Sunday 15 November 2015

2015 Top-fermenting Dutch Bok

Tables – dontcha just love ‘em? I do, as you’ve probably already gathered. I really do have a thing about numbers. Can’t get enough of them.

You really wouldn’t want to see what goes on in my head. It even looks weird to me. But I’m digressing like a digressing stick.

My second look at the 2015 Bock crop is focused on top-fermenting examples. It’s a sign of the transformation of Dutch brewing that these greatly outnumber their bottom-fermenting counterparts. 63 to 29, if you’re interested. Though neither of those totals includes beers labelled Doppelbock.

Once again, a couple of the beers fall outside the parameters of a Dutch autumn Bok. Anything under 15º Plato is too low in gravity. And anything with a colour value below 30 is way too pale.

Though the two beers with the highest EBU value were both top-fermenters, there’s nothing to pick between the average bitterness of them and the bottom-fermenters. Most of the other averages are also pretty close, with the top-fermenters slightly higher in gravity and ABV. The biggest difference is in the colour, where the bottom-fermenters are significantly paler. Take a look:

type OG Plato FG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation Colour (EBC) bitterness (EBU)
top-fermenters 17.17 3.90 7.18 78.64% 67.6 30.7
bottom-fermenters 16.83 4.20 6.86 76.37% 54.2 30.4


I’m having arsing issues again so I’ll leave you with all the pretty numbers lined up neatly in rows.

2015 Top-fermenting Dutch Bok 
Year Brewer Beer OG Plato FG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation Colour (EBC) bitterness (EBU)
2015 Openluchtmuseum Goye Goet Herfstbock 14.5 3.30 6.00 78.24% 104 17
2015 Apeldoornse Bierbrouwerij DeVlijt Veluws Schavuyt Bockbier 14.7 2.58 6.50 83.24% 52 30
2015 Leidsch Bier Pumpkin Raisin Bock 14.9 2.05 6.90 86.95% 47 37
2015 't IJ Ijbok 14.9 2.79 6.50 82.16% 17 24
2015 Van de Streek (H) Black Bock 14.9 3.73 6.00 76.05% 66 57
2015 De Eem (H) Eem Bok 15.0 2.89 6.50 81.63% 65 37
2015 Erik's Bier Erik's Zwarte Piet bokbier 15.5 1.20 7.70 92.71% 90 31
2015 Gringel (H) Valkenburgse Gringelbock 15.5 3.43 6.50 78.93% 40 25
2015 Scheldebrouwerij Wilde Bok 15.5 3.43 6.50 78.93% 40 24
2015 Hertog Jan Hertog Jan Bockbier 15.9 3.86 6.50 76.87% 100 23
2015 Kompaan (H) Weizen bock 15.9 3.86 6.50 76.87% 140 41
2015 Attemer Brouwerij Attemer Bock 16.0 3.04 7.00 81.93% 69 26
2015 Groningse Bierbrouwerij (H) Hunebed bock 16.0 3.04 7.00 81.93% 70 30
2015 Jopen 4 Granen Bok Bier 16.0 3.04 7.00 81.93% 22
2015 Koningshoeven La Trappe Bockbier 16.0 3.04 7.00 81.93% 95 34
2015 Maximus Maximus Bock 7 16.0 3.04 7.00 81.93% 75 35
2015 Hemel Rookbok 16.0 3.96 6.50 76.41%
2015 Hemel Oerbok 16.0 3.96 6.50 76.41%
2015 Troost Bok 16.2 3.81 6.70 77.63% 55 38
2015 De Vriendschap Hopbock 16.3 4.11 6.60 75.97% 26 41
2015 EleganT EleganT Bruintje 16.4 1.99 7.80 88.51% 81 38
2015 Largum Guur 16.4 2.46 7.55 85.83% 62 37
2015 Bax (H) Oma's pruim oude bok 16.5 4.31 6.60 75.10% 59 29
2015 Berging Brouwerij (H) Koe Bok 16.5 4.50 6.50 73.98% 57 31
2015 Jantjes Bieren (H) Udens Bockbier 16.5 4.50 6.50 73.98% 35 33
2015 Pauw Pauw's Herfsttrots 16.7 4.71 6.50 73.07% 80 18
2015 Snab (H) Ijsbok 16.9 0.31 9.00 98.27% 100 32
2015 Snab (H) Ezelenbok 16.9 3.08 7.50 82.73% 90 32
2015 Breugems (H) Saense bock 16.9 4.01 7.00 77.46% 72 28
2015 Bourgondische brouwers (H) Willem de duitser 17.0 3.01 7.60 83.27% 94 34
2015 Mieghehn Bokkendonks Bokbier 17.0 3.55 7.30 80.18% 65 36
2015 Klein Duimpje Slobberbok 17.0 3.74 7.20 79.11% 85 32
2015 De Vriendschap Tarwebok 17.0 4.11 7.00 77.02% 40 20
2015 Groningse Bierbrouwerij (H) Brandaris Blonde Bock 17.0 4.11 7.00 77.02% 60 20
2015 Groningse Bierbrouwerij (H) Kruisheren Constatinus Bock 17.0 4.11 7.00 77.02% 20 40
2015 Linden boom Herfslbock 17.0 4.11 7.00 77.02% 80 22
2015 t Volen Valenbock 17.0 5.04 6.50 71.71% 100 23
2015 Hommeles (H) Bokkepruik 17.0 66 30
2015 Oudaen Oudaen Herfstbock 17.4 4.54 7.00 75.20% 75 21
2015 Wageningen Mordicus 17.4 4.54 7.00 75.20% 60 22
2015 Texelse Texels Bock 17.8 4.36 7.33 76.76% 56 26
2015 Rodenburg Bronkhorster Usselbock 18.0 5.19 7.00 72.57% 50 26
2015 Witte Leeuw (H) Oktober 23 18.0 5.74 6.70 69.60% 90 24
2015 Het roze varken Wintervacht 18.3 4.59 7.50 76.24% 63 51
2015 Oldskool (H) Einbockish 18.5 6.64 6.50 65.76% 40 32
2015 t Wort Wat (H) Polderbock 18.7 4.30 7.90 78.27% 77 31
2015 Rock city beers (H) Bockalade 19.0 2.61 9.00 87.12% 160 30
2015 De Arn (H) Bokkige Arn 19.0 4.43 8.00 77.97% 60 30
2015 Gooische biergilde (H) De blauwe bock 19.0 4.44 8.00 77.94% 80 28
2015 Jopen Johannieter 20.0 3.70 9.00 82.62% 22
2015 Oldskool (H) Shut the Bock up 20.0 5.17 8.20 75.62% 10 20
2015 Rodenburg Brok in de keel 20.5 5.17 8.50 76.26% 37 53
2015 Texelse Texels Stormbock 21.0 3.01 10.00 86.66% 67 24
2015 't IJ Dubbelbok 21.0 3.91 9.50 82.60% 52 25
2015 De Prael Herfstbock 21.0 7.14 7.70 67.77% 60 29
2015 Praght Praght bokbier 2 22.7 9.33 7.50 60.96% 80
2015 Naeckle brouwers Naeckte bok 7.50
2015 Blauwe Ijsbeer (H) Weijsbeer bock 6.00
2015 Dampegheest Dampegheest bockbier 7.00
2015 Oijen Oijens Bockbier 6.00
2015 Pampus Bokshoorn 6.80
2015 Praght Ftevobock 7.50 50 28
2015 Ramses Ramses Bok 7.00 88 59
Average 17.17 3.90 7.18 78.64% 67.6 30.7
Source:
Bokbierfestival programme 2015, pages 24 - 28.

