Java Bock

Java Bock is arguably one of the most extraordinary beers in the Heineken archive — a full-strength Dutch-style Bockbier brewed in the tropical heat of Surabaya, Dutch East Indies, from 1931. Strong, dark and malt-rich bock beer had no obvious place in a tropical climate, yet the Nederlandsch-Indische Bierbrouwerij added it to the range shortly after the brewery's November 1931 opening — presumably serving the Dutch colonial community's demand for the seasonal bock tradition they knew from home. The brewery's innovative Nathan closed brewing system and later the installation of a proper lager cellar made cold-conditioning possible even in the tropics. Dutch bock tradition required four months of maturation — a demanding proposition in equatorial conditions. In 1935 Heineken acquired majority control and in 1937 the Java range was retired as the brewery adopted the Heineken brand identity. The Java Bock thus represents one of the most geographically improbable beers ever produced under the Heineken umbrella.