Dunkelweizen / Dunkel Weizen / Dunkel Weissbier. Like stouts or IPAs, styles of Ales which themselves have several varieties, a Bock is a style of Lager which has several varieties (general from lowest in alcohol to highest in alcohol): Bock, Helles Bock/Maibock, Dopplebock, Weizenbock, and Eisbock. It says nothing of ice distilling, which is not illegal unless you distill more that 0.5%ABV or greater. [2], Bock is historically associated with special occasions, often religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter or Lent (the latter as Lentenbock). So, making Eisbock by removing more than 0.5% water volume is basically illegal. Today, doppelbock is still strong—ranging from 7%–12% or more by volume. I reviewed one of the more widely available (at least along the East Coast of America) Dopplebocks, Troegantor Doublebock. Several substyles exist, including maibock (helles bock, heller bock), a paler, more hopped version generally made for consumption at spring festivals; doppelbock (double bock), a stronger and maltier version; and eisbock, a much stronger version made by partially freezing the beer and removing the ice that forms. [] I've always heard that making eisbock is illegal, not that any law covering it at the homebrew level is actually enforced So there you have it, 5 varieties of one style – the Bock Beer. Not illegal. Could it be the goat? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Like stouts or IPAs, styles of Ales which themselves have several varieties, a Bock is a style of Lager which has several varieties (general from lowest in alcohol to highest in alcohol): Bock, Helles Bock/Maibock, Dopplebock, Weizenbock, and Eisbock. (Wikipedia)  But what *is* a bock beer? This prevents the act of being illegal and why brewers (home and commercial) can do this without getting in trouble. Lastly, we have the mistake beer, if beer lore and legend are to be believed and perhaps the rarest style of beer. Abita, Louisiana’s biggest craft brewery, celebrates Mardi Gras by producing Mardi Gras Bock every year. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. More popular (I assume) in Europe, especially Germany and its neighbors, but a style with a wealth of flavor profiles that illustrates how much can be done even with a less popular (not-quite-obscure) brewing style. Eisbock Brewery is the product of curiosity and love, and the desire to discover and enjoy new experiences with the natural product, known as beer. Carbonation is low, and the alcohol can be warming to the senses. I reviewed one of the more widely available (at least along the East Coast of America) Dopplebocks, Troegantor Doublebock. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But, it is also openly brewed by several craft breweries, and it seems the TTB knows about this craft beer level production, but has chosen not to act on said knowledge. [3] The following are representative examples of the style: Paulaner Salvator, Ayinger Celebrator, Weihenstephaner Korbinian, Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel, Spaten Optimator, Augustiner Maximator, Tucher Bajuvator, Weltenburger Kloster Asam-Bock, Capital Autumnal Fire, EKU 28, Eggenberg Urbock 23º, Bell's Consecrator, Moretti La Rossa, Samuel Adams Double Bock, Tröegs Tröegenator Double Bock, Wasatch Brewery Devastator, Great Lakes Doppelrock, Abita Andygator, Wolverine State Brewing Company Predator, Burly Brewing's Burlynator, and Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock. - Page 3 - Home Brew Forums. Who better than Joe Sixpack himself, Don Russell, to give us the lowdown on this forbidden style? Up until now, only small breweries that are a fraction of the size of Redhook, like Capital Brewery, have been producing these beers. This is because one of the first Dopplebocks was called “Salvator” (or Savior) and most breweries who brew a Dopplebock as part of their brewing portfolio use “-ator” in the name. The barrel notes are not overpowering to the overall flavor, but I’m sure they add to the overall booziness. Per 5 gallon batch, that means one can remove no more than 3.2 fl oz in ice. Freezing and producing "beer concentrate" is an accepted process for breweries who then have various labeling and handling requirements for that concentrate in their process. freezing a beer and removing more than 0.5% of its volume is illegal without a license. Learn how your comment data is processed. Learn how your comment data is processed. Summit Brewing, one of the larger breweries in Minnesota, produces a MaiBock, too. What’s most intriguing about this is to see such a large brewery make this style. The “Eis” in the name is from partially freezing a dopple and extracting the H2O ice, which allows the alcohol to have a much more noticeable presence and a deeper brownish/reddish hue and an overall thicker beer. However, not many people gravitate to the style, in today’s IPA-centric beer world. Another well regarded Eisbock from Germany is Kulmbacher Eisbock which I want yesterday. One of the best in the world is Ayinger’s Celebrator, which I had