Doppelbock is, and will always be, one of my very favorite beer styles of all time. When it’s well done, this hefty, malty German lager goes down so smoothly and effortlessly that it’s all too easy to down an entire pint before the alcohol has a chance to settle in. Drink with joy, but drink with caution.
Traditionally brewed with enough lead time to be ready for Lent, Doppelbock is said to have served as the liquid bread of fasting monks in the weeks leading up to Easter, though I can’t imagine drinking Doppelbock on an empty stomach! Whether you’re preparing for your own fast or just want to have a keg of extra-strength bock ready to go come the spring thaw, now is the time to plan your Doppelbock.
The bulk of any bock’s grain bill is good German Munich malt, and Doppelbock is no exception. All-grain brewers have no shortage of excellent malt choices, but extract brewers will want to mainly stick to the many excellent Munich extracts now available. Specialty malts are best kept to a minimum, with perhaps a bit of caramel malt and roasted malt to round things out. A decoction mash traditionally delivers additional complexity, but a touch of melanoidin malt is a great time saver at which only the most devoted of purists will scoff.