Mahrs Bräu Christmas Bock

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

Picked this one up on a recent Christmas beer run. Pours a pale golden orange color with pale golden yellow hues when held to a light source and a three finger fizzy white head that quickly fades unto a thin lasting ring. Sporadic sotty lacing. Earthy grassy aroma with bitter soily hops, bready yeast, subtle spice and pilsner malt. Fuller bodied and much more complex and flavorful than expected based on it’s appearance. A good amount of bready yeast contributes to the fullness of the body. There is also a light crisp fruit presence, mostly of apple, pear and subtle citrus. Lots of dry crisp wintery spice notes, especially hints of peppery zest, cinnamon and Christmas pastries. Sweet with a nice balance of subtle malt and spice with a dry finish.

.5 liter bottle. I think it is a fresh bottle? Pours a nice very clear very light (even for a hellerbock) golden straw with a decent white head- fades a bit and some spotty lace. Aroma is light herbal nice grassy hops, nice doughy malt hints- not too sweet or malty- good balance between hops and malt for a light bock- also warm toast and light biscuit. Flavor is herbal and floral hops grassy and slightly leaning to metallic hints, nice nutty malty hints, toast, grassy herbal somewhat fresh hops, dough, and nice fresh crackers. Finish is a nice herbla grassy bitterness, but all subtle with nice biscuity malt breadiness, very clean and a nice finish- mostly clean bitterness, and towards the end the aroma opens up to even more warm biscuit maltiness and fresh pils. Pretty good for a light bodied, light-sided bock. I liked it.

Not so great bock. This beer is just too sweet. It tastes a bit like a simple unhopped beer in an unpleasant, malt extract way. The beer is a hazy amber-brown with a rocky white that dissipates quickly. The aroma is mostly caramel and malt. The flavor is sweet with a bad finish. The mouthfeel is too thin and a bit sticky. I won’t be buying this again.

Clear amber with a large off white head that moderately fades away and leaves wispy lace to remind you it was once there. Aroma of skunky German hops and malt with light spices behind the skunk. Taste of toffee, toasted malt and minimal hops. Comes across as kind of sweet and finishes up dry.

Malt aroma with a light amount of sweetness. Hazy orange color with a small white head. Mild sweet beginning with a nutty finish.

champ! .. pours a light tan .. . low but sturdy head .. . xmas cake and raisin dominate. quite light .. goes down easy enough .. . hello... hello... hello....nyjets17 texans0 .. business is slow.

Pours clear pure brown with a rocky off-white head. The aroma has toasty malt, biscuits, sweetness, dry caramel, toffee and slick molasses. Medium slick body then lots of sharp bubbly carbonation. The flavor starts with biscuits and mollases with toasty brown malt and doughiness. The finish has some spice and cracker added. This is okay, but not really a style for me.

Bottle. Pours hazy tawny with a small, fizzy, white head, mostly diminishing with spare lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, caramel, hay), average hops (grass), average yeast (sweat, earth) with notes of grape, date, and apple. Medium bodied, mineral texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Average duration, light sweetness, moderate acidity and bitterness.