Smuttynose Maibock

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Heller Bock
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Stein

22oz bomber. Pours golden with slight orange hue and medium-sized white head. The aroma is grainy and malty with a nice bit of sweetness and a subtle perfumy noble hop quality. The flavor is malty and delicate - a touch of grainy pilsener malt and a nice balancing punch of noble hops in the finish - distinctly "pilsener" bitterness (like hallertauer or saaz?). The finish is medium - balanced between dry and full - with a nice lingering combo of grainy malts and that wonderful bitterness. The mouthfeel is full and nicely carbonated. It feels luscious - like the big-ass European lager that it is. Overall, pretty nice and very good considering the hot weather we had here today. A pleasure to drink - a very nice example of a maibock.

Drank as a consolation beer after Ernesto987 broke the top of a bottle of FFF Gorch Fock which dropped glass shards into the beer. This was a malty tripelesque lager with a very earthy hay like malt body and a light hopping. Decent I suppose.

Soft citrus and yeast aroma. Thick two finger head. Creamy yellow haze. Sour tangy taste with some bitterness in the middle. Can sense a hint of alcohol warm down the throat.Clean finish and refreshing.

Big malty hopless lager. It’s pretty rich in flavors. I think it’s alright. Not bad.

The aroma is grains, pale malt and slightly perfumed. The flavor is similar to the aroma with a bit of alcohol in there. Not my favorite style, this was good but similar to others in the style, I just don’t care for bocks that use pale malt only.

Belle couleur dorée tirant doucement vers le orange brûlé. Au nez c’est très semblable à un barleywine anglais avec des notes de sucre d’orge. Ya vraiment quelque chose de typiquement Smuttynose dans son corps, robuste presque sirupeux mais extrêmement délicat sur la langue dû également à une effervescence parfaitement calibré. Même à 7.7%, je la déguste tranquillement comme une bière beaucoup plus grosse. Le profil malté est bien complété par une très légère morsure houblonnée.

Bottle. Light to moderate malt note of grain, light hebs and flowers for the hops, faint soap for the yeast, with apple, white wine, honey and a hint of medicine in the background. Head is large, frothy, white with fair lacing and is mostly lasting. Color is slightly hazy, light amber. Flavor starts lightly to moderately sweet and lightly acidic, then finishes lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic and moderately bitter. Palate is on the lighter side of medium, and little slick with a lively carbonation and a lightly alcoholic finish. Although very light in aroma, the flavor is quite bold. A perfect to style Heller Bock.

I am developing a taste for this style. The aroma was citrus and heavy malt. Appearance as advertised; a hazy gold with white head that lasts and laces well. The taste was excellent, almost that of an English pale but far heavier - loved that it is not extra hopped or overly tampered. The palate leaves a distinct citrus flalvor but manages to mingle well with the malts. The carbonation is perfect. Not too bitter. Overall it is a style I am new to but due to the recent trials with this type it is one I will continue to delve into. This and the Rogue are keepers for sure..... but I nod to the Rogue

GABF 2011. Hazy bright gold with a dense lasting white head. Nice toffee forward aroma with biscuit and pale malt, a bit of sugary esters as well. Biscuity pale malt flavor. Full body, mild sweetness, but nothing much going on to me.