have fond, but rather hazy and intermittent, memories of Oktoberfest in Muenchen.

[QRQ 30]

It was Oktober Fest all year around in Munich. I used to drive to Munich every Saturday, lose my car, take the train back to Lenggries and return Sunday to find my car.

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by QRQ 30

The Hofbreu Haus in Munich is famous and full of tourists.

Been there, done that. As a tourist during backpack trip through Europe with Eurail pass and very little money. Sat at a table full of Austrian guys who did not speak any English at all. Or the other languages I had some limited ability with. They did understand that I was from California when I said that word and pointed to myself. And I understood they were from Austria when they did the same.

We decided to just say one word all night, "Prost!" Worked just fine.

[Trip_Wire (RIP)]

Originally Posted by QRQ 30

The Hofbreu Haus in Munich is famous and full of tourists. I frequented the place on the Main Ave that featured Spaetenbreu. It was huge and always packed with locals. One main hall was larger than the entire Hofbreu Haus.

Oh yes! The Hofbrew Haus! I visited there in '68 a great place! I was amazed to see how many steins those female servers could carry at one time. I was all so suprised on how quickly the bouncers reacted to a German civilian who fell asleep in his chair. A couple of them picked him and the chair up and carried him to the door and ejected him minus the chair out into the sidewalk. I vowed to myself to stay awake!

I sat at a table with a whole bunch of Germans with my wife, one of whom spoke some english. He was a game warden and a former WW II German Paratrooper. We got along just fine especially when he learned that I was a Paratrooper and SF soldier. Both my wife and I locked arms with the Germans at the table and sang German martial type songs and swilled lots of good beer!