Free State Brinkleys Maibock

Brewed by Free State Brewing Company
Style: Heller Bock
Lawrence, Kansas USA

Light copper appearance, little head that disappears quickly. Initially fruity with grapefruit and oranges, but then turns to a malty blandness, and finally a residual malt sweetness, not bad.

Sticky sweet and a bit light for the style, but has a nice caramel malt component. Sweet fruitiness, with a bit of chalky bitterness in the mid palate. Overall a decent bock, but like I said could be a little bigger.

Deep golden amber hue, deeper than the ESB, with excellent frothing head. Slightly grassy aroma, with caramel and fruit. Earthy and hoppy. Quite astringent to my taste. Not bad; very hoppy for the style?

Draft: Lacy whisp of foam atop a clear light pumpkin shade. Pale, straw-like malt characteristics atop a fresh blanket of delicate, green, lightly floral hallertauer and subtle notes of soil, leaf, and caramel. Soft, prickly carbonation. Flavors start with the classic hallertauer fresh green, spiciness and delicate earthiness. Beautiful transition to a deep, raw caramel, pale malt middle, which concludes with a wallopingly balanced, complex finish. A very hoppy example, and with them being of the German noble family, it's tough to find anything wrong with this fine beer.

Releases a modest honeyed aroma at pour. Becomes more bock like, with toasty caramelized malts. Quite attractive too, a glowing copperish amber. Whoa! First taste gives a dry crackly smokines, leafy earthiness, but a sweetish, borderline cloying palate soon appears. Thinnish mouthfeel, if soft, feels naturally carbonated, with a velveteen head. Warming alcohol in the chest arises after about 4 oz.

Review for 5/2001 batch: Not much in the way of aroma for this beer, but what is there is pleasant enough. Tempting golden amber color. Flavor is very unusual for a maibock, this is the hoppiest maibock I’ve ever had, by far. Sort of goes against the description here, and precedent for Free State. The sweetness of the malt and the bitterness of the hops create a remarkable interplay on the tongue, as both are fairly intense. A very intriguing and tasty beer.

Amber with a thin white head. Aroma is caramel, citrus, yeast, lightly hoppy. Taste is toffee with a light hoppiness, light maltiness, and caramel. Good stuff.

Shaker pour @ brewpub. Has a clear reddish copper color. Aroma is musky, lagered malts that are lightly sweet. Otherwise a pretty unassuming aroma. Taste is a lightly sweet maltiness and I swear I get just a hint of vomit at the very end of the flavor (I know weird). In general pretty herbal in a vegetal way and not interesting at all.