Mahrs Bräu Bock-Bier

Brewed by Mahrs Bräu
Style: Heller Bock
Bamberg, Oberfranken/Bayern, Germany

On draught at Reading BF 2007. The sign said Mahrs Brau Heller Bock 7.5%, but I guess they may have made a mistake with the ABV. Gold with lasting white head. Actually a very good lager. Bit of puke, but the cereal is quite pleasant. Very good lager, not too sickly, crisp, clean and refreshing.

Pours a hazy light copper color with a white head. Aroma is malty, honey, and some floral notes. Flavor is malty, honey, and a spicy finish.

(500 ml bottle (stamped "12 05") from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maine/portland/ target=blank>Downeast Beverage Co.) Hops and honey...Pours cloudy gold-yellow with a tall off-white head. Aroma is rich with honey - as head recedes there is pine and licorice. Mouthfeel smooth and quite hefty. Lots of droopy, foamy rings of lacing. Flavor is the piney hops overlaying fairly rich honey-sweet maltiness. Bit of a bitter tang in finish. Pretty darn good - imagine really fresh it would be great. Not as good as Einbecker but a decent runner-up. The pineiness reminded me of Terrapin All-American and Rogue Morimoto. This is a notch better than those but not quite as good as SA Imp Pils.

Pale copper brown color, small but steady head. Grassy, bock-like aroma. Malty, grassy bock, very balanced one - not too harsh. Slightly sweetish aftertaste.

Bottle: Dirty straw, loads of sediment, moderate off-white head, sudsy, sparce lacing.   Rich biscuity malt nose, semi-sweet, with hints of honey and graham cracker.   Big malts on the tongue, pale malts that is, biscuity, with a very soft fruity flare.   Slightly bready, with a moderate body and mouthfeel.   Meaty finish, lingering breadiness with a soft pale fruit presense.   Quite the Bock.   I would easily have this again.   Not big, but very refreshing and clean.   Great example of a Pale Bock.

Turbid gold pour with fluffy white head. Aroma of pale malt, subdued hops, some fruity apricotty notes. Tastes as it smells, with a pleasant, prety rich and crisp finish.

Quite the decent bock brew. Reminded me some of Ayinger’s Celebrator, however, lacking in almost every aspect. Smooth enough to enjoy the whole 23 oz. bottle without a quandry, but yet lacking. Starts strong with Bock characteristics, but falls short on the swallow. What happened?

500 ml bottle from Table & Vine, Northampton MA (January 2007), served just a little below cellar temperature from a Trout Brook mug. First off, can I just tell you how much I ADORE this mug I’m drinking from? It holds a full half-liter, maybe even 18 ounces to the rim, it’s a beautiful barrel-shape, and has an awesome rainbow trout in color on the front, just under the "Trout Brook" logo. Doesn’t that sound cool? Wouldn’t you like to have one? HAH -- offer me an 020202 and I’ll think about it....anyway, on to the beer. It pours a hazy, almost opaque light gold with a smallish head that diminishes slowly into a lasting thick ring, leaving bits of lacing....looks unfiltered, though I couldn’t really see any yeast in the bottom.....strong fresh grassy nose well-complemented by lightly caramelized pale malt, a touch of bananas and cream, and faint alcohol notes....moderately to heavily sweet, lightly earthy, buttery, dominated at the front and midpalate by honey, really this tastes strongly enough of it that I would swear it’s been added if I didn’t know better....nice warming alcohol qualities, some sourdough yeasty-bready feeling towards the finish, a touch mineralic and metallic right at the end, very faint dry twiggy hops. Like most of this brewery’s beers, solid but unspectacular.