Just Doppelbock to go.

3 comments:

Marco Daane said...

Top-fermenting bock is a load of bollocks. I'm not suggesting that they're bad beers, contrary: there are awesome ones among them. But as I wrote before, it just doesn't exist. Bock is a historic beer - industrial revolution, bottom-fermenting, remember. So top-fermenting bock, that's ignoring history. It's like painting grass blue and then claiming that grass is blue. From time to time you can alsno come up 'top-fermenting pilsner' and now even a bottom-fermenting pale ale from Grolsch. I mean, what's the use of all that crap? They can simply call that a blond beer, can't they, and the bockish ones dark ale 'cause after all that's what they are, aren't they? To meet up with your earlier post on Dutch bocks: OG of 15.5 is indeed the only official rule for bock in the Netherlands, there are no rules anymore for colour, malts, strength or whatever - but their used to be. Now nobody gives a shit. PINT and the festival don't value history. They even allow bocks with herbs, spices or fruits or with an OG under 15.5 - which last thing is actually an official criminal deed in accordance with the Bierverordening. But of course nobody knows that in those surroundings, history? my ass. Neither is anyone interested in putting up better descriptions of the style which is actually the oldest continuously brewed beer in this country. It can't be a coincidence that the minus 15.5 bocks are almost all top-fermenting. As I said: bollocks and a danger to the style. (More at bierinnederland.blogspot.com.)

A Brew Rat said...

I agree with Marco. Top-fermenting bock doesn't exist. The proof is that it is not mentioned in the 2015 BJCP style guidelines.

http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf

Adam said...

What is or isn't in the bjcp style guidelines does not prove whether a beer style exists. It's not intended to be the complete guide to beer styles.