If I'm honest I didn't know that this beer even existed. Pils? Yes. This? No (Also see this). 500mL can purchased at the LCBO in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Brought back to the USA. Judging by the reviews on beeradvocate this isn't available in the USA and is strictly a Canadian thing as far as North America goes. Standard golden clarity on the pour with initially a decent, highish, white head. Retention and lace aren't great. The nose offers a very straightforward, malty light skunk. Pretty...
Notes on beers in the style
Maibock / Helles Bock
Holsten
Low and Slow: Maibock
I love me a Maibock, and I love some Westbrook beers, so there's a lot of hope here. 16 oz can from Blue Ridge Beer Hub in Waynesville, NC. While I like the presentation, I'd like it better in a bottle. Humbug. Pour is a surprisingly, light=orange hazed body. Maibocks can take on all sorts of hues, but this one seems especially orange. Large, fluffy white head, some decent lace. Nose is a little hopper than I was anticipating. There's also a little more hop bite up front than I was hoping for....
Helles Bock
Light, but golden pour, slightly above average head, and some nice, sticky lace. For me, the lacing is crucial to a good Helles. Clean nose with some sweet bread and yeast. Tastes start with (more) clean, sweet, malt edges, that are followed by the requisite, Noble-hop like bitterness. I have no idea which specific hops are used in this beer, but the can does reference a “Noble hop spice’ which is accurate and utterly satisfying. The bitterness comes hard and breaks quickly - perfect. Short...
Hofbräu Maibock (Urbock)
12 oz single from Grassroots, Jacksonville, FL, USA. Quite a surprising orange color on the pour with very little head. The beer produces a very light film on the surface of the beer and no lace. It looks a little flat, but actually isn't once one tastes it. Extremely malty and musty nose. Lots of organic hay and and some degree of mustiness as well. The nose goes into the taste with a yeast based acidity being quite strong. Fruit notes peek through somewhat, but this a German based malt bomb...
Günther Bräu Bockbier
Given the number of reviews this is likely a relatively new entrant to the US market. I've certainly not seen it in the ATL market before now so it's certainly new here. 500 mL bottle from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Golden pour with a little haze. Head is above average and some attractive lace gets deposited on the Tûcher Weizen glass 0.5 L glass. Nose imparts a typical German yeast aroma and the tastes follow suit. Alcohol is well hidden and the beer gives a very pleasing...
30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken’s Bock
Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Blah, ultimately very disappointed consider the supposed gravity of this series. The biggest problem here was the carbonation and general life associated with the beer - in the end nothing but flat and dull. Pour was a surprisingly dark, mid-copper body with some large bubbles and a decent head. The problems started as the head faded, both quickly and badly. It left a brown; literally "dead" liquid in the glass which was flat and unappealing. All of this after a...
Golden Fleece Maibock
I love a good bock and was delighted to get this as part of my Easter Bunny package from PittBeerGirl - thanks! 12oz single. Pretty much a quintessential American example of the style for me. Nice golden color with a decent head and some good retention and lace. In addition we get a nice golden color (important for the style), and a decent alcohol warmth that does not get in the way of drinkability. Now of course, the beer does creep up on you come the end of the bottle so the alcohol is still...
Primátor Maibock
$2.99 for the 500 mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. The pour is a truly gorgeous golden color with good clarity and nice carbonation. Head is OK with some lace and a little retention. Color is really great. Nose reveals very little other than lots of rich, deep malt. Tastes reflect the nose but bring some dry character and a little alcohol. The dry character is quite a surprise by it merges well with the malts and produces quit a bit of depth. There seems to be some fruity notes...
Big Easy Imperial Maibock
12oz, $1.35 single from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Honey colored body with a nice white head but it lacks much retention or lace. Nose is surprisingly sharp with a sweet and sour elements and seems quite alcoholic - a bit odd. The tastes break-in with typical-for-the-style, musty yeast notes and some light funk which is the way that the sour bitterness sometimes manifests itself. Pretty straightforward with alcohol below the advertised 7.1%.
