History:
Bock and all of its sub-styles have a long and fascinating history that includes Medieval economies, wars, the Catholic church, industrial espionage and goats. But there's not room for all of that here. So, briefly, Bock originated in Einbeck, Germany. The Einbecker brewery proudly states that without Einbecker there would be no bock. While this is true, it should also be said that without Munich, bock wouldn't have survived. The brewers there embraced the style and made it their own. They also developed all of the different types of bock that we enjoy today.
Style Point:
Like porter the origins of the name of this beer style are uncertain. There are a few interesting stories that attempt to account for it. Two focus on the fact that bock in German means goat. The first of these two says that the traditional time to brew Bock was Dec-Jan under the sign of Capricorn, the goat. The second tells a story of a drinking contest wherein the loser blames the butt from freely wandering goat. The victor explains, "The Bock that threw you over was brewed by me!" The theory that I'm more likely to believe says the name is simply a Munich dialect derivative of bock's city of origin, Einbeck.
Ingredients:
The key to a successful bock lies as much with the decoction brewing method as with the ingredients used. Even so, there are some ingredients that remain constant for the style. The malt bill generally contains some percentage of Munich malt which contributes to the malty depth and color of the style. Noble German hops should also be used even though the hop character of bocks are generally downplayed. Finally, a lager yeast with lower flocculating tendencies should be used so it can survive in the high gravity wort.
Tasting Notes:
The flavor profiles of bock's sub-styles break down like this. Dunkles bock is probably the bock most in line with the style's brewing tradition. It is rich and malty. There is noticeable balancing hop bitterness but the depth of the full malt flavor dominate. Doppelbock or double bock, predictably, is like dunkles bock except more so - more of the sweet malty flavor, more depth, and more alcohol. Helles bock and Maibock are both lighter beers. They can be golden or amber but pack considerably more flavor than other styles of similar color. They also tend to be a bit hoppier than other bocks.
Food Pairing:
Bock is the original "liquid bread." Paulaners' famous Salvator Doppelbock is the beer of the oft told tale about monks brewing big beers to sustain themselves through long fasts. As such, you wouldn't think that bock would pair well with many foods being a meal unto itself. But its big sweetness with just enough bittering make it a good companion to foods that have lots of flavor. The key to pairing bock is to stay away from foods with subtle delicate flavors that will melt into nothing before it. Try roasted or grilled game or pork. In The Brewmaster's Table Oliver also suggests Mexican cuisine.
