Beer Styles

What is a doppelbock? A doppelbock is a bottom-fermented, especially strong beer with plenty of malt and little hop bitterness, a style that originated in Munich. According to BJCP guidelines, the original gravity ranges from 17.5 to 26.4 degrees Plato, and the alcohol content ranges from 7 to 10 percent.

The Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel, at 18.5 degrees Plato and over 7 percent, falls right within this range. Cocoa, dark chocolate, a soft, round mouthfeel: that's how the brewery describes it. Anyone expecting a bock with caramel and raisins will instead find bread crust and bitter chocolate.

How much alcohol does bockbier have? By German law, a bockbier must have an original gravity of at least 16 percent. Andechs's Bergbock Hell comes in at 16.5 degrees Plato and 6.9 percent alcohol; it's a Helles Bock in the style of a Maibock, golden in color and with more hop aroma than its dark sibling.

The difference, then, lies in color and strength. A Helles Bock is lighter, drier, and a touch more floral. A Doppelbock is darker, fuller, and sweeter. Weißbier Dunkel belongs to a third family altogether, since it's top-fermented and relies on the yeast rather than lagering time. All three styles are part of the monastery brewery's lineup, and together they form a little lesson in beer: a light and a dark bock for comparison, plus a wheat beer to show the top-fermented side of things.

Bockbiers are strong beers, and in Bavaria they're traditionally drunk in smaller amounts, especially during Lent. Anyone driving should keep in mind that they carry considerably more alcohol than a Helles.