Ramstein Maibock

Brewed by High Point Brewing Company
Style: Heller Bock
Butler, New Jersey USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Stein

I wish I could have more appreciation for this style. Very floral nose, or perhaps more garden-y, almost. Not as much lilac as, like, a fresh salad or something. The same notes in the taste underly a strong biscuity roundness, and the beer is very drinkable. Sampled from a hand-bottled bomber provided by Dickinson beer at RB CL gathering.

12oz handbottle, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a hazy, orange-amber color; thin line of off-white bubbles at the perimeter. Pleasant, dried fruit and candy sugar aroma; reasonably dense and chewy. Light carbonation. Medium-to-full, velvety mouthfeel: sugary and dense dried fruit maltiness; some toasty vanilla and light citrus; excellent taste and density for a maibock. Lengthy, candy sugar and lightly bitter finish.

Handbottle from dickinsonbeer. Hazy amber body with a tiny off-white head. The aroma is cotton candy, honey, dough, raisins and very light herbal hops. The flavor is lightly sweet, cotton candy, slightly fruits (golden) and light caramel. Medium/light body is soft, round and lightly carbonated. Very nice stuff. Thanks Paul.

Thanks to hophead for the handbottle. Pours a copper brown with a thin offwhite head. The nose is malty, sweet, earthy, bready, light hop aroma. The flavor is really malty, crisp, light waxy bite, bready sweet malt, earthy. The mouthfeel is crisp and still carbonated a light waxy feel from the hops and it finishes with a little grain.

I liked this beer more than the Heartland Maibock, frankly. Less harsh alcohol taste. In fact, the Ramstein’s alcohol is virtually undetectable. Not terribly malty and somewhat innucuous, IMHO. I have no idea why it’s rated so highly, although I love Ramstein as much as the next guy. On tap at The Gate (Brooklyn).

04.29.06 TAPNY, but this is not my first sample of this excellent maibock. Like the Eisbock, this beer from High Point is highly anticipated and consistently outstanding. Unfortunately, it’s just about impossible to get your hands on outside of North Jersey or a couple of select pubs (none of which are EVER at the Jersey Shore). The aroma is one that returns memories of great experiences, those being previous opportunities to sample this very beer. Full of sweet-tart apple aromas and flavor enhanced with vanilla, tropical fruits, and a milky sweetness that lasts throughout. This may be the first time I’ve used ’milky sweetness’ but it truly is that -- sweet like whole milk, almost creamy, and yet never becoming cloying -- it’s not a sugary sweetness. The finish is all malt with the pilsner coming through in a glorious bite of grasses and herbs, touch acid-tart. Lovely beer.

Growler from Big Z’s. Pours a deep burnt orange with a small white head. Aroma of bready lager malt and some sweet fruits. Flavor of sweet malt, a touch of cardboard, and bready malts. A little sweet and on the bland side. Not bad just uninteresting. 7/4/6/3/13 (3.3/5)

On tap at the Mad Mex in West Philly. Clear brown-orange with a slim white head; leaves lace. Lemon wheat with light pear-apple malts. Smooth, medium light, a bit of carb, sorta sticky. Faint sour lager develops a nice sweetness reminiscent of carrot juice. Bready drying with slight metallic. Solid stuff.