Maibock
Selin's Grove Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

Draft offering at the source served in a sort of short pub/pils glass. The brew appears a hazed copper amber with a yellowish stained creamy fluff topping. Overall not a bad looking brew.

The aroma is sweet with initial notes of caramel malt blended with floral hops. A very mild buttery note blends into play with a soft alcohol inclusion. Not bad smelling, but a little too focused on what seems like a candy aroma instead of malt.

The taste is sweet like belgian candy sugar which was quite unexpected. A bit of herbal hops are present mixed with a slight buttery diacetyl note. The sweetness lasts into the aftertaste with a candy sort of appeal to it that even for this style seems just too much.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. A bit overly sweet gives me thoughts of candy more than malt. Coupled with the buttery notes and soft herbal hops, this was a rare miss by SGB. I dont know if this was rushed to have ready for May 1st, or if the yeast quit doing its job or if maybe not enough hops were used but this seemed really unbalanced towards the sweet side.

 

Selin's Grove Maibock has a golden-orange body and a finger or so of white head. Retention is OK, but there isn't really any lacing left behind.

The aroma is biscuity with hints of sweetness and hops.

Caramel sweetness leads off, followed by the more powerful malt backbone of biscuit and grain, the combination of which makes up the dominant flavor of the beer. The finish has a good kick of bitter noble hops that add a bit of a grassy flavor. There is a touch of warmth in the finish but no booze.

Pretty full body with smooth carbonation.

This is a solid maibock that avoids becoming cloying or too boozy, which are two problems I've come across in many American-brewed Bocks.

Served on-tap at the brewpub into a goblet.

A - Pours clear amber orange with a nice one finger tall white head leaving little to no lacing down the glass.

S - Smell is dominated by the sweet caramel malt. It also has hints of bready malt, light peppery spice, and a dash of earthy hops. Simple yet enjoyable.

T - Starts off with lots of sweet caramel malt slowly giving way to hints of chewy biscuity malt, light spice, and just the faintest hint of earthy hop bitterness. I can detect little to no alcohol in this one. The finish has a little bit of chewiness with a good bit of sugary sweetness, lingering for only a short period of time.

M - Medium-Light body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Sweet, chewy, feel with little of it lingering through the finish.

O - Pretty good. An excellent example of the style. I would encourage you to get it if it is on as it is something you wont see every day at the brewpub, having been not made for two years until now.

On tap at SGB on 6/28/08.

A - Hazy orange/caramel-colored body with one-finger creamy, off-white head that diminished into a thin ring of retention. Brew is very sparsely carbonated.

S - Aroma is primarily caramel malt sweetness with notes of maple syrup and honey. There's also a bit of peppery spiciness in the mix. Some very mild earthy hops in the back, but very faint.

T - Rich caramel malt base with hints of maple syrup. There is also a bit of spicy, earthy hops and some pepper to keep things interesting.

M - Thick and syrupy texture, yet quite smooth and softly carbonated. Sweet finish with only very minimal bitterness.

D - Excellent example that's true to style. This brew is an easy drinker that conceals its alcohol content very well. Another solid brew from SGB.

Sampled on tap at the brewery on a recent visit. The beer poured a hazy copper color with a medium thickness white head that runs away quickly and leaves behind a solid ring around the edge of the glass that stuck with me for awhile. The aroma was sweet to the nose with malts present and a touch of hops on the back. The taste was equally sweet and malty with a hop bit on the tongue. As the beer warms a bit, you seem to get a stronger alcohol burn. The mouthfeel is sweet but well balanced and enjoyable for fans of the maibock style as I am. I took home a growler of this as well so I will be enjoying this one for the next few days.

Presentation: On tap at the Selin’s Grove Brewery during a quiet Saturday afternoon visit.

Appearance: Much lighter than I expected for some reason. I recall this one being a little hazy but the white head was solid and firm right from the offset but then it vanished with a lighning quick "phoof" right after the first sip.

Nose: Very sweet nose, sweet lightly toasted malts and hint of sugared apricots.

Taste: The sweetness in the nose runs right into the tastes four-square and ten. The toasted malts are nice but they are quickly subsumed into the sweetness in the middle. Some bitterness in the finish. Tasted like a sweet Pilsner Urquell at times.

Mouthfeel: From the tap, the decent head retention and conditioning offered some respite from the omnipresent sweetness. It still struggles to raise much of a body though. Barely above average feel.

Drinkability: Struggled with this one a bit, a little too sweet in the long run for me. I was going to opt for the half-pint, wish I had after trying it.

Overall: I’m not that big a fan of Maibocks to be honest, but this was a decent enough offering that was a nice break of pace, but not one that I would have returned to if I had chance.

Another nice product I picked up at the brewery while I visited a week and a half ago. I actually didn't drink this one for 6 days after I purchased it.

Pours a hazy gold color with 1 cm of light white head that dissipates very quickly leaving an oiily film on the surface with a slight white edge layer.

Aroma is sweet malt that reminds me of a pils or a lager along with some slight hops. I wasn't very fond of this one.

Taking a sip, sweet malts along with some pine hops and a little citrus flavor hits my tongue; a little alcohol hits me after. Not highly complex but tasty. However, I did notice after the fact a little coriander in there maybe.

Tingly carbonation with a buttery body and a slight bit of alcohol on the finish. This one also bitters-out at the finish as well.

Although I liked the taste, I am not sure I can drink the whole growler myself. However, it is a nice brew.

This is from a growler I bought at the brewpub. I drank this in a goblet.

Pours a slightly hazy gold with a 1/2 finger head of white bubbles. Head drops quickly to a ring and tiny islands. No lacing. Some carbonation evident.

Aroma is pure pils malt with some spicy hops there in the background. Smells typically sweet. As it warms, the alcohol becomes more noticeable.

Flavor is sweet, malty, right on style. Just enough bitterness to make a difference. I swear I can taste very faintly some spicy hops also. Alcohol warmth present all the way through. Aftertaste is sweet malt.

Mouthfeel is typically sweet. Soft carbonation. Finish is sweet, almost cloying.

This is not my favorite style. It's a little too sweet for my taste. I do believe as maibocks go, this is pretty good. Recommended.