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Double Your Pleasure, Double Your FunJun 01 '01 (Updated Oct 28 '06) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Dopplebock beer is rich, malty, sweet, and more alcoholic than most other beer styles, and may not be suitable to everyone's tastes.
Dopplebock beer is an extra- strength version of regular bock that originated in Germany. This type of beer is fuller- bodied and more flavorful than most other beer styles. The name “dopplebock” simply means, “double bock”. It got the name because of its stronger alcohol content, even though it isn’t exactly double in strength. Like regular bock beer, dopplebock is normally brewed and served as a springtime seasonal beer and there are some well- known German breweries that produce dopplebock year- round. History of This Style of Beer: Since regular bock beer is already quite malty and flavorful, one might begin to wonder why the Germans felt the need to make a version of bock that was even richer and stronger. Well, the reason for this was the season of Lent. The dopplebock style of beer was created by the monks of St. Francis Paula. During the Lenten season, there were, of course, mandatory periods of fasting. Beer was one of the few food items that was permitted to be consumed, during the fasting period (I could live with that!). So, the monks decided to create a beer that was much richer and healthier than the regular beers, in order to help carry them through the period of fasting. (Hmmm…maybe being a monk wouldn’t be so bad after all). They weren’t allowed to eat, so the heavier, maltier beer helped to sustain them. In honor of the season, the monks named the new beer “Paulaner Dopplebock Salvator”. They chose the ending word “Salvator”, because it means “savior”. Other brewers of dopplebock have continued this tradition by naming their beers with “ator” at the end of the name. And even today, this style of beer is released in Germany in the early spring, to be consumed during the Easter season. Characteristics of Dopplebock: Dopplebock beers are usually sweet and malty, with moderate to low levels of hop bitterness. With such a sweet, malty body, it’s sometimes difficult to detect any hop flavor at all, in this style of beer. Dopplebock is a lager- style, which means it’s a bottom- fermented beer. The color is usually dark brown, from the use of dark, roasted malt, and the body is medium to full. This style is brewed with an original gravity between 1.072 and 1.120. In Germany, the law says that any bock beer over 1.072 in original gravity must be labeled as dopplebock. With a starting gravity this high, dopplebock has a high alcohol level. The alcohol by volume ranges between 7 percent and 12 percent by volume, making dopplebock one of the strongest styles of beer on the market. Another characteristic of dopplebock, and one that most people do not know about, is its improved nutritional value. Many dopplebocks contain a large dose of vitamin B complex and substantial amounts of other important minerals. In the United States, government deception prevents consumers from knowing the nutritional value of beer. Government will not allow brewers to place nutritional labels on beer because they fear that, if people knew the nutritional value, this might encourage more consumption. Also, by not allowing brewers to show the nutritional value, consumers are deceived into thinking that there isn’t any value. It’s true that many beer styles have very little value, but dopplebock is one of the exceptions. What are Some Good Dopplebock Beers?: The original dopplebock, Paulaner Salvator Dopplebock, is one of my all- time favorite beers and a five- star classic. Some other good examples are Celebrator Dopplebock and Ayinger Dopplebock. In the United States, Samuel Adams makes a good double bock beer, and some of the regional craft brewers make them, too. But dopplebock beers are generally difficult to find. These beers are very rich and delicious, to the seasoned beer drinker, but they are usually a little bit too much for everyone else. That’s the primary reason why you don’t see more dopplebock. This type of beer isn’t as commercially acceptable as other styles of beer and, therefore, they don’t contribute much to the bottom line profits of a brewery. Dopplebock and Food: With foods, you should try to match up dopplebock with a hearty meat dish, like red meats, steak, pork, beef stew, or barbecued ribs. And since dopplebock is sweet, it makes a good beer to complement sweet desserts, especially rich, chocolate desserts and creamy desserts. Final Thoughts: Dopplebock is a very good beer style if you like your beer dark, rich, and malty sweet. If you want to sample this style, you will likely need to go to a beverage specialty store. Even during the spring, when this beer is in season, you will probably not find any dopplebock at all, in your local grocery (except maybe Sam Adams Double Bock). If you like regular bock beer, then you will probably like dopplebock. This is yet another beer that we can thank the Germans for creating. More specifically, we should thank the monks of St. Francis Paula, and the season of Lent. Next time you’re in church, reflect on the great work of these monks. It was their sacrifice, and their duty to fast, that brought another great style of beer to the world. Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read Advice on Other Beer Types: What Should You Know About Pilsner Beers What Should You Know About Blonde Beers What Should You Know about Dunkles Beers What Should You Know About Black & Tan Beers What Should You Know About Porter Beers What Should You Know About Stout Beers What Should You Know About IPA Beers What Should You Know About Wheat Beers What Should You Know About Bock Beers What Should You Know About Ale Beers What Should You Know About Lager Beers  |
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