bock hell

When we think of the colder half of the year, terms like Christmas, cookies, snow, ski vacation, mulled wine, fireplace or coziness immediately come to mind. We think of walks through snow-covered, white glittering landscapes, of ice skating, of baking gingerbread and stollen, of long January nights spent with friends in our favorite pub, of tangerines and oranges, of woolly hats and the bitter cold. As beer lovers, we associate autumn and winter with the countless festival and bock beers that are brewed year after year, especially by Franconian and Bavarian breweries, just in time for the start of the cold, uncomfortable days.

One of these breweries is Wagner from Merkendorf: The team from Upper Franconia brews two bock beers every October, which are then available from mid-November. In addition to their dark bock , there is a light example that shines with an alcohol content of 7.5% and a select selection of aromatic hops and the finest malts.

In the glass, the winter specialty beer presents itself in a shiny, crystal-clear sunny gold. A stately crown rises, but is of a rather fleeting nature. The Bock is floral on the nose: fragrant notes of lilac meet herbs, grass and honey. The initial taste is malty and leads to a taste that lets notes of caramel, herbs and bitter hops dance on the tongue.