The Lonely Goatherd | Baxter Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Baxter Brewing Co.
Maine, United States
baxterbrewing.com
Style: Maibock / Helles Bock
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
Traditional German-Style Maibock lager, with a hoppy American twist.
Added by akrz47 on 03-27-2015
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 67 | Reviews: 12
Reviews by cnwillis31:
More User Reviews:
3.25/5 rDev -16.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Nothing special; bitterness from hops is unpleasant and not on-style. Disappointing experiment.
96 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Nothing special; bitterness from hops is unpleasant and not on-style. Disappointing experiment.
96 characters
4.12/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
3.76/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From the 16 oz. can. Sampled on June 15, 2015.
Yellow light amber pour under a big frothy white head.
The aroma is a bit bready but more floral and pine hopped than the malts.
Medium to full body.
The taste is at first sweet then almost immediately bitter with a floral hopped finish. But not over the top. Still the hops are bigger.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From the 16 oz. can. Sampled on June 15, 2015.
Yellow light amber pour under a big frothy white head.
The aroma is a bit bready but more floral and pine hopped than the malts.
Medium to full body.
The taste is at first sweet then almost immediately bitter with a floral hopped finish. But not over the top. Still the hops are bigger.
343 characters
3.73/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.19/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.08/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On-tap 6/5/2015 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI served in a US tumbler pint glass.
A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.
S: The aroma contains citrus, honey, caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.
T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of citrus, honey and caramel. Then a strong breadiness comes in from lager yeast and a hearty malt character. The hops presence is strong for the style and creates a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.
M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.
O: Tasty, goes down easily, slightly filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a very good beer to drink for a long time if you’re in the mood for the style.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On-tap 6/5/2015 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI served in a US tumbler pint glass.
A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.
S: The aroma contains citrus, honey, caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.
T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of citrus, honey and caramel. Then a strong breadiness comes in from lager yeast and a hearty malt character. The hops presence is strong for the style and creates a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.
M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.
O: Tasty, goes down easily, slightly filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a very good beer to drink for a long time if you’re in the mood for the style.
816 characters
3.74/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.22/5 rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Yay tall boy cans! But, no date, tsk tsk.
Pours a nice fizzy almost 2 finger head that fades at a med pace, some sticky lacing, fairly hazy slight copper reddish orange color.
Nose is quite malty, some reddish toasty malts, touch of sweet caramel like, very light in general, no wheat, no biscuity toffee or anything like that, a touch of a fruity hop. So far no real showing of a Maibock or American twist.
Taste is better thankfully, more Maibock like, toasted grain notes, with some creamy wheat, very toasty, pilsner notes, a little cereal and big malted barley, and a fair sweetness. Then some grassy hops, a little spicy, with a touch of fruitiness, I guess that's the "American twist", hops get a decent bitterness with spicy note late, mild esters in there as well, and a light lagering flavor. Finish is drier, slightly crisp, quite bitter spicy earthy like hop, a little fruity lager note, and toasty malty flavor. Later, as it warms, lots of mineral notes from the lagering, chalky like.
Mouth is med bod, a little creamy like note, mild lagering crispness, decent carb.
Overall eh, nose was very light and missing everything it should have, taste was a bit better, some maibock qualities but not a lot, and not done too well, hops don't blend well with it as well. In general not a great beer, not very enjoyable and not done well.
1,348 characters
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Yay tall boy cans! But, no date, tsk tsk.
Pours a nice fizzy almost 2 finger head that fades at a med pace, some sticky lacing, fairly hazy slight copper reddish orange color.
Nose is quite malty, some reddish toasty malts, touch of sweet caramel like, very light in general, no wheat, no biscuity toffee or anything like that, a touch of a fruity hop. So far no real showing of a Maibock or American twist.
