Wise-Up to Weizen bock

As fall’s beer lists start to tip toward malty märzens,altbier, and (perilously) “pumpkin spice” anything, we’d like to tip you to a style that’s too often overlooked: weizen bock. A kind of strong German wheat beer, Weizen bocks deliver pleasing, versatile flavors that can’t be beat with bratwurst. And with a bit of added kick in the booze dept., you’ll definitely feel its warming effect on a chilly night. 

Like many traditional German ‘weiss’ (‘wheat’) beers, weizen bocks tend to waft aromas of of fall fruits like apple and pear, and taste of caramel, clove, vanilla, honey, and maybe a bit of banana bread. Hops? They’re hardly detectable (though certainly present). In this age of IPA-everywhere, it’s refreshing to tip back a cold mug that doesn’t overwhelm the palate with citrus-y bitterness. 

Victory Moonglow Weizen Bock (8.7%abv) 
Victory founder and brewmaster Bill Covaleski excels in German styles with subtle New World flourishes. The spicy, warming Moonglow, sold in 35 U.S. states, comes in 12 oz. 4-packs. Use Victory’s Beerfinder to find a retailer.

Weihenstephaner Vitus (7.7%abv)
From the oldest commercial brewery in the world—which is also a Bavarian brewing university —comes this paragon of the style. Expect pleasant flavors of spice, banana, malt, and even a hint of bubblegum. That’s the weiss yeast talking. Listen up.

Trou Du Diable Shawinigan Handshake (6.5%abv)
Hailing from Quebec is this complex, peachy, lighter interpretation of weizen bock, which blends flavors of floral hops, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey in a highly effervescent brew.