Sweetwater Tavern Yippee Ei O Springbock

Draft sample at Merrifield location. Pours clear yellow with very small, rimming white head. Malty nose. Taste is alcoholic hot whit malt flavor. Mild hop character and bitter. Just ok.

Pint off taps at Brewery 05/10/2008. Slightly hazy golden with moderate persistent head well carbonated. Fruity bock yeast and sweet caramel malt aromas. Malty munich and vienna style malt sweetness with fruity bavarian yeast notes and spicey hops. Full sweet mouthfeel with quite some bitterness in the finish.

On tap at the brewpub. Clear golden body with a medium frothy white head. Sweet malty Vienna aroma. Very sweet Vienna and honey flavor. Medium full body with moderately high carbonation.

Enjoyed a pint of this one on draught, at the Centreville, VA location. Pours to slightly hazy, deep golden color, with a thick, creamy, white head, and a good carbonation. The nose is excellent, with good pale and grainy malt aromas, paired with light hints of peppery alcohol. The palate is firm, with lots of good, crisp, pale and grainy malt flavor, on a smooth, clean, body. This beer finishes with more good, crisp, pale malt flavor up front, then ends with some good herbal hop bittereness, that balances and drys the beer out. Well done domestic example of maibock. At 7.7% abv it is a the kind of beer that could sneak up on you in hurry. Works well with a number of dishes on Sweetwater’s menu, and a nice beer to sip and relax with a the bar.

Draft at Merrifield location. Fantastic brew, light, golden clear color, with a thick white head. Malty aroma, with some fruits. Flavor is pretty light, and the that of caramel and honey. For being over 7.5 the alcohol is masked quite well.

Draft... Sterling, VA location... Crystal clear, deep golden lager with a mid-sized, fluffy, white head. Great retention. Malty, fruity nose. Flavor-wise, good balance for the style... however, honey-sweet and only mildly bitter (it’s still a bock). Medium to full-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. Finishes a bit thin, but a joy overall.

(Merrifield) Clear golden body with white head. Aroma is medium sweet, some caramel, light herb, honey. Taste is moderately sweet, honey, caramel, some earthy, light alcohol. Medium-full body, some stickiness.

Clear amber orange with a medium off-white head. Fruity aroma with pilsneresque hops. Taste has notes of caramel, fruitiness, toasted malts and plenty of hops. Pretty sweet with a somewhat bitter hop finish. Alcohol presence evident but not overpowering. Medium body with a very smooth texture and subtle carbonation. Plenty of lacing, great head retention. Good stuff.