There is a theoretical limit as to how strong a beer can be. In Germany, the term ‘bock’ is applied to beers that are higher in strength. However, this additional strength tended to lie within certain bands. The beers from to-day are both ‘bock beers’, and both are at the upper end of this traditional alcohol limit. However, as we will see, this limit has been breached forever as a result of a new approach to brewing that has been developed for brewing strong beers.
Our beers for to-day both come from a brewery called Brewery Schorschbrau. Our first beer is Schorschweizen – a wheat bock – and our second is Schorschbock – a strong Doppelbock.
German Language and Beer Styles –
I don’t claim to be a linguist, but, the more I travel and drink beer, the more I find myself considering how different languages are structured and work. Having done Latin and Irish at school, my familiarity with different languages is more skewed towards the theoretical than the practical realm. I definitely don’t have any working knowledge of German beyond what I have picked up from war movies.
It always strikes me, though, that the German approach to language is very functional. It feels like there are a certain number of building block words, and when a German wants to convey something in his native language, he simply takes these building block words, and sticks them together like Lego blocks. The result can be words extending to the nether regions of polysyllabilism, and stretching beyond a letter length than is natural for some unfortunate from another country who finds that he has to pronounce this word to a taxi driver after significant amounts of research into Germany’s best liquid export.
This approach to language is applicable to some key German beer styles. Thankfully, though, the building block words are relatively short, and, even when put together, they are relatively pronouncable.
Most people would be familiar with ‘weizen’ (‘wheat’) or ‘weiss’ (‘white’) as it is applied to wheat beers. People excited about wheat beers might have extended their exploration to ‘Kristal’ (‘crystal’ or ‘bright’ when referred to beer) or ‘Dunkel’ (‘dark’). These words can be stuck together in true German fashion to give sub-styles of beers – and so you get ‘Kristalweizen’ (a bright wheat beer) or ‘Dunkelweizen’ (a dark wheat beer by ‘Lego-ing’ up the words (Hey! – if the Germans can make up words, so can I!) When looking at other lager styles, a person might have come across ‘Helles’ (another word for ‘bright’)
The term ‘Bock’ is not a descriptive adjective that has been borrowed to add to our collection of Lego blocks. The origins of the word ‘bock’ are outlined in a little more detail below. A ‘bockbier’ belongs to the family of ‘starkbier’ (strong beer). ‘Doppelbock’ (or ‘double bock’) follows the tradition also used in Belgium to communicate that a beer has twice the malt content, and hence, twice the potential for alcohol strength. ‘Eis’ (‘ice’) is a further term that has emerged from an approach to making a beer even stronger through freeze distillation, or ice-maturation.
Taking all of these building block words, brewers can start sticking them together with wild abandon. And so you can get a ‘Weizenbock’, a ‘Dunkelbock’, a ‘Weizendoppelbock’, a ‘Dunkeleisbock’ or whatever other combination you might want to look into. To-day, we are looking at different variations in bock beers.
Bock Beers –
In Germany up to the Middle Ages, there was considerable social and political strife between various factions, duchies and principalities. Free cities emerged, obtaining a charter by committing their allegiance to a particular faction. As Free Cities, they focused on their economic interests – this being the centre of their strength. One of the specialities of the Free Cities was their beers, which were highly regarded, and commanded a premium price far and wide.
The freedom to brew for sale was not a widespread privelage in the region at the time. The church and nobility retained this right for themselves, and only granted it when it suited them. In granting this right to a city, the requirement to pay taxes would naturally be attached. When brewing rights were conferred on a city, a Brewers’ Guild would spring up to regulate the quality and practice of brewing – specifying rules, for example, as to the extent to which beer could be diluted in years of bad harvest so that quality would be maintained to a standard, while limited ingredients could be stretched to ensure stocks would be sufficient for the year. Each Free City would typically develop their own character in the beer, shaped by the ingredients available, the local tastes, the approaches used by the brewers in the area, and by the dictates of the Brewers’ Guild.
