Smuttynose Maibock

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Heller Bock
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

22 oz bottle split two ways. Hazy amber in color with a medium off white head. Aroma was not quite what I expected- a good dose of caramel, but with some citrus hops, orange, grapefruit. Taste is big, smooth and malty with some citrus, floral, and a light pine hop bitterness. perfectly balanced, doesn’t seem made to style with the hop profile, but this is a great american style-may bock.

(22 oz bottle (2007) from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maryland/baltim target=blank>Wells Discount Liquors) Good but deviates from style with lots of hops...Pours lightly brownish gold, cloudy. Four fingers of foamy white head. Aroma of caramel, honey, pine, vanilla, bread and hay. More pine than normal (for a heller bock). Mouthfeel quite full, smooth, even a little sticky. Big patches and rings of foamy lacing. Flavor of pine over caramel but I think the pine wins. Almost big IPA-like. Not that it’s tons of hops but I think the malt takes a back seat when a great bock should be richly malty. The flavor also has notes of honey, hay and vanilla and is a little hot esp. in finish. Has a big beer feel and I enjoyed it even if I’m not sure about it being a really good bock.

Rating No. 1212. Bottle. Big bready malty nose, light fruity accents. Rich clear golden pour with a soapy off-white / eggshell head. Moderately crisp body, medium-full and very, very dry with light yeasty notes. Taste is all malt with faintly prickling hops. Touch of alcohol, and a little bit of heft. Could be a bit softer, smoother (a little harsh), but otherwise, a great addition to the Smutty stable and a good brew.

22 oz bottle. Dark golden color. Large white head. Aroma is sweet with lemons and some sugar. Flavor is also sweet, with a nice hit of citrus flavor in the finish. Over all I think this beer was pretty decent.

Pours a dark golden from the 22 oz. bomber. A large pure white head slowly disapated, leaving a nice lacing ring around the glass. The scent was lemon, candy and some sweetness. The mouthfeel is clean and crisp with some notes of grain, candy and floral spices. Very refreshing.

Dark golden color, plenty carbonated, thick white head. Mild sugar candy and dough aroma. Somewhat sweet and sticky palate, a bit of alcohol flavor and bite at the back of the throat. A negative to me. Not bad but lacks the complexity of some of the German offerings.

Big powerful bockbier here. Beautiful copperish brown color to this lager and big malt nose give this beer a uniqueness in our IPA-centric world. Smuttynose makes another winner, that f’n simple.

22oz bottle-pours a big foamy off white head that laces and slightly hazy gold color. Aroma is light malt-some caramel, grain. Taste is light/medium malt-caramel/honey, grain, fruit, secondary/faint hops bite and alcohol. Finishes with earthy/spicy/flat hops. Right on style. Medium body. OK carbonation.