Bock Thread (2025)

Enjoying this classic tonight:

 

Enegren Brewing - Christmas Bock

Now let me premise with the fact that I nearly missed out on this years Xmas Bock offering BA...but alas the Beer Gods have been in my favor and FOMO no mo'...as fortune would have it for me to stumble upon a local drop completely unravished...until now!!!

Can't say that I am very hip to the US made Bock scene exactly...likely due to my geography...but I have to think that this right here is one of the better ones out there. Definitely has to be the best Bock coming out of the SoCal region...perhaps even the best in the Lager category for that matter.

The Enegren Christmas Bock strikes a remarkable garnet amber body with a well conditioned clarity to it. There is a healthy frothing of khaki tan cap adorning the glass and every sip leaves behind some residual spun sugar sticking to the side walls.

The aromas present a bit similar to that of nice toasty Brown Ale. You get a soft bouquet of red malt nuttiness with baked breads and a fruity sweetness throughout.

The flavors together are a delicate balance of toasty malt biscuit, dried stone fruit, and earthy cured tea leaf. I get mostly some dried apricot here with a wildflower honey sweetness and subtle layers of hop spice akin to the pantry type.

Body and texture are a light frothy delight with a mildly tannic drying finish. Making this Bock extremely crushable.

Overall this is not the type of beer that will melt the socks off a rooster but it will definitely leave you writing home to your dog about. Simple in the approach yet complex in its nuanced balance of flavors. One that takes some time to decipher the code.

Enegren truly has crafted something special here....a real Holiday delight! Toasty warm and inviting BA

The glorious appearance of this brew alone lends itself subject to the most majestic emotional sunset piece. @GreenBayBA if you do not have access to this treasure I shall send you some posthaste via carrier opossum.

Cheers BA

 

Reads like an excellent bock beer to me!

Cheers!

 

My first Einbecker! This is so damn f’ing good!

 

I can’t pass this one up when I visit my favorite distributor!

 

Zlotonator Doppelbock from Goldfinger, Downers Grove, Illinois. Purchased a single at Beer Bazaar, if I see a 4 pack, I'll pick one up. Good stuff!

 

Texas Leaguer brewing in Houston makes a pretty good one. Knuckle Bock. It has a baseball pitcher on the can

 

Sapwood Cellars “Roggen Kümmel “ Rye Bock with Caraway Seeds!

 

The passel has delivered the parcel! Trust in the possumses

 

Dammit! I saw Enegren with your avatar and thought maybe WI was getting it now!

 

Day 2 of Bockfest Cincinnati. Posting this one as a WBAYDN crosspost: Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock. Big body on this one. Malty and sweet...yum.


Cheers!

 

Do you have a favorite American Bock beer?

Permit me to first discuss two topics here:

· What defines the American Bock beer style

· What is the history of American Bock beers

American Bock beer style

Well, according to the beer competition style guidelines (e.g., BJCP, Brewers Association) there is no such thing as an American Bock beer style. Well, that is not going to stop me from discussing this topic. In my opinion (and that of beer writer Chris Colby) the American Bock beer style is a beer brewed by American brewers to ‘mimic’ the Bock beers as brewed in Germany. In a nutshell, an American Bock beer is a darker colored lager brewed using adjuncts (e.g., corn, rice) that is typically of moderate alcohol strength (e.g., 5% ABV). In contrast a Traditional Bock as brewed in Germany would be both of stronger alcohol strength (e.g., 6.5% ABV) with the darker appearance coming from the majority of the grain bill being Munich Malt.

How do (did) the American brewers achieve a darker color for their American Bock beer? I do not have a definitive answer but I am pretty sure that it is not from a majority of the grain bill being Munich Malt. There are a number of ingredients that could be used to darken the color of American Bock beers:

· Crystal Malts

· Roasted Malts (e.g., Roast Barley)

· Coloring agents (e.g., Sinamar, Porterine, Caramel Color)

I have used a term of AAAL (Amber American Adjunct Lager) in past BA threads. I think this is an equivalent designation for American Bock.

Perhaps the most popular American Bock beer is Shiner Bock?

American Bock history

Below is a quote from an article by Chris Colby entitled “Chip Off the Old Bock -- The American Adaptation of Bock Beer”:

“American-style bock beers date back to the 1800s, when they emerged in every region of the U.S. with a large German population, including Texas, Wisconsin and other places in the Upper Midwest and Pennsylvania. German trained brewers incorporated local ingredients and adapted New World brewing techniques to make beers similar to the ones from their home countries, but that were also economically viable here in the states.

Freedom from the Reinheitsgebot (Germany’s Beer Purity Law), coupled with the relatively high protein content of US 6-row malts and fierce competition, likely drove most to use corn as an adjunct in their beers. For a time, this style flourished as a spring seasonal offering and most national and regional breweries offered a bock beer. As late as the 1970’s, American bocks were still relatively easy to find. As a kid, I remember seeing American bock beers on the shelves and hearing the bogus explanation that it was made from beer “at the bottom of the barrel” when breweries did their “yearly cleaning.” Gradually, however, consumers became less and less interested in this dark beer as American lagers gave way to light American lagers.”

As you can read above, back in the day it was common to see American Bock beers as a spring seasonal. Below is an old advertisement proclaiming March 11 as Bock Beer Day:


And since March 11 is today away this brings me to today’s beer of Genesee Bock beer.

Served in my Sly Fox Bock Fest Willi Becher glass:

Appearance

A coppery brown color, with an off-white head.

Aroma

I am picking up a combination of toasted bread crust and crackers, very malty and clean.

Taste:

A tiny bit of malty sweetness in the beginning but then layers of toasted grain and bread on mid-palate. Low bitterness

Mouthfeel

Medium bodied and an off-dry finish. There is a nice crispness to this beer.

Overall

This beer is very good. To my mind this is the epitome of an American Bock beer; very cleanly brewed.

Cheers to Genesee for continuing the tradition of producing their spring seasonal of Genny Bock!

@KOP_Beer_OUtlet @rotsaruch @RobH

 

Bock Beer Day you say @JackHorzempa
Leave it to none other then Enegren Brewing to deliver in my neck of the surf BA Their Maibock Spring Lager release. This beer is also very good and cleanly brewed as a great representation of the American Bock I get some toasty blonde malt action coupled with a light floral accent and some honey cracker sweetness to it. It is very drinkable and satisfying overall!

 

It's strong beer time (starkbierzeit) in Munich and it is officially kicked off at Paulaner's Nockherberg, an event that is attended by local/regional politicians and where comedians/entertainers poke fun at the politicians and politics. This took place on Wednesday.

Having the OG to celebrate the strong beer season.



Postcard from my collection:

 

Sapwood Cellars “Roggen Kümmel “ Rye Bock with Caraway Seeds!

 

Another strong beer (doppelbock), Spaten Optimator

 

But? All of those distros told us Optimator was discontinued!