The ‘bock’ style is reputed to have emerged in the town of ‘Einbeck’ in Germany in the 13th century, during the Middle Ages. This town was spelled variously as ‘Einbeck’, ‘Eimbeck’ or ‘Eimbock’ depending on the document that one might look at. Einbeck started as an estate, and grew to a town, and eventually was given a charter as a city sometime between 1203 and 1256. At the time, the use of ‘gruit’ (herbs and spices) in brewing was common, but the transition to using hops in brewing was already starting. Einbeck was fortunate in this regard, being located in a centre of hop gardening. Building on a reputation for excellent beer, it enjoyed great success in exporting their brews far and wide for a number of centuries. However, the 17th century saw further strife in Europe, and the Hanseatic League of Free Cities, of which Einbeck was a member, came under threat and the League was eventually dissolved. In 1650, a fire wiped out much of Einbeck, including its brewery.
Meanwhile, Munich was emerging as a key brewing centre in the South of Germany. Brewers in Munich often imitated beer styles of the famous brewing centres in the North, seeking to emulate their success. In 1612, Duke Maximillian I persuaded the brewmaster of Einbeck – Elias Pichler – to come to Munich. In 1614, Munich brewed their own version of Einbeck’s famous beer, and it was immediately a success.
The stories asserting the origins of the term ‘Bock’ to describe this style of beer are varied. One story says that the beer was only ever brewed under the sign of Capricorn (in late December / January) – and hence the beer was named after the symbol for Capricorn, the goat (‘Bock’ means ‘billy goat’). This is the least likely explanation, as the beer was brewed at various times of the year. The more likely explanation is that it is a corruption of the name of the town ‘Einbeck’, with the beer originally being called ‘Ainpoeckische Pier’ (beer from Einbeck), which could have been shortened to ‘Poeckische Pier’, then to ‘Poeckpier’ and eventually to ‘Bockbeer’. The Rheinheitsgebot reflects the spelling ‘Pier’ for ‘Bier’ frequently in its text.
A third, more fanciful story is sometimes told to explain where the name for the beer came from. A medieval knight of Brunswick was casting aspersions on the beer offered him by Duke Christoph of Bavaria. The enraged brewmaster of the court of Duke Christoph lay down a challenge to a drinking bout, with each contestant having to drink the beer from the other’s home city. Two kegs of beer, each containing two gallons of beer, were brought out – one from Brunswick, and the second from Bavaria – with the knight of Brunswick drinking the Bavarian beer and vice versa. The challenge was that each had to drink the same amount of beer, and then thread a needle when standing on one leg. When they had drunk their beer, a maid was sent for the needle and thread. On returning, she carelessly left the gate to the court open, and a goat wandered in from outside. While the Bavarian brewmaster succeeded in threading his needle, the knight of Brunswick fell over three times while attempting it. He claimed that the goat had knocked him over. The brewmaster said ‘the “bock” (goat) that knocked you over was my beer!’
Schorschbrau Beers –
In keeping with our practise of sticking words together to form bigger words, brewer George (Schorsch in the local area, or ‘Schnuffel’ to his friends) Tscheuschner has decided to name his beers after himself. Schorschweizen (or George’s wheat beer), in style terms, is a strong, dark, wheat beer. Schorschbock is a strong dark lager. Both at 13.0% a.b.v, they are well above average strength for a beer.
Schorshbrau beers are best served in small snifters. The strength of this beer means that it should be treated as a fine wine in serving portions. In fact, given that it is best served well chilled, it is probably better to think of serving these beers in the same way that one would serve a desert wine – in small pours of 100ml – 150ml, and well chilled. Schorschweizen and Schorschbock are rich, flavourful and distinctive beers. Probably best served as a digestif, this is a beer to sip and savour.
