1. Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. β€” Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate

Maibock
McNeill's Brewery

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
McNeill's Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Maibock
ABV:
7.3%
Score:
74
Avg:
2.58 | pDev: 34.5%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
10
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 07, 2017
Added:
Mar 01, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by skivtjerry:
Photo of skivtjerry
Reviewed by skivtjerry from Vermont

1.32/5  rDev -48.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1
A: Cloudy, orange, no head.

S: A little sweet malt, floral hops and cooked vegetables.

T: SOUR, with some malt in the background. Almost like a poor example of a Flanders brown ale. Very ale-like, with some green apple complementing the sourness. Somehow manages to taste green and stale at the same time.

M: Low carbonation, medium body, finishes astringent.

O: WTF?? I'd heard that the new bottling brewery had improved their quality, and a sip of imperial stout a few months back seemed to confirm this. Guess not. A grim trilogy of infection, oxidation and a bad recipe. I passed by a bottle of Rock Art Belvidere IPA to try this. Stupid move.
Jul 13, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.88 by IBUBrew from Vermont

May 07, 2017
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4/5  rDev +55%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From tasting notes. Had a bottle in a pilsner glass in 2012.
L: Pours amber gold with a slight chill haze under a 2” white foam collar that slowly dissipates while clinging to the sides of the glass.
S: Bread and spice aromas.
T: A malt driven beer with a rich fresh bread crust taste seasoned with light kettle sugars combined with a slight tartness and a winy note and a light hop spiciness.
F: Medium body with medium to medium low carbonation.
O: I liked mine better than the other reviews – there may have been a bad batch. My bottle fit the style pretty well.
Jun 09, 2015
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

2.3/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Clear dark bronze, wispy head. Bready nose with flower kick and not much else with some sour red apple. Taste is lead initially by the apple and pear almost gummy like, distracting, bread flavors are musty and the flowers are no where to be seen, an unmitigated mess. Feel is broken, doesn't seem like a maibock at all, watery, slightly sour and musty.
Oct 12, 2013
 
Rated: 2.25 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

May 27, 2013
Photo of celfan
Reviewed by celfan from Vermont

1.74/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1
Had a terrific Berkshire Maibock on tap at the Student Prince in Springfield, Mass during a stop between NYC and Burlington, Vermont. When I returned home I went to the local beer store hoping to find the same in a bottle. No luck. The only Maibock on the shelves was McNeill's. I was highly skeptical as I've always found McNeills good on tap and bad in the bottle, I should have went with my hunch.

In short, awful. At first I thought it was overwhelmingly sweet, but then I realized it was actually a hybrid of too sweet and EXTREMELY sour. The smell seemed like it might be ok, but this was a terribly balanced effort that was way too forward with all the wrong stuff. I still have one in the basement. As a matter of principle I never let a beer go bad, I've probably done it twice
in 30+ years of beer drinking. I suspect this will be the third time.

I'm done with McNeills bottles.
Jul 07, 2011
Photo of NEhophead
Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

2.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
22 fl oz brown bottle, served in a pilsener glass.

Best before 08/31/2011.

Deep, rustic brass in color. Slightly creamy, off white head that is fueled by noticeably active carbonation. Absent of lace.

Honey sweetened toasted malt; the sweetness has a bit of citrus-sour fruit: raspberry, green apple, lemon; which makes for a somewhat odd aroma. Biscuit-like with a hint of must.

Bready, toasted-malt up front with a slow-building yet eventually overpowering rotten fruit tartness. Wow, the sourness is unexpected and quite unpleasant. In between the rotten fruit flavor is a slightly burnt, biscuity malt presence that is filled with corn, rice, and wheat.

Medium in body; overly carbonated and a bit thin in spots.

I really enjoy some of McNeill's offerings, but unfortunately this one should never have made it to bottles. The flavors are just off for the style; one to avoid.
Jun 22, 2011
Photo of Durge
Reviewed by Durge from Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev +39.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Enjoyed at the Brattleboro source pub, I'm not quite sure why this beer shows as retired when all the reviews are from the same time frame within just the past couple of weeks. Perhaps the brewer pulled it off but I'll have to say I don't agree with the lowly reviews that have preceeded me. This is an orange-ish copper color, very hazy with a slight white head and little or no lacing. The aroma brings sweet cider vinegar and hayfield malt. Nice enough but the jury is still out. The flavor accents the sour apple and grassy bite with a wine-like, near strawberry-rhubarb sweetness. It’s medium bodied with very mild carbonation and a fairly clean feel. Similarly drinkable. A perfectly fine brew, though not the best of the bunch I had this night.
Jun 06, 2011
Photo of celticfutblclub
Reviewed by celticfutblclub from Massachusetts

1.81/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5
22 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - a nice copper colored brew with a half finger thick head that recedes to a ring quickly.

S - malty bread smell to this one but its not at all strong. a faint smell of citrus and hops in the background. overall not very inviting.

T - a piny grass flavor hit up front along with a malty bread flavor that lasts through to the end. dark fruit flavor is also in there as well and becomes more pronounced at the end. at least the smell is somewhat consistent with the taste. this is not good.

M - sticky for a bock with low levels of carbonation.

O - this is just not a good beer. too bad as i've had some good stuff from mcneill's. glad to see they arent making this anymore.
May 08, 2011
Photo of wcintula
Reviewed by wcintula from New York

2.51/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
After having Narragansett recently, this Maibock did not measure up. The appearance was fine for what it is, a copperish body with a tan head. The smell is sweet and fruity and more forward than I expected. The taste matched this with a bit of a syrupy body and strong booziness. It's all just more than I expected. This beer needs a makeover.
May 07, 2011
Maibock from McNeill's Brewery
Beer rating: 74 out of 100 with 10 ratings