Bock Thread (2023)

@cheeseheadinMinneapolis, this is not a drill!

 

@dcw6363, excellent work. Thank you for getting us going. @cheeseheadinMinneapolis loves bock beers more than I ever thought was possible. This thread should be named after him. This is likely the premier bock beer in Wisconsin. As @dcw6363 appears to indicate. Perfect for today. Perfect all year.

 

@GreenBayBA -- is this 2023 Lakefront? I've been keeping my eyes open, but haven't seen it yet. Always one of my favorites.

FWIW -- Drinking a Goldfinger Zlotonator right now. A decent take on a German Doppel by an Ami brewer.

 

It is. Best by 6/1/23.

 

ISO!

 

10% eisbock in suburban Chicago. Pollyanna Jötenheimr. From Untapped:
"Eisbock is the apex of lagerbier. Our White Whale, Jötunheimr is an Eisbock Lager that we freeze distilled on a balmy -11F Illinois night to transform an 8.0% ABV Bock Lager into a 10.0% ABV Eisbock. Freeze distilled by our St Charles distillery."

Tasty

 

@dcw6363 I also found the Ayinger Maibock and it has the same L2301 bottle code as your's. I used to homebrew this beer using a clone recipe and never had the opportunity to find the real thing for comparison to what I brewed. Now that I have it I can only go by memory from 6-7 years ago to make a comparison, and I think I was very close with my homebrew. The real 2023 one? It's delicious.

My local German-inspired brewery, Territorial Brewing, just released their Penetrator Dopplebock two weeks ago. It tasted young to me, so I'm going to wait a while before judging it again. Supposedly it will be canned this year. We'll see.

 

Where have you found Ayinger and Augustiner Maibock in the past? I think this is the first year Ayinger has been imported, and I don't think Augustiner ever has been.

FWIW -- local distros are still trying to pass off last year's HB Maibock if you really want some.

But I'll let you know when I see the new stuff!

 

Yep.

And IIRC the only Augustiners I've ever seen have been the export Helles and Doppelbock, so don't get your hopes up for a Maibock!

To be honest, in the last 10 years or so, the only import Maibock I've ever seen (as a seasonal) has been Hofbräu.

 

Just take a trip up here. You won't even need to set foot in Wisconsin. You could arrive in northern Illinois, (Door County, WI), purchase a case, then head back.

 

Wait, what?

I already live in Northern Illinois and we get Lakefront distributed pretty regularly -- it'll show eventually.

FWIW -- I grew up (and still live) right at the Cheddar Curtain -- my favorite Packer is Ron Kostelnik from way back when (know him?). I'm a surrogate Wisconsinite and can blend in perfectly. You may have even seen me at Kroll's. Ain'a hey.

 

You're lookin' him up, aren't you?

 

This is one of the better bocks I have had this year. But it doesn't have the perfect flavor profile for me. It kinda lacks the stone washed dark fruit flavor I like in a dark Doppel.
https://lakefrontbrewery.com/beer/birthday-doppelbock

Sprecher dark doppel is solid also.
I have not been drinking much beer the last few weeks. I am going to bed to rest. Will be back later.

 

Andygator is a decent USA high distribution bock. It's not on par with the German companies who ship here in mass distribution, but it's a solid maibock. It's a little more on the tart and grassy side but still has decent malt.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3/1565/

 

Seriously, how many import Maibocks are you seeing -- especially in mass distro?

About all of the Maibocks I ever find anymore are American-brewed.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/user/beers/?ba=steveh&pf=style:33:38

Oh, and Andygator gets a +11 rDev from me.

 

You sound like one of us. Hopefully you will be in my area soon.

 

I sure did!