Maumee Bay Blitzen Ale

Brewed by Maumee Bay Brewing Co. & Restaurant
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Toledo, Ohio USA

Sampler at brewpub. Poured brown color with small head. Good spicy nutmeg, cinnamon and honey aroma. Medium body. Moderate sweet spice flavor with an average finish. Interesting brew.

14 oz glass at the brewpub. Clear dark maple/walnut with no head...light honey-sweet nose with undercurrents of fresh spruce...piney accents are first noticed by the tongue, followed by honeyed orange marmalade and a big cinnamon/nutmeg pie spiciness at the finish...very low carbonation, too syrupy, but interesting if over-the-top.

2005 Bottle bought in Toledo and served in my La Choufee tulip: Display a bright mahogany hue topped by a lasting frothy beige head and good lacing. The nose detected cinnamon, clove, allspice, caramelized malt, earthy yeast esters, and heavy oxidation. The flavor is mostly moderate spice blended over sweet bread and grainy malts. The finish is lingering allspice and XMAS fruit cake (with notes of plum and apple). The feel is very soft and smooth. Really, a surprise for this beer offered a mild complexity without being overpowering on any front. Sort of Olde Ale meets Spiced beer thing. I enjoyed it enough to easily finish the bomber bottle in no time.

From 22-oz bomber, received from Secret Santa ’08, pours a dark copper amber brew with a thin off-white head that slowly dissipates to a thin ring and film top. Spotty lacing on glass side. Aroma of candi sugar, orange jelly, a hint of honey, cinnamon and caramel malt. Taste is medium bodied, with flavors of holiday spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of caramel malt, flowery hops and some orange zest. Finish is semi-sweet is a fruity aftertaste that slowly disappears.

Another from Skyview. Some malt. I expected more spice, and there is a little, but mostly very light cinnamon and a little citrus. Brown color.

2007 bottle: This beer pours a clear dark amber color with a thin light beige head that recedes quickly. Minimal lacing. Aroma of sweet spices and fruit with some vinegar in the background. Medium body with flavors of cinnamon, tart fruit and again a light vinegar taste behind it all. The finish is short and sweet with a mildly spiced aftertaste. My guess is the beer does not hold up very well despite only being a year old. Slightly below average overall.

Nice nose, good spices, odd palate. A curious little beer that offers some nice flavors and a good holiday drinking experience. Thanks Skyview.

Rating #4 for this beer.
. . . . . . . . . .

2005 Vintage

12/31/2006: I picked up a bottle of this earlier in the year with the intention of drinking it on Christmas. However, I was sick over the long Christmas weekend so I never got around to having it. So, what better time than now, New Year’s Eve?! -- Blitzen pours a clear, acorn brown color with a thin off-white crown and a moderate amount of carbonation. The aroma is earthy with hints of something sweet, fruity, and spicy in the background. The flavor is earthy and vegetable-like with some spiciness and alcohol. There is also some carboard in the taste. The finish has a medicinal-like quality. This beer has a medium-light body and feels overly carbonated in the mouth. Overall I think this beer is well past its prime and severely oxidized. It looks okay, but it does not really smell or taste good at this point (I’m having a hard time drinking enough of it to finish this rating)! Unfortunately, this one is going down the drain...

22 fl oz bottle, $3.19+tax from Joseph’s Beverage Center in Toledo, Ohio. Score: 1/3/1/2/1=1.8
. . . . . . . . . .

2008 Vintage

12/21/2008: Maumee Bay Blitzen Ale... Appearance: Dirty copper-amber color with flaky sediment; foamy ivory-colored head. Aroma: Sugary, caramelized malts, dusting of cinnamon, a little butter; herbal and floral hoppiness. Flavor: Cinnamon, honey sweetness, lightly caramelized malts, burnt sugar; balanced; herbal and floral hoppiness; aftertaste reminds me of fruitcake with dried orange and spices. Overall: Reminds me of a Pumpkin Ale; this bottle is much better than the 2005 I had at the end of 2006; this bottle was not a drain pour!

22 fl. oz. bottle from The Anderson’s General Store in Maumee, Ohio. Total Score = 3.1