Taste is better thankfully, more Maibock like, toasted grain notes, with some creamy wheat, very toasty, pilsner notes, a little cereal and big malted barley, and a fair sweetness. Then some grassy hops, a little spicy, with a touch of fruitiness, I guess that's the "American twist", hops get a decent bitterness with spicy note late, mild esters in there as well, and a light lagering flavor. Finish is drier, slightly crisp, quite bitter spicy earthy like hop, a little fruity lager note, and toasty malty flavor. Later, as it warms, lots of mineral notes from the lagering, chalky like.
Mouth is med bod, a little creamy like note, mild lagering crispness, decent carb.
Overall eh, nose was very light and missing everything it should have, taste was a bit better, some maibock qualities but not a lot, and not done too well, hops don't blend well with it as well. In general not a great beer, not very enjoyable and not done well.
1,348 characters
3.37/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.75/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This was a really tough beer to review because I really like it but it's not traditional to style.
Tall boy can poured into bulbed pint glass. Comes out a nice Amber color with excellent clarity. A hard pour comes up with an eggshell colored head with mostly small bubbles. The cap erupts up and you can't pour the whole can at once if you pour hard. Nice lacing and overall a great looking beer.
Smells great really. It does have all the classic malt aromas of a quality Maibock and there is in fact a hoppy American twist (as the can indicates. The hops are not the main feature though; they are a nice compliment though. A nice hearty and bready and followed up with some nice nice lighter grassy and a little bit of pine hops. Meshes well.
Taste is up there as good as tbe smell and gets better as it warms. Some nice sweet bready flavors almost desserty but not quite. Some nice hoppy flavors at the end, very grassy, some what herbal and a little citrusy. It meshes very nothing overpowered anything else.
Mouthfeel is good. It's a heavy medium body with a moderate but appropriate carbonation level. Great balance starts sweet and it's smooth with a not quite dry but bitter finish that's clean. Great drinkability. Perfect early fall or mid spring beer. Nice job Baxter.
1,304 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This was a really tough beer to review because I really like it but it's not traditional to style.
Tall boy can poured into bulbed pint glass. Comes out a nice Amber color with excellent clarity. A hard pour comes up with an eggshell colored head with mostly small bubbles. The cap erupts up and you can't pour the whole can at once if you pour hard. Nice lacing and overall a great looking beer.
Smells great really. It does have all the classic malt aromas of a quality Maibock and there is in fact a hoppy American twist (as the can indicates. The hops are not the main feature though; they are a nice compliment though. A nice hearty and bready and followed up with some nice nice lighter grassy and a little bit of pine hops. Meshes well.
Taste is up there as good as tbe smell and gets better as it warms. Some nice sweet bready flavors almost desserty but not quite. Some nice hoppy flavors at the end, very grassy, some what herbal and a little citrusy. It meshes very nothing overpowered anything else.
Mouthfeel is good. It's a heavy medium body with a moderate but appropriate carbonation level. Great balance starts sweet and it's smooth with a not quite dry but bitter finish that's clean. Great drinkability. Perfect early fall or mid spring beer. Nice job Baxter.
1,304 characters
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Can from Bert's
Deep golden color with a decent white head. Huge resinous pine on the nose with crackery bready malt underneath. Huge hop flavor and moderate bitterness. Helles bock this is not, if I were judging to style I would slam this beer. It is damn tasty though, call it an IPL instead.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Can from Bert's
Deep golden color with a decent white head. Huge resinous pine on the nose with crackery bready malt underneath. Huge hop flavor and moderate bitterness. Helles bock this is not, if I were judging to style I would slam this beer. It is damn tasty though, call it an IPL instead.
294 characters
3.76/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Hoppy bock? Sign me up! Baxter keeps getting better. Full disclosure my last name is Baxter but I'm not affiliated.
115 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Hoppy bock? Sign me up! Baxter keeps getting better. Full disclosure my last name is Baxter but I'm not affiliated.
115 characters
The Lonely Goatherd from Baxter Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
76.1% out of
100 with
67 ratings
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4