

Beer Man: Tasty Stock Ale joins Berghoff's lineup

Todd Haefer
The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent
Berghoff Oak-Aged Stock Ale from Stevens Point Brewery, of Stevens Point, Wis., is 10% ABV.


This week: Berghoff Oak-Aged Stock Ale

Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, Wis.

Berghoff has had a rocky history, mostly due to not having had its own brewery for a couple of decades. It's a situation where its quality has gone up and down or recipes have changed depending on its current situation.

It started out as a brewery in Indiana in 1887 and its beers became famous in Chicago when the family opened the Berghoff Restaurant there a few years later. Since then, the brewery has been owned by the Falstaff, Walter and Huber breweries, before the brand was bought by General Beverage Distributors of Wisconsin in 1994.

I was a big fan of Berghoff Bock in the 1980s, when it was made by Huber, though it was an on-off relationship. One year it would be delicious; the next year lighter, less malty and less flavorful. I got the impression its recipe was traded back and forth, because in the off years, Huber Bock would taste the same as the previous year's Berghoff Bock.

However, a renewed campaign in the past year has revitalized and stabilized the Berghoff brand. Its beers are now made at the Stevens Point Brewery and Berghoff's Dortwunder and Sir Dunkle Dark recently won gold medals during the World Beer Championships. It's good to see that it is still committed to its German roots.

However, Stock Ale is a step out of the German box for Berghoff, and a successful one. Despite its strength, it's an extremely smooth amber-colored beer with a pleasant mix of flavors. There are notes of raisins, dates and caramel in the malt flavor, toffee and molasses from the brown sugar, and oak and vanilla from the chips.

Unlike a lot of stock ales, Berghoff's version remains relatively light on the palate, although that doesn't mean it's thin or watery. There are no harsh aspects to the beer and it seems to be aged long enough to blend the flavors properly.

It uses a mix of American, English and German hops to great effect — American for the bitterness, English and German for the taste and aroma. What surprised me was its International Bitterness Unit of 80, which is extremely high. I did not get any indication of that much bitterness from the beer. It was enough to counter the sweet malts and the high 10% ABV, no more.

Berghoff beers are available in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin; the Stock Ale is a limited edition.
