Sprecher Mai Bock

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Heller Bock
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

12oz. Bottle: Very doughy aroma. Smells malty, and just like a fresh-baked loaf of wheat bread. Poured an amber/copper color with a small than head that lasted throughout. Small lacing. Clear. Sparkling. Flavor is a little sweet, but not bitter or sour. Tastes very malty, with notes of pumpkin (just a tiny bit), dough, earth, spices, and caramel. Medium body. Strange, thick but sticky texture. Soft carbonation. Long, malty body. I did not enjoy the flavor of this one much.

Date: 4/25/2007
Event: Junedale Beer Klub - April Beer Tasting (Maibocks)
Serving: 16 oz bottles shared by shigadeyo.

Tasting Notes
Aroma:Aged dark fruit; slight oxidation notes present (i.e. cardboard).
Appearance: Deep gold and slightly hazy with a beige head.
Flavor: Caramel/fruit/aged dark fruit blend. Slight alcohol flavor present. Some oxidation qualities are evident in the flavor as well as some barleywine characteristics and nuances.
Palate: Medium-full body; smooth and creamy texture.
Overall: I’m not quite sure how old these bottles were as some oxidation notes were present, but this beer has held up pretty nicely. I really enjoyed it and found it to be quite easy to drink which is impressive for me since I generally don’t care for too many Maibock (i.e. Heller Bock) beers...

16oz. Bottle $6.99 4-Pack Binny’s Orland Sprecher’s Mai Bock poured a beautiful crystal clear caramel brown. Large carbonation bubbles rise slowly toward the 1 finger creamy craggy off white head. The head slowly fades. This beer looks great. Left thick patchy lacing. Smells of toasted grains and a big smac of doughy breadiness. There’s a slight hop spiciness coming through toward the end. The hops add a nice floral aroma. There’s also a mild caramel maltiness and a faint brown sugar sweetness. Tastes of doughy malt and very lightly toasted grains. The floral hoppiness comes across mid to late palate along with a mild wave of alcohol spiciness that you can feel everywhere in the mouth. Mild caramel sweetness shows itself more and more as the beer warms. Meduim bodied and a little sticky. Even though this beer is sticky the body seems a little light for the style. There is no shortage of hops as is shown by the tingling of the tongue after half a glass. Slow carbonation lets the beer glide through my mouth. Easy drinker and a nice treat in this early spring type of weather. This is a surprisingly good beer from Sprecher. I’ve enjoyed all their offerings I’ve sampled in the past. I don’t believe they get the credit they deserve. Solid, enjoyable brews from a quality brewery. 4/14/07

I think Sprecher’s Bavarian Black is exceptional, but I’m frequently disappointed by other beers of theirs that I try, and unfortunately this is one of those disappointments. This beer has a great appearance, but a metallic aroma and flavor that mars an otherwise pleasing sweat caramel maltiness. Appearance of this beer is quite good; it is a sparkling and clear copper color with good head formation and retention. Aroma is distinctly coppery, more metallic than it is malty. And flavor is the same - I get maltiness up front, but I get a distingly disturbing copper taste at the finish that lingers in my mouth a long, long while. Not so good. Mouthfeel is OK, but I can’t say I recommend this beer.

Pours a mostly-clear, deep copper body with slow carbonation beneath a thick, off-white head. Mild vegetal notes burn off to reveal a thick, sweet graininess in the aroma. Additional notes of grapes and trail mix interspersed with wafts of alcohol. Plenty of fruit in the flavor as I find pineapple and apricot alongside bready malts before alcohol jumps in to thin the flavors and dry the mouth. I rather liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite Maibock this spring.

<font size=-4>4 pack from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Oak Lawn, IL 60453</font>

16 oz. bottle. Appetizing, malty, fruity, floral, barley-wine-esque aroma of golden raisins and red wine. Cranberry and cherry scents as well. Pours a remarkably bubbly, sparkling copper with a moderate amout of yellow-tinted cream-colored head. Fruit and dunkel-lager-like flavors dominate. Tastes like a stronger and darker beer than it is. Lemon, light chocolate, and fortified wine tastes. Alcohol noticeable but by no means overpowering. Bitter hoppy aftertaste that contrasts satisfyingly with the malt-dominated flavors. Medium body. Smooth and oily in the palate. Sprecher Mai Bock is a surprisingly good beer across the board and nearly the equal of its much more highly regarded sibling, Sprecher Black Bavarian. Underrated and well worth trying.

Light malts, candy sugar, pretty sweet. Light bodied, a bit bubbly, ends with a tang of bittering hops. The hops I’m getting at the end taste fresh. This beer is good. Sprecher usually doesn’t dissapoint, this is no exception.

Bottle from the brewery. A fresh batch no less. Pours a medium pale amber with a white head of small bubbles that quickly dissolves. Aroma is very sweet. Hints of custard, oranges and candy sugar. Taste of sweet toffee and bitter spiced hops. Finish is a bit tingly but very palatable. Maibock? No, it’s my bock!