93 Maibock, Capital Brewery (WI). 6.4% ABV (2/07)
Beautiful amber color. Sumptuous fresh crusty semolina bread and clover honey aromas. A satiny entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity medium body of tangy dried stone and citrus fruits, toasted baguette and honey flavors. Finishes with a long tangy fruit, dry caramel and delicate hop fade. Wonderfully balanced and highly drinkable.

92 LTD 02, Full Sail Brewing Co. (OR). 6.4% ABV (4/09)
Bright light amber color. Aromas of peach marmalade on toast, cracker and wet stones follow through on a round, supple entry to a dryish medium-to-full body with nut and crème caramel notes. Finishes with a long, chewy caramelized grain, sweet citrus and earth hop fade. Great depth, balance and drinkability.

92 Hofbräu Maibock, Hofbräuhaus München (Germany). 7.2% ABV (4/09)
Beautiful copper color with a fine blanket of foam. Bold aromas of praline, floury bread dough and poached egg follow through on a creamy, rich entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium-full body with fantastic depth and integration. Finishes with a long, lingering fade with a kiss of pepper and earthy hops. A great benchmark for the style.

90 Mai Bock, Sprecher Brewing Co. (WI). 6% ABV (11/06)
Lightly hazy, deep amber orange color. Dried stone fruit and warm caramel aromas. A smooth, supple entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity medium body of cocoa-dusted figs, dried peach and marmalade flavors. Finishes with a crisp, tangy sweet citrus and earthy hop fade. A very nice U.S. version of the style that is highly drinkable.

90 Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Ales (OR). 6% ABV (4/09)
Deep amber color with a wispy taupe head. Bold fruity, buttery caramel fudge aromas follow through on a round supple entry to a dry medium-to-full body with toasted nuts and dried fruit notes. Finishes with a crisp, rounded citrus peel and earthy hop fade. Highly drinkable and appealing. Try with brats and fajitas.

89 Point Einbock, Stevens Point Brewery (WI). 6.3% ABV (4/09)
Brilliant copper color with a lacy bone head. Lovely aromas of toasted raisin bread and custard follow through on a soft, supple entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body with good integration and a long, resonant lemon and earth-accented finish.

87 Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning Über Pils, Clipper City Brewing Co. (MD). 7.5% ABV (5/08)
Brilliant golden amber color. Slightly sour dried orange, nut toast and Ivory Soap aromas follow though on a creamy entry to a dryish medium body with a nice hints of creamy caramel. Finishes with pleasant porridge and dried citrus fade.

86 Maibock, Bastone Brewery (MI). 7% ABV (4/08) %{Brewpub}
Amber in color with a slight orange cast. Honey, cookie dough and graham cracker nose with hints of orange marmalade. Soft on the palate with gentle carbonation. Dark toast and sweet honey butter notes make up the malt backbone. Finishing with a candy apple-like sweetness with slight perks of bitterness that are actually fairly quenching. Try this brew with some slow-roasted pork with apples and shallots.

We don’t really have much of a spring here in Chicago, but a great indicator to the locals that good weather is around the corner is the arrival of a quality Maibock on draft at one of our great beer bars. I love the malt character and strength of a solid Maibock. I grill roasted a pork loin stuffed with apples and onions and it pairs nicely with either the Full Sail LTD 02 and the Hofbräuhaus München Maibock (both 92 points). As quenching as they are, just remember to watch your intake with these heavy hitters. With an ABV at around 7 percent, you could be spinnin’ round the May pole a little quicker than planned.

Being outdoors is something I crave during the winter months. Come January, the cabin fever sets in and thoughts of picnics, riding the bicycle and relaxing on the patio with a hot grill, good book, and frothy beverage are steaming through my brain. So when the weather finally breaks and life is good, treat yourself to an afternoon outside with a bottle of saison. If there was ever a beer to consume in the beauty of nature, saison is it! Just think of the aromatics and lively character of this style combined with a relaxing picnic under a tree. Bring along a basket full of cheese, crusty bread, and fresh fruit and the experience can’t be beat. Two notable entries this time around included Goose Island 2009 Sofie (94 points) and Grizzly Peak Fille De Fermier (88 points). Take the time to find yourself a nice saison and I’ll see you in the park.

