Serve in a willi becher at 7-10 °C
What it tastes like
Bock traces back to Einbeck in northern Germany, a medieval brewing town whose strong beer was prized well beyond its walls. When Munich brewers copied it, the Bavarian pronunciation of Einbeck slid into ein Bock, and the name stuck, along with the goat that still turns up on labels. Today's bock is a Munich creation: a strong lager with a long, cold maturation that rounds off any rough edges.
The flavour is malt from start to finish. Munich and Vienna malts give toasted bread crust, light caramel and a hint of nuttiness, often with the rich, Maillard depth that traditional decoction mashing produces. Hops are there only to keep the sweetness honest, so bitterness is moderate and hop aroma is barely noticeable. There should be no roast, no coffee and no fruity ale esters. Clean lager fermentation and weeks of lagering near freezing give a smooth beer whose strength shows as warmth, not burn.
Style profile
- Look
- Light copper to deep brown with ruby highlights, brilliantly clear, under a creamy off-white head.
- Aroma and flavour
- Toasted bread crust, light caramel and melanoidin richness from Munich malt. Very little hop aroma, no roast, and a clean lager character.
- Mouthfeel
- Medium to full body, moderate carbonation, smooth and malty with a gentle alcohol warmth on the finish.
- Ingredients
- Mostly Munich malt with some Vienna or Pilsner and a touch of caramel malt, German noble hops, and a clean lager yeast.
In India
Bock is rare in India. Lagering a strong beer for six weeks or more ties up a fermenter that a busy brewpub would rather fill with a lager it can sell in two, and the margin rarely justifies it. When one does appear, it is usually a winter or Oktoberfest special. Its malt richness suits the cooler months in the north, a December evening in Delhi more than a May afternoon in Nagpur.
At the Indian table
Food pairings contributed by Anuradha Rao
- Rogan joshToasted malt sweetness sits under the Kashmiri chilli and fennel and softens the heat.
- Rajma chawalEarthy kidney beans and a malty lager share a comforting, bready depth.
- Pork vindalooThe beer's sweetness rounds off the vinegar sourness and calms the chilli.
- Gajar ka halwaCaramelised carrots, ghee and khoya echo the bread-crust malt.
Brewed in India
Rare in India so far. Ask your local brewpub, as a few brew one as a winter or Oktoberfest special.
Want the long read? Bock and doppelbock