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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> General Forum --> Homebrewed Beer Reviews --> Maibock by Stonehands

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homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


I'm quite excited to get my hands on two of these.  Rob has an excellent reputation with German lagers (and the NHC awards to back it up).  His beers range from good to "why the heck to I even bother brewing anymore?" level amazing.

With that said, he's usually very humble about his brews.  "That one's pretty good," is usually the most he'll say, and he'll then nitpick some point that literally nobody else can detect.  

This Maibock, though, is one he's excited about.  He has mentioned that he thinks it is really good, and he requested today when he gave them to me that I drink one tonight if I can.  Hey, I'm happy to oblige!

One disclaimer: I have never had a Maibock before.  So...


Bottle: fill level is a tad low, probably because Rob is being stingy with this beer.  ;)  I get a very nice hiss upon opening.  

Appearance: pours a beautiful deep gold, perfectly transparent, into my Epcot souvenir stein.  I get three fingers of soft, fluffy cream colored foam.  Tons of tiny bubbles continually race up the inside of the glass.  Head is persistent, receding very slowly; leaves behind abundant sticky lacing.

Aroma: strong maltiness, with a distinctly toasty note.  I get mild noble hops, a little earthy/spice there.

Flavor: rich pils malt presence, some nice, warm, toasty character.  No sweetness at all, but there is so much full, rich maltiness.  Mild hop flavor is here, though it's more of a background element.  This beer is certainly all about the malt, but the bitterness level provides excellent balance.  Finish is pretty dry, leaving a hint of hop aftertaste, bitterness feels concentrated here.  No alcohol flavor whatsoever.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with pretty high carbonation level that yields a mild "sting" on each sip.  Very, very smooth.  No alcohol warmth whatsoever.

Overall: two things really surprise me, here.  The first is that I'm floored by just how much flavor is packed into a beer this light in color.  As far as malt flavor intensity goes, this one could go toe to toe with a good traditional bock.  The second item that surprises me is the hop punch.  The hop flavor is mild - though, truth be told, I'm accustomed to it basically being nonexistent in German lagers - but there is a bit of a bitter punch on the finish that prevents the dreaded "c" word from even entering the discussion.  

This is a unique (to me) beer, a beer packed with flavor, a beautiful beer... what's not to love?  

Again, if this guy tells you something about German lagers... listen.





Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Potato photo too dark on my phone, and I clearly forgot until too late....







Posted 34 days ago.

Necropaw
Charter Member
Central WI
608 Posts


Im mostly just impressed you managed to drink a *whole beer*.  

:P




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Oh, my sides...




Posted 34 days ago.

ingoogni
nl
314 Posts


|This beer is certainly all about the malt, but the bitterness level
provides excellent balance.  Finish is pretty dry, leaving a hint of hop
aftertaste, bitterness feels concentrated here.

That's what distinguishes a Maibock from the other Bocks, hops. Although bitterness has gone down the past 2-3 decennia in commercial ones, it used to be relative high, up to 40IBU and with a 20-15 minutes addition.




Posted 34 days ago.

Stonehands
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
59 Posts


Thanks for the review Olan. I've made a lot of beer over the years, but I'm especially proud of that one. I'll work that into the rotation every spring. 



Posted 34 days ago.

mchrispen
Bastrop, TX
485 Posts


Now I want some...




Posted 34 days ago.

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