Our Belgian Specialty category is more or less a catch-all for those that don’t necessarily fit the strong ale or abbey style category. This time around, the entries were a real treat. The Belgian Style Red Ale category also gave us a great example of what brewers are doing with wild yeasts these days. Get your guests’ juices flowing with a Grumpy Troll Flanders Ned Ale (93 points), a great aperitif that will get the conversation started. Move onto Brooklyn Local 2 (91 points) and serve up some grilled flank steak with a side of chimichurri. This combination will make your people happy and you’ll be praised for your hospitality! Finish your soirée with a Unibroue Anniversary 17 and be sure to pair it with something decadent such as crème brûléeor maybe those artisanal truffles you’ve been holding onto. A mild cigar with this brew wouldn’t hurt either.

Be sure to check all of the results in the buyers guide following this article to discover even more excellent ales that are sure to inspire, whether they are a simple quaff to quench or a decadent sipper to savor. Cheers!

Plenty of new styles of ale have been showing up on the scene recently. Barrel aged ales, wildly fermented ales and a myriad of hop-bombs to entice the beer hunters out there. Experimental styles seem to generating a lot of intrigue, but for flavor and balance, be sure to stop by and give your old friends, the lagers, a visit once in a while.

Here are a few to revisit or try the next time you’re in the mood for a crisp, clean quaff. As far as pale lagers go, treat yourself to the Imperial Lager (91 points) from Lion Brewery Ceylon in Sri Lanka. An incredible lager to spend some time enjoying, considering its ABV weighs in at 8.8 percent. To amp it up a bit, invite some of your favorite curry dishes to the party. If the occasion is game day, and you need a great session brew to pair nicely with some homemade chili, try the lager from River Horse Brewery Lager in New Jersey (87 points).

Many brands these days are calling themselves pilsners. It is, after all, the most widely replicated style. Buyer beware: many in reality are watered down versions of the classic. Here are a few that will give a taste of true pilsner perfection. Zatec Bright Lager (90 points) from the Czech Republic, the home of pilsner, is highly drinkable and well balanced. Germany’s Paulaner Brauerei (88 points) brews another fine example of the style. Even Scotland has shown us an interesting take from the Atlas Brewery: Latitude Highland Pilsner (90 points) is soft on the palate and highly thirst quenching. Try any of these brews with some encased meats and hard cheeses at your next session with friends.

When fall rolls around, many breweries offer fine examples of malty Oktoberfest beers to grace the autumnal celebrations. From Germany, try Hofbrähaus München Oktoberfest (92 points) or Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest (90 points) as benchmarks for the style. Upland Brewing’s Oktoberfest Bavarian-Style Lager (84 points) from Indiana is a great example of the influence the classics have had on an American brewer: a big, roasty malt bomb with some warming qualities as well. Wash down some roasted chicken or pork with some spätzle on the side with any of these fest beers.

Dark lagers, or dunkels are personal favorite. Hirter Morchl from Austria (96 points), with its perfect balance, is a must-try for any fan of the style. Hofbrähaus München Dunkel (93 points) is also welcome to the session. If you are in the mood to seek out a domestic example, definitely keep your eyes open for Bastone Brewery’s Munich Dunkel Lager from Michigan (90 points): you will be rewarded with excellence. Try a dunkel with a liverwurst sandwich if you’re feeling adventurous.

Lastly, explore the doppelbocks, the dark and mischievous side of the lager coin. Salvator Doppelbock from Paulaner (93 points) was my introduction to the style many years ago and still a personal favorite. For a fun combo, pairing try it first with some braised pork-belly and then, for dessert, some crème brûlée: you’ll experience just how dynamic and complex this beer style really is.

A handful of classics and a few interpretations of the various styles rounded out this last World Beer Championships. Many thanks to the brewers and judges who participated in such an extraordinary event. Cheers!

Plenty of new styles of ale have been showing up on the scene recently. Barrel aged ales, wildly fermented ales and a myriad of hop-bombs to entice the beer hunters out there. Experimental styles seem to generating a lot of intrigue, but for flavor and balance, be sure to stop by and give your old friends, the lagers, a visit once in a while.

Here are a few to revisit or try the next time you’re in the mood for a crisp, clean quaff. As far as pale lagers go, treat yourself to the Imperial Lager (91 points) from Lion Brewery Ceylon in Sri Lanka. An incredible lager to spend some time enjoying, considering its ABV weighs in at 8.8 percent. To amp it up a bit, invite some of your favorite curry dishes to the party. If the occasion is game day, and you need a great session brew to pair nicely with some homemade chili, try the lager from River Horse Brewery Lager in New Jersey (87 points).

