Union Barrel Works Mai-Bock

Brewed by Union Barrel Works
Style: Heller Bock
Stevens, Pennsylvania USA

Name: Mai-Bock
Date: 07/25/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

hazy dark gold, wispy beige head, light sweet malt aroma with floral hops, sweet candy malt flavor, light earthy bitterness offer some balance,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Clear straw body with off-white head. Aroma is mild, medium sweet, apricot, some caramel. Taste is moderately sweet, herbal/spicy, caramel, apricot, bread. Medium body, some stickiness.

On tap at the Union Barrel Brew Pub. Poured a deeper golden color iwth a small sized white head. Aromas of honey, toasted malts, and lighlty bready. Tastes of honey, toasted malts, and a little fruity. Sweeter finish.

Draft pint
Consumed at Union Barrel Works, July 2007
First beer tasted at Union Barrel Works and easily the best. 12oz draft pour is a burnt amber orange color. Wonderful, amazingly rich and pleasent toasted oranges, grains, sweet pears and perfumy sugar nose. Crisp, biting hops, husky grains and an almost coarse body along with these flavors. Lovely mixture of sweet and aggressive hop bitterness, especially surprising for the style. Very fresh, vinous up front, assertive in the back, refreshing and addicting. Shares traits with Marzen and Vienna even, very “festive” tasting. Even picked up some caramelized oranges. Almost cloying near the end of the glass, but still very, very good.

The BA guy who was sharing this from a growler at DLD upon hearing my RB handle said, "Hey, you’re the ’Illustrious Cornfield’!" (No sh!t.) I assured him that there was many an illustrious RateBeerian from the area... all the while happy that he didn’t press me for names. I’m really not sure what any of that was about, but he was a good fellow.
Anywho - - Methinks this is more of a blond doppelbock, even if the ABV (I believe he said around 9%) is bolstered by the addition of honey. It poured a somewhat hazy gold body with a good lacing bubbfy white head. The aroma had bready malts, some white bread toast, a soft floral hopping, and a dash of honey sweetness. Very smooth, creamy mouthfeel, a bit heated by the alcohol. The combined sweetness in the flavor from the malt and honey was countered fairly well by the floral bitternesss and alcohol. About midpoint I detected some fresh apples. Good brew.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve Lord Day 2008 at Three Floyds, Munster, IN, 4/26/2008.<font size=-1>

This one had some press going in, and it didn’t disappoint. Hazy deep golden pour with off-white head. Aroma of caramel malt, hopcitrus, peaches and apricot in light syrup. Tastes fruity, with a solid peachy apricot note, coupled with mid-palate hops and citrus, with a smooth, caramel malty finish. Well balanced, complex, and utterly enjoyable.

Tap @ UBW. Poured a clear golden color and sticks to the glass some. The aroma is sweet and estery with some earthy hop. The flavor starts sweet and malty, then finishes dry and mildly bitter. A touch of pepper and very nice warmth. Medium bodied and silky

I wasnt really digging this maibock. Hints of fruity ester, and light phenolics I think threw it off for me. Light caramel sweetness all the way through, but had a somewhat vegetal qwuality and some white wine.