Meer over Bock
Which bok are you looking for?
- Dutch bok: 'bok' or 'bock' may go on the label if the original extract of the wort, the wort before fermentation, is above 15%. The law says nothing about colour, yeast or season. That is why the Netherlands has both bottom- and top-fermented bokken: in a 1995 PINT study, 16 of the 33 Dutch bokbieren were top-fermented.
- Dunkles bock: the classic dark German bock. Bready and toasty, sometimes with dark caramel, not sticky sweet and without roasted notes.
- Meibock, in the Netherlands also meibok or lentebok: golden, with more hop and a fairly dry finish. A spring beer.
- Doppelbock: richer, fuller and stronger, usually 7–10%.
- Eisbock: frozen, after which the ice is removed, so that flavour and alcohol are concentrated; 9–14%.
Bokbier season
Dutch brewers release their bok at the start of autumn. That habit is fairly recent: around 1980, according to PINT, bokbier only came onto the market on 6 December, and that date has been brought forward ever since (more in the Beer School on bock). The German meibock, on the other hand, belongs to spring, and in Germany bock beer is not legally a seasonal beer.
What you'll find at Hoptimaal
Mostly Dutch bokken. Breweries you'll come across here: Frontaal, Walhalla, Kaapse Brouwers, De Kromme Haring, Rock City, Guilty Monkey, Berghoeve, Big Belly, Gooische Bierbrouwerij and Brouwerij Kees. For every beer you see the current Untappd score.
Serving
A good starting point: 7–10 °C in a tulip glass. A meibock can also go in a goblet, at 7–13 °C. If you like dark, malty beers, also take a look at dubbel and quadrupel.
Buy bokbier at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal you buy bokbier online or in our shop at Leeghwater 5 in Amersfoort. Here you'll mostly find bokken from Dutch brewers, from herfstbok to doppelbock, and you order them one bottle at a time. On Dutch labels it says bok or bock; in Germany it is called Bockbier. Order before 3 pm on working days and we ship the same day. Shipping within the Netherlands is free from €75.
Order a regular bok and a doppelbock and taste them side by side. A doppelbock is richer, fuller and stronger, and you taste that difference straight away.
Frequently asked questions
Is bokbier always dark?
No. A meibock is golden, there are blond doppelbocks, and Dutch law sets no requirements for colour. According to PINT, a colour requirement of 40 EBC did apply in the past, but it was dropped when blond meibokken appeared.
Is a Dutch bok the same as a German bock?
Not necessarily. The German bock styles are lagers, and in Germany 'Bockbier' must have an original extract of at least 16% (that is not an alcohol percentage). In the Netherlands, above 15% is enough and the fermentation method is free, so there are also top-fermented bokken.
Is a doppelbock twice as strong as a bok?
No. According to the BJCP, a dark bock has 6.3–7.2% alcohol and a doppelbock 7–10%. 'Doppel' says it is heavier, not that it is twice as strong. More in the Beer School on bock.
How strong is bokbier?
The name doesn't tell you: Dutch law looks at the original extract of the wort (above 15%), not at alcohol. A German bock usually has 6.3–7.4%, a doppelbock 7–10%. So check the percentage on each beer.