Many brands these days are calling themselves pilsners. It is, after all, the most widely replicated style. Buyer beware: many in reality are watered down versions of the classic. Here are a few that will give a taste of true pilsner perfection. Zatec Bright Lager (90 points) from the Czech Republic, the home of pilsner, is highly drinkable and well balanced. Germany’s Paulaner Brauerei (88 points) brews another fine example of the style. Even Scotland has shown us an interesting take from the Atlas Brewery: Latitude Highland Pilsner (90 points) is soft on the palate and highly thirst quenching. Try any of these brews with some encased meats and hard cheeses at your next session with friends.

When fall rolls around, many breweries offer fine examples of malty Oktoberfest beers to grace the autumnal celebrations. From Germany, try Hofbrähaus München Oktoberfest (92 points) or Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest (90 points) as benchmarks for the style. Upland Brewing’s Oktoberfest Bavarian-Style Lager (84 points) from Indiana is a great example of the influence the classics have had on an American brewer: a big, roasty malt bomb with some warming qualities as well. Wash down some roasted chicken or pork with some spätzle on the side with any of these fest beers.

Dark lagers, or dunkels are personal favorite. Hirter Morchl from Austria (96 points), with its perfect balance, is a must-try for any fan of the style. Hofbrähaus München Dunkel (93 points) is also welcome to the session. If you are in the mood to seek out a domestic example, definitely keep your eyes open for Bastone Brewery’s Munich Dunkel Lager from Michigan (90 points): you will be rewarded with excellence. Try a dunkel with a liverwurst sandwich if you’re feeling adventurous.

Lastly, explore the doppelbocks, the dark and mischievous side of the lager coin. Salvator Doppelbock from Paulaner (93 points) was my introduction to the style many years ago and still a personal favorite. For a fun combo, pairing try it first with some braised pork-belly and then, for dessert, some crème brûlée: you’ll experience just how dynamic and complex this beer style really is.

A handful of classics and a few interpretations of the various styles rounded out this last World Beer Championships. Many thanks to the brewers and judges who participated in such an extraordinary event. Cheers!

First, we need to defuse the Reinheitsgebot. Despite the hype, it was not designed as a consumer protection law. It’s a tax-enforcement law. When hops and malt are the only brewing ingredients taxed, you have to force the brewers into using nothing else, pure and simple. Wheat beers were excluded because they were the exclusive right of royalty, and you don’t think they would be paying taxes would they? I’ll wait while you thumb your nose at the whole mess.

Second, it’s important to know that the Reinheitsgebot was a Bavarian law, not a German one, until 1878, some time after Bavaria joined the Union after Mad Ludwig bankrupted the state coffers building silly castles. The North had a rich tradition of beers more along the lines of Belgium before the great tide of Bavarian lager swept all into obscurity. A few—the wit-like gose comes to mind—have been revived, but for the most part the Germans are pathologically uncurious about their brewing past.

It is our right as Americans to seize on tidbits of history, jumble them up and put together whatever kind of story sounds best. So let’s get on with that and start thinking about the beery possibilities. Note that the quantities suggested are for five-gallon batches. All of these should be fermented conventionally with lager yeast and given a cold conditioning commensurate with their strength. Don’t forget the diacetyl rest, a couple of days at cellar temperatures to allow any excess diacetyl released by the yeast to be reabsorbed.

Alternatively known as helles (pale) bock, Maibocks are brewed in winter and released in late April and May. They are rich yet not overbearing, and are enjoyed before the searing throes of summer. They are transitional, as the warming offerings of winter and early spring give way to something lighter. Skilled brewers subdue the malty overtones of dark bock, and wrap them in the subtleties of lighter German fare. Gold to light amber, Maibock is the perfect compromise. Although relatively new, stylistically speaking, Maibocks might be the closest artifact of the brews that initially made Germany a brewing capitol. The origins of bock beer are akin to the roots of German brewing.

Einbeck as Mecca

Bock may invoke visions of Bavarian castles and lederhosen, but its origin is accredited to the city of Einbeck in Northern Germany. Dubbed “Beer City,” Einbeck proudly plays on its heritage, independence and importance in brewing history. After the Roman Empire (and throughout the Middle Ages), much of Europe existed as a fluid amalgam of cities and kingdoms whose ruling parties changed frequently. Along the corridor that ran from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, trade (and strife) was waged on both land and water from Great Britain to the Baltic countries.

