Maibock
Raccoon River Brewing Company

 

 

 

Lightly foggy sunset gold that became pristine sunset gold within minutes. The single finger head was simple white in color, lasted long enough and left thin, yet persistent rings of lace after each sample. Maibock had a generic 'blonde ale' look that, nevertheless, got the job done.

The nose wasn't aromatic enough, although it was slightly more forthcoming after several minutes had passed. It was sweetly pale malty with a definite noble hop influence. More specifically, it was musky, floral and fruity; apples and apple blossoms primarily.

It took me several ounces to nail it down, but this beer didn't remind me of the stated style so much as it did a spicy-fruity-hoppy blonde ale. Actually, now that I read the style description above and see that maibocks are often significantly hoppy, perhaps it was more true to form than I gave it credit for as I was drinking.

Maibock was generously pils malted, with a fair amount of background sweetness. I'm still not convinced that any sort of bock should be more hoppy-bitter than malty-sweet, but this one definitely was. Maybe that's why I liked it more than the vast majority of maibocks that I've had to date. Orchard fruit and peppery, spicy hops were much more prominent and were much more interesting contributors than was malt.

The fruitiness was reminiscent of tangy, unripe apples and pears; especially apples and apple skins. The yeast strain must have been responsible since I'm not sure what other ingredient would impart those flavors. I guessed the hops to be Hallertau, but subsequently found out that they're Liberty. The finish was snappy, lightly sticky and appealingly bittersweet.

Although the 6.25% ABV bumps up against the Iowa cap, the alcohol was barely noticed. The mouthfeel was medium, with a generous amount of carbonation that was so fine-bubbled that I didn't mind a bit. I came to appreciate the mouthfeel more and more as I drank.

I'm not a huge fan of maibocks, but this one was so deliciously fruity and so surprisingly hoppy that it won me over. Actually, that's not strictly true; I liked it from the very first sip. Maibock is one of Raccoon River's tastier offerings and I will definitely look forward to its return each spring.

Clear, golden in color, forming a thin white head with no retention or lacing. Mild to moderate in carbonation, low for the style. Aroma has strong notes of pink bubblegum, which is also unusual for the style. Taste has some distant malts, a medicinal hoppiness, lots of pink bubblegum, and mild bitterness. Mouthfeel is bright and crisp with a medium body and sweet finish. This is a wierd brew...not to style, but still decent.