Hacker-Pschorr
Weisse Bock
Review Date 8/5/2000
Try?
Re-buy?
Weisse Bock, or Weizen bock, is more a wheat beer than a bock. Wheat beers
are generally ales while bocks are generally lagers; this brew is an ale and
is bottle conditioned. Though I have enjoyed the more readily available
Aventinus in the past, as well as Kuchlbauer’s Aloyisius and Erdinger’s
Pikantus, Hacker-Pschorr’s Weisse Bock had always managed to elude
me. Earlier this year while dining at Ludwig’s Garten, a famous German
restaurant in Philadelphia, I spied this beer on the draft menu and
immediately ordered a glass. What was brought before me was instead their
standard hefeweizen. When I informed the waiter this was not the beer I had
ordered, he informed me that they had run out of the Weisse Bock. So close,
yet so far.
Today, however, was to be my day. It almost wasn’t. As I perused the countless import selections at Yankee Wine and Spirits in Attleboro, Massachusetts, this beer didn’t really stand out from the rest of the Hacker Pschorr line. Something called me closer, however, some higher power, Ninkasi the beer goddess pulling me towards my destiny. There on the shelf were ten bottles of this brew. I looked at the price tag on the shelf. $1.39 per 16-ounce bottle. I rubbed my eyes. Surely this couldn’t be true. But it was. All 10 bottles went into my cart.
Upon arriving home, I pour my newly acquired treasure in my neat Erdinger Weizenbock glass. The beer pours to a murky orange-caramel color, upon which quickly forms a tremendous head of rocky foam. I analyze the nose next. Incredible amounts of apple pie and pear aromas leap from the top of the glass. Now for the first sip. Egad! There’s a rich, chewy malt character here that’s not hinted at in the nose at all, mixed with notes of chocolate, clove, and touches of the pear and apple fruitiness. The finish is warm and full of alcohol; this is indeed a potent brew. There’s a tart wheat element there as well.
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Bock is a rich and powerful brew, with enough flavor to match well against any dish. I enjoyed it with roast chicken, au gratin potatoes and cauliflower in cheese sauce. The alcohol and tartness would lend it to pairing with dishes prepared in cream sauces as well.
Today, however, was to be my day. It almost wasn’t. As I perused the countless import selections at Yankee Wine and Spirits in Attleboro, Massachusetts, this beer didn’t really stand out from the rest of the Hacker Pschorr line. Something called me closer, however, some higher power, Ninkasi the beer goddess pulling me towards my destiny. There on the shelf were ten bottles of this brew. I looked at the price tag on the shelf. $1.39 per 16-ounce bottle. I rubbed my eyes. Surely this couldn’t be true. But it was. All 10 bottles went into my cart.
Upon arriving home, I pour my newly acquired treasure in my neat Erdinger Weizenbock glass. The beer pours to a murky orange-caramel color, upon which quickly forms a tremendous head of rocky foam. I analyze the nose next. Incredible amounts of apple pie and pear aromas leap from the top of the glass. Now for the first sip. Egad! There’s a rich, chewy malt character here that’s not hinted at in the nose at all, mixed with notes of chocolate, clove, and touches of the pear and apple fruitiness. The finish is warm and full of alcohol; this is indeed a potent brew. There’s a tart wheat element there as well.
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Bock is a rich and powerful brew, with enough flavor to match well against any dish. I enjoyed it with roast chicken, au gratin potatoes and cauliflower in cheese sauce. The alcohol and tartness would lend it to pairing with dishes prepared in cream sauces as well.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
