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The last in my series spun from this year’s Bokbierfestival programme. It’s a much shorter set than the others, with only 11 examples. Ten really, as one is just the 2014 of the same beer, Duits & Lauret Rook Dubbelbock.

Mommeriete and Zeeburg are the only to that were bottom-fermented. Which struck me as odd. Surely Brand can't be top-fermented, s the programme claims?

I have to start off with the term Dubbelbock itself. It’s a mix of Dutch and German. Proper Dutch would be Dubbelbok, proper German Doppelbock. You’ll note that none of the beers below uses either. I can only think of one explanation. Everyone is copying the name of Brand Dubbelbgock, the first beer of this type brewed in Holland.

According to the German definition, a Doppelbock should have a minimum OG of 18º Plato. Something all the beers in the table managed, except for Duits & Lauret and Bijdehand. With a gravity of 26º Plato, Emelisse have some justification for tacking on an Imperial to their beer’s name. It has the highest OG and highest ABV of any of the beers at this year’s festival.

A quick comparison with my other two categories is illuminating. Unsurprisingly the average OG of the Dubbelbocks is easily the highest. More surprisingly, it’s FG is only slightly higher, giving it this group the highest degree of attenuation. Not what I would have guessed at all.

That Dubbelbock is both darker and more bitter on average makes lots of sense. Though there is considerable variation amongst the individual beers for both. Which means I’m not sure you can read too much into the averages.

Time for the tables.

type OG Plato FG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation Colour (EBC) bitterness (EBU)
top-fermenters 17.17 3.90 7.18 78.64% 67.6 30.7
bottom-fermenters 16.83 4.20 6.86 76.37% 54.2 30.4
Dubbelbock 19.2 4.30 8.33 79.31% 71.8 35.5

2015 Dutch Duppelbock
Year Brewer Beer OG Plato FG Plato ABV App. Atten-uation Colour (EBC) bitterness (EBU)
2015 Pelgrim Pelgrim Dubbelbock 19.3 2.94 9.00 85.71% 95 30
2015 De Lepelaer (H) Beemster Dubbelbock 18 3.35 8.00 82.44% 40 75
2015 Bijdehand (H) Provenier Dubbelbock 17.8 3.50 7.80 81.40% 80 25
2014 Duits & Lauret Rook Dubbelbock 2014 18.0 4.08 7.60 78.52% 70 27
2015 Brand Brand Dubbelbock 18.0 4.27 7.50 77.50% 65 27
2015 Emelisse Emelisse Imperial Dobbel-bock 26.0 6.78 11.00 75.77% 45 45
2015 Duits & Lauret Rook Dubbelbock 17.5 60 28
2015 Molenduyn (H) Dubbelbock 85 36
2015 Reuzenbieren (H) ReuZ Dubbelbock 100 35
2015 Mommeriete Gramsbarger Dubbelbock 18 4.27 7.50 77.50% 65 38
2015 Zeeburg (H) Zeeburg Dubbelbock 20 5.17 8.20 75.62% 85 25
Average 19.2 4.30 8.33 79.31% 71.8 35.5
Source:
Bokbierfestival programme 2015, pages 24 - 28.

Maybe I’ll be arsed to do the foreign Bocks.

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