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.
No, gentle reader, 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.
Paddock Wood Brewing, Saskatoon’s original craft brewery puts out a Bock beer around this time every year, and your humble narrator was quick to pick up a six-pack when it showed up in Alberta near the beginning of April.
The simply named Paddock Wood Maibock weighs in at a healthy 7.3% ABV, and is made in a traditional German style with lots of malt flavour, and strong hints of molasses and burnt sugar.
Maibock is a pale version of a traditional Bock, with a noticeably more bitter flavor. The alcohol content tends to be slightly higher, and there is a more distinctive hop finish.
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.
Those looking for something with a little more kick, look no further than the Vancouver Island Brewery Hermannator Ice Bock, which has been brewed seasonally for many years.
Made in the eisbock style (pronounced ice-bock), this is the beer equivalent of granny’s applejack moonshine. Made with freeze distillation, this beer style is made by brewing a traditional bock beer, then putting the barrel outside to freeze overnight, then chipping off the ice that forms on the top.
Since the alcohol in the beer does not freeze, this makes the beer stronger and more intensely flavoured each time a fraction of the water is frozen and remove.
The Hermannator Ice Bock weighs in at a fierce 9.5% ABV, and you can taste a sharp alcohol burn with the first swallow. However, that alcohol burn is balanced with an intense malty sweetness, with heavy overtones of caramel, raisin, and brown sugar.
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 are only a seasonal brew, they will only be available throughout western Canada until May, so pick up a six-pack today, or you might miss out!
