Capital Maibock

Brewed by Capital Brewery
Style: Heller Bock
Middleton, Wisconsin USA

Dull light amber colour. Bready aroma with a hint of peppery alcohol. Flavour is much the same...it’s a fairly simple beer really. Now, maibock is supposed to be a two note beer, which is one of the reasons I don’t much care for it. There are two things I think maibocks should do - one is balance off the two elements. This beer does that. The spiciness and dryness of the alcohol is a great foil for what would otherwise be a fairly syrupy beer. The other thing I want is beautifully extracted malts. That’s a bit trickier. Lord knows I can’t do it myself. But Andechs, Ayinger...those Bavarian guys can. That’s why they are the masters.

12oz bottle. Poured a medium and slightly hazy orange color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of biscuit, caramel, honey, and lightly fruity. Tastes of biscuit, caramel, same light fruitiness and a touch of spices.

Golden copper color with a full head. Sweet malty aroma leading into a flavor lightly balanced with soft carbonation. The finish is mellow with a noble hoppiness. Not very complex but still enjoyable.

Big-bubbled orange-golden beer with a small, off-white head. Rather alcoholic nose, and a bit grassy. Alcohol-drenched pale malts. Actually, this is only marginally nicer than a malt liquor. Taste is better, however again, alcohol-characterized. Toasted & cookie malts, again a bit grassy. Some addition of corn? Warming up, I seem to get something as dry-spiced honey. Slick MF, alcohol warming, ethanol feel. Human sweat in the aftertaste. Leaves to be desired. This is as much a malt liquor than as a Bock. Someone from Weihenstephan ought to look into this one. Danke, DavidA.

On tap at the Tree: Orange with a creamy white head, this has some sweet caramel scents with a dusting of floral hops. Malty yet crisp, this also has a slight fruitiness to it, followed by a crisp, snappy finish. Those Capital folk are good bockers.

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2002 Version: Very simislar to this year fest. I need to do a side by side. Nobel hops aroma and flavor. Enough malt to back up the hop. A very good domestic pale bock. Aroma 8, Appearance 4, Flavor 8, Palate 4, Overall 13 - Rate 4.0 2004 Version: Light amber with a dence beige head. Nice lace. Faint malt and light nobel hops. Light malt sweetness with a mild bitterness and a sharp alcohol bite late. Malt complexity gone this year. Perhaps a poor malt year. Aroma 6, Appearance 4, Flavor 6, Palate 3, Overall 12 - Rate 3.0

Amber color, off-white thick head, a little lacing. The aroma is very subtle with fruit & some light malts. The flavor is very standard with a little sweetness coming through more than anything. A bit of alcohol comes through but oveerall lacking complexity yet balanced and medium bodied.

Thanks to Jewedekind for this. I love Maibocks, and this is my second of 2005. Pours copper, with a good sized white head. Aroma of malt, some hops, apricot, floral esters. Tastes malty, with a solid honey/caramel element backed up with that great bockish finish. Smooth and oh-so-drinkable. Yeah man!