Maibock
Fresh brewed beer, 22 oz bottles now reaching GA. Purchased this one at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Request to have the beer un-retired in db made 03-07-10. Pour is an exquisite looking, beautiful red garnet color with a tan colored, rich head. Looks excellent with maximum red/copper highlights catching the sun. Nose and tastes combine in the way that they should for the style with a significant yeast not amongst the deep, repeating, rich malts. Very good depth of flavor. Tastes are caramel...
John John Dead Guy Ale
22 oz bottle from Smyrna World of Beverage. Around $8-9 for the privilege. Probably should have taken a closer look at the label here rather than just grabbing it, as I'm not a huge fan of either Dead Guy or barrel aging in general - ho hum. At first glance I wondered if this was another of those annoying Rogue habits where the beer get re-packaged and re-named. Apparently I'm in the clear. Beer seems slightly over-carbonated as I open the bottle. Creamy head sits a top of a light copper body...
Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Usual SN presentation. Delighted to find a new SN beer that does NOT fit squarely into the "large hopped IPA" category! Hooray. Classic pour with a high, if somewhat poorly retained head and little lace, on top of a great looking, golden body with tremendous clarity. Carbonation is perfect. Malts hold the hop bitterness together nicely. A beer that perfectly showcases the crisp, sharp, bitter metallic notes of the hops in the style. Bitterness...
Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock
Additional notes 08/17/22 (Pictured) I've always loved this beer with its copper colored clarity and well-defined, stylistically correct parameters. Malt lovers rejoice, as do those interested in clean beer, traditional and stylistically correct beers. Original notes 08/11/2009 Exceptional beer. On-tap at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA and many times from the bottle. I like the presentation, especially the glassware - classy and very German. Green color is attractive. Pour is a golden amber...
Gruffmeister 8
750 mL wine bottle bomber from Laura Alberts, Charleston, SC, USA. $7.50 for the mini-growler/bomber/wine bottle. Another of my favorite styles from another of my favorite brewers. Pour is a very distinct, clear golden body with a small amount of pure white head. Not much retention and a little lace. Smell is very boozy. Some nice malty notes too. Tastes reflect the nose. This drinks easily though, at least considering the presence of alcohol in the taste. To be honest I was getting nervous as...
LTD Series – 02
12 oz bottle as a single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Amber/Red?? I don't think so. Very attractive, deep golden body with a tight, white head and some lace. Carbonation is kept to a minimum, ale style. Mouthfeel is a little viscous with the alcohol popping through both in the taste and in the slightly slick feel in the mouth. A touch of caramel and definitely some honey. Some hop bitterness mingles with a fruity backdrop. Some malts come through as well, and there is plenty of sweetness...
Smuttynose Maibock (Big Beer Series)
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA a couple of weeks ago. Bottle conditioned in 2009; notched on the label. Pour is a quite distinct yellow, golden affair with some big, frothy head. Not a huge amount of lace but this is probably at least a small function of the ABV. It looks great in the Tucher Weizen, 500 mL glass - then again most beers do! Nose and tastes are surprisingly sweet with a hoppy back-end. I get some pineapple and other tropical fruits and this reminds me a little of a...
Mardi Gras Bock
Additional notes: 02/22/23 (pictured) Specifically went to Deer Park Irish Pub in Fort Wayne to drink this. The 2023 draft version seems a lot more "bock-like" than my notes from 2009 would suggest. Nice depth of flavor and that quaffable, mild sweetness and biscuity appeal. Nice balance of sweet and bitter and finishes strongly. Moreish, stylistically pleasing. Better than previously encountered. Original notes: 03/27/09 It's taken me a couple of years to get around to trying this, but here...
Andygator
Alright, I'm lost! Firstly take a read of my original review of the on-tap version of this beer from May 2007; http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3/1565/?ba=Ding In the BA database this has been categorized as Doppelbock (No), Barleywine (No) and now back to Dopplebock (??). Having done that, now consider this newly bottled version, $4.99 for the bomber from Tower on Piedmont, Atlanta, GA, USA. If it supposed to be a Dopplebock then the appearance is a zero; otherwise it looks good, I don't...
