i lagered this beer back in february and have been enjoying it since tapping the keg on the first day of spring. online research indicates that germans would often make bock beers to be enjoyed in the spring time on special occasions such as easter. bockfests are prevalent, and apparently a tradition at these events is to "poke" your beer. poking a beer consists of heating a iron poker red-hot on wood coals and sticking it in your beer.
what happens is the heat from the poker caramelizes the beer, causing it to fizz up. the video doesn't look like much, but if you listen closely you can hear the beer churning in the glass. the foam is warm and the beer is cool and sweet. poked or unpoked, this is easily the best beer i've made.