Ice bock beers are bock beers that are freeze distilled. The beer is brewed as normal, but the liquid is then freezed, and the more concentrated beer is decanted from the ice, leaving water behind. The process results in the beer becoming much stronger. Schorschbrau has specialised in this process. As well as the strong beers that we are tasting today, Schorschbrau also brews ice-distilled beers at 20% and 30% a.b.v.
Schorschweizen –
Beer Style - Weizendunkelbock (Strong, dark wheat beer)
Alcohol by Volume - 13.0% a.b.v.
Brewed by - Brewery Schorschbrau
Brewed in - Bavaria, Germany
Schorschweizen is a strong dark wheat beer. As a wheat beer, one might expect a crisp refreshing light flavoured beer. However, the strength of this beer gives clues as to the amount of malt, and hence the amount of sugar that goes into this beer. During fermentation, these sugars develop into fruit flavours.
Schorschweizen presents as a rich dark brown beer. Initially a tan brown head forms on this beer, but, as can often be the case with strong beers, this head faces challenges to be retained on the beer, as the high alcohol content causes it to dissipate relatively quickly. The result is a beer that looks more like a dark brown port, with a ring of foam bubbles than a traditional beer.
On the aroma, rich dark fruit flavours come through. Figs, dates, plums are all in evidence, and the character of a vintage shiraz starts to shine through, with dark cherry, tobacco and chocolate all in evidence in the aroma. The malty base of this beer is clear on the nose, but the wheat in the beer shines through more so on the taste. As the beer comes onto the palate, the character of a Berliner Weiss (a distinctive tart, sour wheat beer) is very much present.
The mouthfeel of this beer is rich and luscious initially, followed by a tart sourness as the fruit flavours spread on the palate. Sour cherry, tobacco, bread all come together to give a rich, almost meaty character in the mouth. The soft zing of carbonation is in evidence – possibly more noticeable as this beer is more reminiscent of a fine port, and so the carbonation is unexpected.
Schorschbock –
Beer Style - Dunkeleisbock (Strong, dark wheat beer)
Alcohol by Volume - 13.0% a.b.v.
Brewed by - Brewery Schorschbrau
Brewed in - Bavaria, Germany
Slightly darker in colour than Schorschweizen, these two beers are relatively close in colour. However, Shorschbock is probably better described as red-brown-black – distinctively dark brown in colour, with suggestions of red hue. Again, the head that forms is dark tan in colour, but the alcohol strength of the beer means that this head dissipates almost immediately.
There is a marked contrast between the aroma and the taste on this beer. On the aroma, dark cherry is very much in evidence, with background evidence of warming spices. On the palate, the phenolic spicy character shines through more strongly. The result is tobacco, dark cherry, cigar, on the aroma, with cinnamon and clove coming through very distinctively on the palate.
The mouthfeel again is rich and luscious. Full body, and rich residual sugars coat the tongue, and the richness of flavour fills the entire mouth. On swallowing, the finish is distinctly warming, with alcohol warming as the beer is swallowed, and clove and cinnamon warming spices lingering in the finish. The finish is medium to long, with a pleasant warming sense in the mouth long after the beer has been drunk.
Schorschbrau beers call for a different approach to beer than is customary in Ireland. One would no more drink a pint of these beers than one would try to drink a pint of whiskey. The way in which these beers must be appreciated is as one would drink a fine cognac, sherry or desert wine. The brewery recommends that the beer is served ice-cold – there is no doubt that their depth of flavour supports significant chilling, and even at cold temperatures, there is more than enough flavour to shine through. These beers are particularly pleasing in cold winter months, and are the type of beer that one would sip late into the evening.
Available in –
Deveney’s, Dundrum, Dublin
Drink Store, Manor Street, Dublin
Castle Street Off-Licence, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Blackrock Cellars, Blackrock, County Dublin
Worldwide Wines, Waterford
The Bierhaus, Cork
Matsons Off-Licence, Douglas, Cork
Number 21 Off-Licence, Coburg Street, Cork
Holland’s of Bray, Co. Wicklow
Whelan’s of Wexford Street, Dublin