once and need to have again. The style known now as bock was a dark, malty, lightly hopped ale first brewed in the 14th century by German brewers in the Hanseatic town of Einbeck. However, not many people gravitate to the style, in today’s IPA-centric beer world. The style combines darker Munich malts and top-fermenting wheat beer yeast, brewed at the strength of a doppelbock. You will find this Eis Bock to be sweet, malty and boozy with notes of raisin, dark fruit and similar profile of a barley wine. Like a Quadrupel, an Eisbock possesses a much stronger stone fruit/plum and sugary taste. The aforementioned Weihenstephaner brews a great one in Vitus (pictured above, borrowed from their website is probably my favorite) and Schneider Weisse (who brew mostly wheat beers) have a few excellent Weizenbocks in their portfolio, including Mein Aventinus (TAP 6), Marie’s Rendezvous (TAP X), and a collaboration with Brooklyn Brewery called Meine Hopfenweisse. If it quacks like a duck and it looks like a duck than it’s a . Eisbock is the summit of the bock beers. It's just concentrated, not distilled. There’s an email exchange between someone at the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and a brewer, posted in a Reddit r/homebrewing discussion that makes this pretty clear. Some say (actually, All About Beer, specifically) that a Weizenbock is a “perfect marriage of styles.”. [3] Brewers of modern doppelbocks often add "-ator" to their beer's name as a signpost of the style; there are 200 "-ator" doppelbock names registered with the German patent office. Eis Maker is the second in this barrel-aged series I’ve had, but it only has me eager to try more. Bocks are a lagered style of beer that are heavier on malt than a standard Lager. That malt and sweet profile often present in a caramel-like flavor that can also evoke nutty flavors. Mouthfeel is full and smooth, with significant alcohol, although this should not be hot or sharp. Like a Quadrupel, an Eisbock possesses a much stronger stone fruit/plum and sugary taste. Unsurprisingly, Wehenstephaner’s Korbinian is an outstanding example of the style and New Jersey’s own Ramstein Winter Wheat is one of the most coveted American interpretations of the style (and probably one of the 10 best beers I ever had). Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Perhaps the most widely known straight-up Bock is Shiner Bock the flagship lager from Spoetzl Brewery, one of the largest Texas breweries [distributed to 49 states] and the Lone Star State’s oldest. Certainly a bit of alcohol heat, but not overwhelming. Like the traditional association of goats with bocks, there is a tradition of adding the suffix “-ator” to Dopplebocks. It is clear, with a colour ranging from deep copper to dark brown in colour, often with ruby highlights. They also brewed a Cherry Chocolate Bock in the past, which I hope returns. As a visual pun, a goat often appears on bock labels. That said, the excise act is long and a … This is because one of the first Dopplebocks was called “Salvator” (or Savior) and most breweries who brew a Dopplebock as part of their brewing portfolio use “-ator” in the name. Have really been enjoying the series Martin, keep up the good work! Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The resulting Eisbock is one of the richest, most sumptuous beers brewed. TO IMPROVE YOUR TOTALWINE.COM SHOPPING EXPERIENCE. With the ice removed, the remaining beer is stronger and more concentrated. 11% ABV. I called out the classic German Hofbräu Maibock in my Spring beer post, but perhaps the most widely know Maibock/Helles Bock from an American brewer is the iconic Dead Guy from Rogue Ales. While today’s beer, like Eis Maker, is no longer produced this way, it is used as a connotation that the beer is very strong. ABV: 13%, “A delicious, inventive interpretation of a beloved style through a new lens. Traditionally, a Maibock is a spring lager, but usually what differentiates the Helles or Maibock from the Bock is a slightly stronger hop presence. It is the strongest rendition of the bock tune; the first mysterious verses of which were hummed back in the 1300s in the town of Einbeck. Some of the darker Dopplebocks may have hints of fruit or chocolate in the flavor profile or even use chocolate and/or fruit in the brewing process. Whereas distillation leaves impurities behind, fractional freezing concentrates them: Ice distillation is fun and easy—but we would never recommend doing it at home. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the Homebrewing community. So, making Eisbock by removing more than 0.5% water volume is basically illegal. Weizenbock (List of Weizenbocks on Beer Advocate), Perhaps my favorite of the bock styles is the weizenbock, or as translated, “wheat bock.” The description, as untappd suggests, can be considered a “bigger and beefier version of a dunkelweizen.” When crafted well, a Weizenbock can evoke the best of two beers – the malt and stone fruits evoked by Dopplebocks coupled with the clove and banana evocations of a Dunkelweizen or Hefeweizen.