Copper Mtn Maibock
Silver City Brewery & Taproom

 

 

From Marina Market in Poulsbo, WA. Not a bad maibock, actually avoids the heavy, pale malt syrupy-ness that the least competent of the style show, but also not a very interesting example. Average to below average (C/C-).

Pours an off-white foam that fades in average time to a thin ring around the perimeter of the glass. Lacing is minimal, a few dots cling to the walls of the glass. Body is a light golden orange color, with light bringing out slightly lighter orange hues (SRM 5-7). Transparent.

Aroma is disappointingly mild, but not bad, just a bit too reserved/delicate, especially for a bock. What comes across is a light sweetness with a fresh lager yeast (peanut/grape/sulfur) character, and just a note of lightly toasted malt.

Flavor of pleasant pilsner malt sweetness mixed with a fresh lager yeastiness (modest peanut/grape/sulfur) and a very modest toasted and light-colored caramel malt sweetness/character. Front: a well-blended mix primarily of very light pilsner malt sweetness/character with a touch of toasted and light-colored caramel malt character, as well as faint fresh lager yeastiness (peanut/grape/sulfur). Mid: very light fresh lager yeastiness joined to a primary pilsner malt sweetness and a very faint and barely-there toasted and light-colored caramel malt quality. Back: light pilsner and light-colored caramel malt sweetness/character, subtle fresh lager yeast character (very light peanut/grape/sulfur), and very light toasted malt. After: lingering sweetness, some lager yeast character, and a touch of toasted and light-colored caramel malt.

Beer is medium light in body, with carbonation of medium intensity (2.3-2.4 vol CO2), resulting in a mostly foamy (small bubbles, soft) mouthfeel. No alcohol heat felt on palate or nose, pretty good for a 7.2% ABV lager. Closes quite dry, with light stickiness on the lips and palate.

(C/C-, C-, C/C+, B+/A-, C/C-)

Just about exactly two months old, from 3/23.
Pours a nice crisp clear copper body with an initial swell of lovely mostly white foam, but it dissipates fairly quickly. Leaves a little ring and some stray islands. Minimal lacing, but there is some.

Nose is nice caramel malts up front with some smoothe grassy hop profile. A bit of bready/biscuity to the malts as well. Really pleasant.

Flavour is the sweet malts up front. Less caramel (though still some), and more into the sweet bread (not sweetbread) realm of things. The hops have some lightly floral and act mainly as a nice little compliment (yes with an 'i') to the sweetness of the malts. The finish does bring the caramel back and is fairly sweet, enough so that for me personally it slows me down from drinking it too fast.

Drinks very clean, with a finish that actually builds into a nice moderately bitter finish.

I'm not especially well versed in maibocks, but this strikes me as a pleasantly well executed one, even if it isn't going to blow anyone away.

 

Pours a copper body with a white head. Minimal retention and lacing.

Smell is malt forward. There is a sweetness, and I'm getting a little yeast too. Not prominent overall.

Wow the sweetness really comes through in the taste. Not much bitterness, but that's consistent with the style.

Feel is medium to full, That lager type of carbonation

Nice interpretation of the style !

22oz bottle of "strong, but approachable lager", here's Silver City's German-style Maibock. At 7.2% I think they meant double bock. The beer sits in my pint glass crystal clear and perfectly amber, with only a hefty dose of fine carbonation to refract light. Aroma is big and malty, as if from a darker Bockbier. Fine and creamy on the palate, with loads of caramel and barley malt to please the tongue. I think Silver City completely understood how the combination of a light hand with noble (-ish) hops, German lager yeast, and cereal grain bitterness can provide a crispness which compliments both the alcohol content and residual complex sugars in bock. Copper Mtn Maibock is worth a try and I'd say it compares favorably to Bavarian offerings.

 

 

This is brewed in Bremerton, as all Silver City beers are now. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Community Co-op in Bellingham. Brewer says it's made with Sterling hops and a variety of malts.

Handsome orangey amber with a tall, fine-grained foam in the Maredsous goblet. Distinct honey flavor. Just a little sweet, as expected for the style, quite robust and malty. The scratchy, resiny, back of the throat sensation also seems typical, but here it adds to the balance. Tastes stronger than the ABV would indicate. Powerful in a pleasant way. One of the better Maibocks I've tasted.

 

22 oz. bottle -

Pours clear copper. A lasting fluffy/creamy head leaves lacing.

The smell is of caramelized grain with a rum-like peppery spicing. Faint floral touch.

The taste is of sweet grain, spicy booze. Slight herbal and floral touch gives a little balance, but it remains very sweet.

Nice carbonation level. Hits full-bodied.

A very sweet and sticky interpretation of the style. A solid representation, though it could easily be billed as a blonde doppelbock.

 

 

Poured into a pint Defiance tulip. The body is a clear dark orange hue, with a finger white head. Aromas consist of caramel, grains, mild banana/clove, and mild herbal spiciness. Taste is the same. The feel is medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Look: Two finger white head, clear orange body.

Smell: Toasted grains, noble hops, and pilsner malt mainly.

Taste: Same as above, but with a touch of cream.

Feel: Medium body, medium-high carbonation, very mild hop bitterness.

Clear dark golden with a small light head.
Smells of maple syrup and brown sugar.
It tastes good, but does come off as a bit sweet. That syrup flavor lingers just a bit too long, not countered by any bold hops.
Nice smooth feel, goes down easy. Listed as a respectable 7%.
I would have had another, but in this case variety won out over how impressed I was. It was good, worth a try, but there are better.

Appearance – Light brown and very clean with a huge, frothing head that laced the heck out of my glass.

Smell – This malty nose is laden with sugary caramel. The granulated sugars are heavy duty here.

Taste – I love a good, malty, sugary Bock. This one is big on the sugars and light on the malt. There’s also a bit of must here as well.

Mouthfeel – Light-bodied and sticky sweet.

Drinkability – This went down well enough, although .26 gal is a lot of sugar to drink at one time.

PS: I know it has a swing cap, I just can’t stop drinking it though.