Spring Seasonals: Saisons vs Bocks

I go for the bocks when winter's drawing to a close. I tend to see far fewer bocks than saisons generally and the latter are available to me year-round whereas bocks are more typically seasonal in availability. And writing this is making me look forward to this year's appearance of Berkshire Brewing Maibock. Doppelbocks are easier for me to find but I often want something a bit smaller... though I drank a lot of Pretty Things Bocky Bier doppelbock even though it was released in the autumn. Wishful thinking, I guess.

(Is there supposed to be anything specifically springish about spring saisons or do brewers just call them that when offering them as a spring seasonal?)

 

It's still surprising to me how the most popular (over the near two century history of lager brewing in this country), traditional "seasonal" beer style in the US - Bock Beer - has never really caught on in the "craft era". The announcement of "Bock Beer Day" by local breweries was once a common event. Take this ad from the New York City and New Jersey brewers' organizations:

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I am definitely a bock guy.

 

I'd probably prefer a bock, but it would depend on the saison. I love the american style saison. I'd take that over a bock almost everytime. If we're talking about the sub par attempts at the traditional belgian style many breweries do, or even most actual traditional belgian saisons...I'll pass more times than not.

 

Heller Bock is my go to spring beer.

 

I prefer Saisons to Bocks...Dopplebocks are a different story

 

I guess I prefer the bocks, but mostly because I like the variants more (i.e. dopplebock, weizenbock, maibock, etc.). My tastes are probably very American (bigger = better) in that way.

However if I'm honest with myself I don't buy either style very often. The better bocks are imported with questionable freshness and there are only a handful of saisons that do much for me. If I'm in a "spring" mood I'm much more likely to pick up a fresh pilsner, ESB, APA, or IPA.

 

Saisons are probably my least favorite style, so I'm gonna go bock (once you go bock...).

 

Bocks all the way for me. I like Saisons, mostly the traditional Euro brands, and only occasionally at that. It is way more likely for me to get a craft Saison and find it overpoweringly sour and bad!

 

I love dopple bocks during the winter shoveling and found a new love for helles bocks with Victory Cultivator. Even with that said, I am a saison guy.

 

Yes, similar myths - usually stated to be some variation that bocks are released in the Spring because "...that's when the breweries clean out the dregs from their lagering tanks..." * have been around since, at least, the late 1800s in the US. Even when bocks had all but died out the 1960s-1980s, people would still relate that bit of brewing "trivia".

* EDIT - Here's on from a San Antonio Light and Gazette article on Bock Beer, dated March, 1910, and quoting a customer at a local bar:

 

Give me a maibock! I can find good saisons all year, but finding a good maibock in November is not nearly as easy.

 

Possibly. I remember when I was younger people always used to say the discount brand beers were run off mopped up off the floor from the 'better' brands. It must just be something people say regardless of location. Didn't stop me from tossing back my Milwaukee's Best though.

 

I had always heard that the brewers threw the dregs into a tank all year long. The bock was then the clarified top of these dregs. I actually believed it in the late seventies. I think I was skeptical enough not to repeat it though. I always wondered how big of a tank you would need and if it was possible. Another good one is that a stout was made by burning the grains. I guess not 100% false just 95%.

 

Bocks in a perfect world with more Dopples please. Here I have room for both, not that spoiled for choice...

 

Wagner Valley Brewery Trippelbock It's my beer of choice, living in upstate NY