Readily available bocks?

We're just leaving its season, but I was really digging the Troegs Cultivator this year.

 

Weihenstephaner - Vitus, Korbinian
Shiner - Bock
Genesee - Bock
Ayinger Celebrator - Dopplebock

 

Celebrator initially came to mind, but come to think of it, I haven't noticed it at shops lately. Of course, I haven't been looking for it, but I remember seeing the bottles with the plastic goat hanging on them.

There's also Troegs Troegenator (doppelbock, year round) and Stoudt's Smooth Hoperator (maibock, seasonal). Leave it to Pennsylvania to generate some German styles!

 

Paulaner Salvator
Spaten Optimaor
Ayinger Celebrator
Kulmbacher EKU 28

These are all Doppelbocks and are probably better during the fall or winter, but even on a cool evening in the spring they're damn good.

 

Troegenator by Troeg's. Great Doppelbock.

I'm waiting for a Texan to chime in with their (surprise!) favorite bock.

 

Dead Guy Ale by Rogue is pretty good. It's classified as a Maibock/ Hellesbock

 

Shiner Bock
http://www.shiner.com/beer/bock

Spaten Optimator Classic German Double Bock Beer
http://www.spatenbeer.com/biers-optimator.html

 

Seems like there's a lot more doppelbocks around than regular-bocks. That seems a bit odd to me -- comparing to how pretty much everyone makes an IPA, but usually they also make a "regular pale ale," not just the IPA. Same with imperial stout and regular stout/porter -- I'm sure there's some exceptions, but generally from what I've seen if a brewery makes the "bigger" version they also make at least one of the "smaller" versions too.

I wonder why bocks seem like the exception to that trend?

 

More bang for the buck. Doppel's are bigger abv and often darker and often have a richer flavor. If a brewery puts out a Doppel and a Bock it would tie up the extra ferment vessel and bright tank for a just over a month; the time they could use to crank out 2 batches of IPA or Pale Ale.

 

Shiner is definitely going to be closer to what the OP is looking for. Those beers are American-style bocks, which are pretty much AALs with caramel added for a bit of heft.

I think the German ones are categorically better, but may come across as more intensely malty to someone expecting a Yuengling Bock; Doppelbocks especially so. Spaten is an excellent and reliable example, though.

I've been saying this for years- we definitely need more Traditional Bocks. I bet doppelbocks are easier to make, too, as well as 'come across' as more impressive- but in terms of a beer for drinking a few of in a setting, straight bocks are right in the wheelhouse. The only really good example I see (aside from a rauchbier at bock strength) is Einbecker's Ur-Bock.

 

Einbecker Dunkel Ur-Bock

 

Love Bocks and Doppelbocks and Maibocks / Hellesbocks

Anchor made a great one, but sadly, discontinued it in favor of a spring Saison (this is last year for Yuengling bock as well)

Smuttynose Smutanator
Bell's Consecrator
Abita Andygator
Shiner Bock
All the German ones listed above....especially Ayinger Celebrator, amazing beer!

 

@TongoRad posted: “Shiner is definitely going to be closer to what the OP is looking for. Those beers are American-style bocks, which are pretty much AALs with caramel added for a bit of heft.”

The term I use for beers like American-style bocks is AAAL (American Amber Adjunct Lager). If @Urk1127 is looking for a beer along the lines of Yuengling Bock then Shiner Bock is a good year round choice. My personal favorite AAAL is Genny Bock but that beer is a seasonal beer (Winter/Spring). There still may be some Genny Bock around now?

Cheers!

 

Wasatch Devastator
Full Sail Bock

--- Two of my favorites. The later can always be found at a great price point in season to boot!

 

Let me answer your question with a question: traditional bock, American bock, doppelbock, eisbock, maibock, weizenbock, dunkler bock?

For a "traditional", I've had some friends I trust classify Pretty Things Lovely St. Winefride as more bock than euro dark lager (I can't find it here to verify that purely for scientific purposes, but you're much closer to Massachusetts than I). Other than that, for somewhat readily available, go with the Kulmbacher.

For American, go with what the other folks are recommending in the Shiner - Genessee range.

For a doppelbock, the top tier tends to be Celebrator and Korbinian, with the Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel thrown in by a fair number of folks. There are hordes of others, but those three are usually the most recommended and are generally readily available.

For an eisbock, you're probably looking at only the Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock, Hoffstettner Granitbock Ice, and Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock as being even remotely findable. You'e also looking at 8%+ on ABV (usually double digits), and some seriously concentrated malt flavors. They're sort of like the quadrupels of the bock world.

For a maibock, Rogue Dead Guy is one in name only - it shares little in common with other maibocks. Hofbrau and Einbecker are decent options that should be fairly available, though the Hofbrau is definitely seasonal. I'm not entirely sure about the Einbecker.

Weizenbock is basically "imperial hefeweizen", so you'll get estery flavors in there like banana, clove, bubblegum, and so forth. Weihenstephaner Vitus and Schneider Tap 6 Aventinus generally slug it out for the title of Best Weizenbock Ever depending on who you ask, and both are usually available.

Dunkler bocks are a bit rare to find in the US, so much so that I don't have any to recommend, really.

Just my take. Others' opinions may vary. Significantly.

 

Can we put together some sort of petition that will stop Rogue from calling Dead Guy a Maibock?

 

These 2 posts pretty much summarize it all. If you like Yuengling, you will probably like Shiner and Genessee. All very drinkable, but all very Americanized versions. Unfortunately there are not many readilly available Bocks, even Doppels really. Also, you may not enjoy every style of bock outside of traditional and doppel. Weizen, Eis, and Maibocks are all very unique beers.

 

Stick with the German examples, is my advice.

 

Yeah. I actually like Dead Guy, but I don't consider it a Maibock. As far as I am concerned, Shiner is not far behind.