Privatbrauerei Bischoff - Doppelbock

Recognized with a Silver Medal/Highly Recommended rating by the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2006, and a Silver Medal at the 2006 World Beer Championships, this double bock (doppelbock) has won over quite a few fans. Let's get right to it, shall we? The beer pours a rich, clear amber color with garnet highlights when held to the light. Give it a good high pour to fully bring out the lightly caramelized meringue-toned head. After a moment to let it settle down, take in the aroma. Expect honeyed, ripe red apples and a touch of grapes on the nose, with a sweet-dough note and a touch of the traditional German yeast mustiness. This beer stood out among our beer panelists because it asserts its own unique personality. Some might say it has a bit more of a schwarzbier-like nose than traditional doppelbock, but this is within the permitted profile for the style. Also on the nose, look for juicy, chewy, sweet malts and a slight hint of blonde tobacco. On the palate, the beer goes down a little edgier than many doppelbocks (which often run very sweet and smooth), with an assertive carbonation level and an overall flavor that lands a bit on the bitter side, which helps stave what might otherwise have become a cloying sweetness that some doppelbocks suffer from. Expect to also pick up some alcohol notes, which contribute a little more bite and edge. A pretty complex array of flavors develops as it warms. There's a pleasantly fruity character which provides notes of apples and grapes, as well as rum-soaked raisins, rye, and a ghost-like juniper note. Look for a late-breaking, sweet coffee-like note toward the finish (think Viennese coffee). Notice that the hops are also a bit more present in the finish than is typical for the style, but they nicely help bitter things up and contribute a slightly grassy character along with the slightest hint of lemon-peel/zest. Overall, this beer's got a nice kick to it and an assertive, somewhat rebel character. And it's not afraid to show it… Be sure to put a bottle or two aside—this will age quite nicely (try 12-18 months, kept at cellar temperatures (45-50°F)).

Most of the "oldest" U.S. craft-brewed beers in production today aren't even 40 years old yet. The vast majority of domestic craft-breweries are less than 25 years old. Contrast this with our featured international brewery, which turns 142 this year. Yeah, they've had some time to get the whole brewing thing down pat… The Privatbrauerei Bischoff is located in a region of Germany known as Nordpfalz, part of the area commonly referred to as the Palatinate (Pfalz is German for Palatinate). The area is home to Germany's largest coherent forest—and is well-regarded for its attractive natural landscape, including the dominating Donnersberg ("Thunder Mountain") which marks the region's highest point. Privatbrauerei Bischoff resides in the town of Winnweiler. This area of the Palatinate has a significantly cooler climate than that found just north; whereas grapevines and German vintners thrive along the northerly Deutsche Weinstrasse (German Wine Route), this territory is better known for its barley farmers and traditionalist maltsters (not to mention beer!) The region's natural resources provide crystal-clear spring water which is used in all of the brewery's beers. It is this water, along with locally-grown barley, regional hops and yeast sourced from the famed banks of Weihenstephan that have been used by five generations of Bischoff family brewers. Back on December 7, 1866, when this area was still a part of Bavaria, Christian Bischoff poured the first commercial batch of Bischoff beer. Through the generations, his establishment has been the only Nordpfalz brewery to have remained in the same family since its founding. From the time of its humble beginnings in a small converted barn-turned-brewery, Christian's descendants have repeatedly updated Privatbrauerei Bischoff's brewing equipment and expanded their lineup of beers. In 2001, his great-great-grandsons, Drs. Sven and Erik Bischoff, joined the team. The brewery marked its 140th birthday with an impressive cache of prizes awarded by the prestigious DLG Test Center, Germany's independent drinks and food testing society: 2 Gold and 3 Silver Prizes. The DLG's 2006 competition saw 552 beer entries from no less than 158 international breweries. Unlike most formal competitions, DLG's testing & evaluation subjects entrants to stringent laboratory tests in addition to the typical sensory appraisals. Yes, they take their beer VERY seriously in Germany… Presently, the brewery has an impressive line up of 17 beers. Unfortunately, we can't bring them all to your door, but we did pick two of our favorites for this month's international features. Prost! For more information about the brewery (in German only), check out their website at www.bischoff-bier.de.