Bock Island

Brewer's notes:

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Credit due to our server, Michelle, for coming up with this name that continues the city beer series after Davenporter and Moliner Weisse. It's a unique style, one of which you'll be hard pressed to find more than a couple examples in the market. Which is a shame, because it's a lovely, complex style perfect for this time of year as the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter.

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The style is essentially an imperial/double (ie big) wheat beer and can lean either light - reminiscent of a Hefeweizen - or dark, as in a Dunkelweizen. The "-bock" is added as an indicator of strength with the story being that "bock" is German for "goat" and these beers are big enough to feel like you've been kicked or head butted by a goat. (Ignore the fact that the first Bock beer was brewed in Einbeck, which at the time was likely pronounced more like Ein-bock - I like the story about a goat better.)

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This beer has notes of darkly toasted pumpernickel bread, with those sprightly weizen flavors of banana, clove, and white pepper. The extra alcohol prevents the body from feeling too big and adds a little bit of sweetness. This is a beer to end the night - not start it. And be warned, if you drink too much, you may feel like you were assaulted by a goat. 

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Prost!