Craft dark beer: the Bock by Norah's Farm
VaiGustando's craft dark beer comes from the farm brewery of Norah's Farm, in Pedemontana Veneta: the low-fermentation N-BEER line in the Bock style, the German tradition of double-malt dark beers. On this page you'll find our selection — the Reckless Bock Beer, the only can in the selection, at 5,50 € — also available in the box of 4 cans at 19,00 € for those who want to save.
In the glass it's a Dunkel Bock: deep copper colour, a creamy, lasting, cream-coloured head, a full flavour of caramel and dried fruit, with a measured bitterness that supports the malt and a substantial strength (7% vol). From the same family of ambers and darks comes the MonfeneraBock too, an unfiltered and unpasteurised Chestnut Dunkel Bock that adds to the recipe 14% of marroni di Monfenera IGP flour: a chestnut double malt, autumnal and rooted in its territory, that closes the sip sweet yet dry, with the unmistakable hint of chestnut, at a more moderate strength (6,5% vol).
Dark beer: Bock and double malt at a glance
Our labels of Dark beer: Bock and double malt
The amber and dark beers by Norah's Farm available on VaiGustando, from the Pedemontana Veneta. Click on a can for the full details and to buy.
What Bock is: the style of double-malt dark beers
The Bock is a style of German dark beer with double malt: a strong, malty beer, traditionally low-fermentation — the yeasts work at low temperatures, between 7 and 9 °C, and settle at the bottom at the end of the process — the opposite of the high fermentation of ales such as weizen, blanche or hoppy ales. In the glass, Norah's Farm's Reckless Bock Beer shows a deep copper colour, with a creamy, lasting, cream-coloured head; the flavour is full, with notes of caramel and dried fruit, a measured bitterness that supports the malt and a slightly sweet finish, for a substantial strength of 7% vol.
Within the same family of ambers and darks, the MonfeneraBock reinterprets the style as a Chestnut Dunkel Bock: to the double-malt recipe it adds 14% of marroni di Monfenera IGP flour, the protected geographical indication chestnut grown right in the Pedemontana Veneta. Unfiltered and unpasteurised, it has the same deep copper colour as the Reckless but a more moderate strength (6,5% vol) and a finish that closes sweet yet dry, with the unmistakable hint of chestnut: the most autumnal and territory-driven beer of the entire Norah's Farm range.
Norah's Farm: the farm brewery of the Pedemontana Veneta
Norah's Farm is a farm in the Pedemontana Veneta, in the heart of Veneto, which alongside growing cereals runs a farm brewery where the N-BEER are born: low-fermentation craft beers, with the yeasts working between 7 and 9 °C. Full maturation takes at least 5-6 weeks, at the end of which the yeast residues settle at the bottom — hence the name of the fermentation.
The N-BEER are packaged in recyclable cans, light and able to protect the beer from light and oxidation, to best preserve the aromatic notes until opening. Locally sourced barley and wheat, no chemical additives, colourings or preservatives: the same philosophy of territory that, in the MonfeneraBock, reaches all the way to the chestnut, with the marroni di Monfenera IGP flour harvested right in the Pedemontana Veneta.
The profile in words: what to expect in the glass
The Reckless Bock Beer pours a deep copper, crowned by a creamy, lasting, cream-coloured head. The nose recalls caramel and dried fruit; on the palate it is full and enveloping, slightly fruity, with a measured bitterness that supports the malt and closes on a sweet note — a substantial profile, a sipping beer rather than a light all-meal one.
The MonfeneraBock shows the same deep copper and an equally creamy and lasting head, but nose and palate turn towards chestnut: to the dried fruit and the malt is added the hint of marroni di Monfenera IGP flour, which closes the sip sweet yet dry. Two bocks, a single warm and enveloping register: the Reckless more direct on the caramel, the MonfeneraBock more complex and autumnal, with the chestnut signing the finish.
Pairings: what to eat with a dark beer
To understand what to drink a dark beer with, it's best to start from the malt: these are Dunkel Bock-style beers, copper-coloured and full-bodied, with notes of caramel and dried fruit, a measured bitterness that supports the sweetness of the malt and a strength nearing 7 degrees. All this structure calls for equally substantial dishes: the malty richness and the alcoholic warmth stand up to red meats, slow cooking and smoked flavours, while the sweet notes of caramel and dried fruit converse with aged cheeses and, to end the meal, with chocolate. These are not beers for delicate dishes, which would smother them: they are at their best with winter cooking, hearty and flavourful, or on their own as a sipping beer. The MonfeneraBock, with the chestnut, has a marked autumnal vocation and pairs with the flavours of the season.
- Red meats, braises and slow cooking
- Game and smoked dishes
- Aged cheeses and blue cheeses
- Autumn and winter cooking: chestnuts, pumpkin, mushrooms
- Dark chocolate and dry pastries, to end the meal
In short: the Reckless Bock, powerful and caramelised, stands up to red meats and aged cheeses; the MonfeneraBock with Monfenera chestnuts is the beer of autumn and of quiet sipping, to be served not too cold (8-10°C) to release the malty notes.
How to serve and store dark beer
Serve the dark beer not too cold, between 8 and 10 °C: warmer than pale lagers or weizen, because excessive cold shuts down the notes of caramel and dried fruit that characterise the Bock style. Use a wide glass, such as a tulip or a stein, that lets the creamy head develop and concentrates the malty aromas.
Store the cans in the fridge, between +6 °C and +8 °C, away from heat sources: the can packaging, light and recyclable, already protects the beer from light and oxidation on its own. Once opened, it should be consumed the same day.
Price guide: single can or box of 4
The Reckless Bock Beer comes in a 0,44 l can at 5,50 €, or in the box of 4 cans at 19,00 €: a saving of 3,00 € compared to 4 cans bought individually (22,00 €).
The same family also includes the MonfeneraBock, the double malt with castagne di Monfenera IGP, at the same price of 5,50 € (0,44 l): it is not currently among the cans available in this selection, but it remains in the Norah's Farm catalogue for those looking for the most autumnal and territory-driven bock of the range. You'll find up-to-date prices and the buy button in the cards above.
More craft beers to discover
Keep exploring Norah's Farm's beers: the pale and blonde ones, wheat beers (Weizen and Blanche) and hoppy and special ones. Or browse all the craft beers.