Roggenbier is a historical rye beer style that hails from Bavaria. Although it is rarely produced these days, it was commonly brewed before the introduction of the German Beer Purity Law in 1516. The law said that only water, barley, and hops might be used to brew beer, creating unfavorable conditions for rye beers, which mainly disappeared after that.
The style was reintroduced in Germany sometime in the 1980s. Although it is not available on a wider scale, some breweries offer it as a standard or a seasonal label. Roggenbier is a beer style in which malted rye is dominant or makes at least 50%.
Rye beers are typically dark and medium to full-bodied.
Maibock is a Bavarian lager style that first appeared as a special brew to celebrate the beginning of the garden season—hence the name Mai, which translates as May. Falling in the category of Bock styles, these golden to light amber beers usually have a medium body, clean and smooth malt flavors, and grainy, lightly toasted aromas with hints of spices and herbs.
They typically range from 6 to 8 % ABV, and they tend to be drier and have more pronounced hop flavors and aromas than other Bocks. Maibock is meant to be a transitional style that falls somewhere between rich winter brews and light summer versions.
Eisbock is the strongest beer style that falls in the category of bock beers (bockbier). This beer style is primarily brewed as doppelbock, but then it undergoes freeze distillation—in which the water is partially frozen and then removed.
The final result is a brew with more concentrated flavors and a higher concentration of alcohol. Most eisbock beers are clear, and they may range from red to dark brown. Although they always have high alcohol content, usually between 9 to 14% ABV, the alcohol should never be harsh or overpowering.
Rauchbier is a German beer style that is associated with Franconia and the city of Bamberg. Translated as smoked beer, the style is made with smoked malt, and it initially appeared in the 14th century. At the time, using smoked malt was the standard, but the invention of drum kiln, which allowed for the malt to be dried without the exposure to the open flame, became the preferred technique in the 1880s.
However, the tradition remained in Bamberg, where the brewers stuck to the old tradition of producing beers with distinctive smoky elements. Nowadays, the style is almost synonymous with two Bamberg-based breweries: Schlenkerla and Spezial. These amber lagers are usually clean and clear with medium hop bitterness, while the aromas and flavors include a combination of smoke and malt.
Along with ale, lager is one of the two main beer categories, and in terms of production, it is the most common beer style in the world. The main distinction between lagers and ales depends on the type of yeast. Lagers use Saccharomyces pastorianus, generally known as bottom-fermenting yeasts, which ferment more slowly and at cooler temperatures than ale yeasts.
However, there are several exceptions to the rule, and some beer styles don’t necessarily fit in one category. Lagers come in a wide variety of styles, which differ in color, alcohol content, and flavors, but they tend to have a cleaner and crispier character than ales.
VARIATIONS OF Lager
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