Hofbräu München Maibock

Brewed by Staatliches Hofbräuhaus München
Style: Heller Bock
Munich, Germany

An interesting beer. Looks very good in the glass, dark, nearly copper-coloured. It’s strong but not too dry, it’s easy to keep it in mind. A good beer.

Pours a nicely hued red color with a nice head. It has aromas that are dry and semi sweet bread dough and biscuit. It is well rounded, fuller bodied for this style, and offers an aray of biscuit malt, caramel, and slight hop resin. It is creamy, and smooth, and dense. It is a solid heller.

This Bock pours a dark red colour with a nice tan thick density head. to the nose there are scents of apples and pears, sweet malts and dough. A little floral scent. First taste is sweet with a nice hopp flavour. A nice floral taste with sweet malt aftertaste. The finish is also very sweet with a little bitterness.

Sampler at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/frankf Liquors, Frankfort. Pale bock color. A light malt nose. Shows its backing of Crystal or Vienna roast malts. Solid malt taste without much arguement from any hops. Rests well on the tongue and goes down nicely.

Tap. Malts have a moderate caramel and roasted smell, hops have a very light herb smell and light dough for the yeast with white wine, oak and cooked corn in the background. Head is between creamy and fizzy, white with good lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is a clear orange/tan. Flavor starts very lightly sweet and lightly acidic and the finish is lightly acidic and moderately bitter. Palate is light to medium, between watery and creamy with a lively carbonation and a lightly astringent finish. Maltier than I expected from a maibock, but very good regardless.

Full sweetish malt aroma, typical syrupy strong malt flavor with just a hint of the roast underneath. Nicely offset where many others have the sweetness take over. Just a slight bitterness of the hops in the finish, just the right balance against the start. Just a hint of the 7.2% alcohol at the very end - but just so well balanced as not to be an issue.

[Sampled in 2005 at svogers outside fireplace.] This was a very good bock enjoyed with some gemütliches firefood. Fullbodied with whiskynotes.

bottle - Pours amber with a thin head and a malty aroma. The flavor is led by the malt as is typical for the style. I can also taste a little alcohol and some mild hops. It’s medium bodied, smooth, and makes for a pretty good session brew.