The bottleneck that comprised Northern Germany and Denmark was the epicenter of this busy trade route, and home to some contentious commerce. Every city or settlement had self interests at heart, but many of these entities banded together to form the Hanseatic League, fostering cooperation and warding off the bandits and rogues that prowled the route. Commodities varied with local or regional specialization: Einbeck was famous for its unique, high quality beers. Even though beer was primarily a local or homebrewed product in the 14th century, Einbecker’s beers were so renowned that they were sent to relatively far-flung markets, such as England, Russia and the Mediterranean.

Why were Einbeck’s wares so revered? Their condition was superior to most brews, allowing them to be exported, a genuine feat for such a perishable product. Perhaps the Einbeck brewers had a knack that others lacked. Much of their success involved ingredients that were known to be softer in color and character than those used by their contemporaries, at a time when all beers were dark, turbid and either sweet or sour—or both. Einbeck’s beers were made with one-third wheat, presenting a different and lighter persona than the status quo. They were also top-fermented, and employed paler-colored malt than was available elsewhere.

Einbeck was located advantageously, at one of the earliest hop cultivation areas of Europe. Though serendipitous, Einbeck brewers had a head start in hop utilization, a significant event. Hop usage offered a balanced and easily-reproducible wort, and the antiseptic qualities of hops ensured unspoiled exported beer. Hop cultivation dates to 822 AD in Germany, but they weren’t extensively used until the 12th century. Until then, proprietary mixture of herbs and spices could be used to balance sweet beer or to mask its sometimes suspicious flavors.

Einbecker beers were ahead of the contemporary curve in refinement and stability. Martin Luther subsisted on the strong gourmet beer during his Diet of Worms and praised the brew thusly: “The best drink known to man is called Einbecker Beer.” Another notable writer described Einbecker beers as “Thin, subtle, clear, of bitter taste, has a pleasant acidity on the tongue, and many other good qualities.”

Outside its native Germany, exquisite examples are brewed in Switzerland, Norway, Italy, Canada, The Netherlands and the United States. Bocks run the color gamut from golden to dark brown, and the strength scale from moderately strong to bludgeoning force. Some bocks are seasonal, coinciding even with religious calendars, but many can be found throughout the year.

The Birth of Bock

The roots of bock beer can be traced back to the 14th century and the city of Einbeck, in northern Germany. Bock’s history is less nebulous than that of many other beer styles. Einbeck was a major European trade center in the Middle Ages and a member of the powerful Hanseatic League, a group of cities that worked together to protect each others’ trade interests during a tumultuous time. Einbecks beers were highly regarded throughout Europe, and with the aid of the League, it wasn’t long before the product was exported to its devotees in England, Scandanavia, the Mideast, and Mediterranean and Baltic countries.

Several things contributed to the quality of Einbeck beer. The city is located in one of the earliest hop growing regions in Europe, which no doubt made the beer more stable and unique, considering that herbal gruit was the more common beer spice of the era. Einbeck beer was also brewed with the palest malt available, one-third wheat and two-thirds barley, making for a more delicate than usual beverage. It was brewed only in winter, and therefore stored cold, making it cleaner and less prone to infection. When compared to the generally murky, darker brews of the day, it’s no wonder that those of Einbeck won so many fans.

Even though Munich was a brewing center during the same time, its beer couldn’t match that of Einbeck. The Munich braumeisters set out to change this disparity. In 1612, Duke Maximillian I invited the best brewer in Einbeck, Elias Pichler, to teach them the moxie necessary to produce Einbeck beer. Munich’s indigenous brown beer, probably the forerunner of today’s dunkel, was then made using the Einbeck procedure. The resultant brew still was dark, and probably stronger. Within a few years, it became wildly popular. Refined over the years in keeping with advancing technology, these beers are known today as traditional bock.

Bocks are bottom fermented and extensively lagered to give them a smooth, deep maltiness. They are generally dark amber to dark brown in color and often scantily hopped. They are substantial beers at 6.0 to 7.5 percent alcohol by volume.

Many authors have presented various legends, some believable and others quite farfetched, about the origin of the bock name. One theory holds that it is a corruption of the beck in Einbeck. Another cites the German word for goat as the origin, referring to the kick of the strong brew or even its coincidence with zodiacal Capricorn. Yet another cites a corruption of the German word “pogkmedt” (mead) as the origin. Still another attributes bock to “Ainpoekische,” dialectic Bavarian for Einbeck, and a shortened version, “Poeckishe Pier.” This seems the most logical, but it is still open to debate.