Hell’s Bock
Big thanks go out to brad007 for the chance to try this one. 22oz bomber into the Harpoon IPA glass. Slight chill haze on the light copper pour with a great looking high head and some minimal lace. Head fades quickly to leave some film on the surface. Nose is simply, malty and sweet with some reserved fruit tones in the background. Pretty much the same in the tastes with an additional twang of grapefruit and alcohol on the back end. As the beer warms it definitely gets increasingly hoppy....
Stoudt’s Blonde Double MaiBock
12oz single from Mac's Midtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. A little past its best before date, purchased as part of the $8.99 mixed sixer. Label different to the picture in the BA db. Aggressive pour leads to a nice formed, fluffy head with some really good lace. This sits on top of a golden body with excellent clarity. Carbonation is low, but perhaps a function of the beer being a little older than I would normally be drinking it. For some reason, the initial tastes remind me of a 1980's Whitbread...
Dundee Pale Bock Lager
Purchased as a 12oz single for $0.75 from the bargain trolley/cart at Arbor Place, Douglasville, GA, USA. Golden macro-lager colored body underneath a decent head. Head is short-lived but leaves impressive lace. Not bad looking at all. Aroma is a malty grain, but not very strong, distinguished or especially interesting. Tastes are simple. Balanced malts with some hop character and some sweetness. A creaminess to the mouthfeel, and also in the actual taste itself. Distinct and satisfying finish...
Red Brick Helles Bock
On-tap at Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA. $4.50 for the 16oz pour. Very attractive golden, orange hue that had good clarity, nice carbonation and a decent white head and some good lace. A close look at the body seems to reveal a little oily, viscous nature - more of that later. Taste is relatively crisp and refreshing, but ends with a surprisingly large alcohol taste. Not sure if it was actually the alcohol, or whether it was just a "taste" of alcohol. The mouthfeel is a bit viscous, and together...
Trader Joe’s Hofbrau Bock
Single 12oz from Trader Joe's, $1.00. A nice, well made beer, and great value too. 22 IBU according to the label. Very attracive, dark golden body with plenty of head and some lovely lace. Good carbonation. Very nice, sweet malty aroma. A little grassy hop and malt, all pulled together with a surprisingly big alcohol bite in the finish. A very well put together little beer, that has a very smooth and substantial, creamy mouthfeel. In summary, impressive and a really nice example of the...
Andygator
Part of the $5.95 sampler at Wild Wing Cafe, Marietta, GA, USA. Errr...Doppelbock - NO. (Subsequently changed in the BA database to read American Barleywine....errr...NO!) Straw colored lager looking pour with some creamy white head. Looks OK. Aroma is non-descript and the taste seems to be a cross between a relatively high ABV Malt Liquor and a sweet Pilsner without the hop bite. Quite creamy in the mouth. Pretty drinkable, but God only knows what this is supposed to be; Doppelbock or...
Heller Hound Bock Beer
12 oz single, Jax, Sandy Spings, Atlanta, GA, USA. First time I have seen this in Atlanta in several years, despite the multitude of other Flying Dog brews we get here. Very bright, seriously golden pour with some good head and a little lacing. Lots of clarity - good carbonation. Much lighter color than most Bocks, but I think this is a reflection of the Maibock style rather than this beer in particular. Very flavorful and fragrant nose. Lots of sweet malts and a grassy hop smell. Very smooth....
Maifest
=== Updated Review 12/10 === Thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this beer again. Over five years later the label has changed (different color and now with a neck band commemorating Schell's 150th Anniversary) but the beer is much the same as the notes below. Still so significant alcohol and a disappointing head, but also still strangely drinkable with some good malts and decent flavor depth. === Original Review 09/05 === "Blonde" Doppelbock always seems to me to be a contradiction of...
Dead Guy Ale
$1.49 per bottle as apart of mixed six-pack from World Market, Marietta, GA. To me, Rogue beers seem to be consistently over-rated. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them, but I am consistently expecting more from them. This brew pours a cloudy orange color with absolutely no head. As hoppy as ever for Rogue, that, together with the color and the "flatness", reminded me of a classic cask-conditioned English ale. It was very rounded and full flavored in the mouth - a nice experience. Finished quite...