Ayinger Maibock
Ayinger Privatbrauerei

Enjoying a half liter in their Biergarten in Aying across from their hotel where I’m staying for the night. So nice to just walk over after a couple beers. Finally got to try this legendary Maibock! And it lives up to the hype. Sweet, slightly hoppy in the finish, definitely strong like a Bock should be. Smoother than it should be, this packs a punch. Incredible beer.

 

I really liked it.

 

Had this near Pittsburgh, PA from a 330ml bottled 2022-11-17 (date code L2321)

A - Clear gold with a 2-finger white head and good lace

S - Very bready, noble spice, floral/honeysuckle + clove, light stone fruit

T - Not quite as bready as expected from the aroma but still very present. Semi-ripe peach, cumquat, pepper, coriander, clove, grassy, mild-medium bitterness that lingers.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Soft and creamy at first then drier.

O - This is very good. I was a bit surprised by the amount of bitterness. I enjoyed it and would have it again.

11.2oz bottle
thanks to Ken for the beer!
L: slightly hazed golden body, thin & foamy white head
S: biscuity grain, lemongrass, pepper
T: biscuity pale grain, sight nuttiness, lemon zest, white pepper, honey, bread, earthy hops
F: medium body, pleasant carbonation, balanced dry finish
O: Ken is a big Maibock guy. They’re not my favorite but this was good!

 

 

 

 

Good Maibock!! Poured from a 330 mL bottle into my Chimay goblet, this beer features a clear light gold color, a foamy white head with good retention and some filmy lacing on the glass. Aroma and taste include somewhat sweet bready malt with bit of honey taste and some mild herbal bitterness, Mouthfeel is somewhat rich for a lager and very crisp and refreshing. No alcohol harshness present, it goes down real easy. This is one to seek out again

Bottled 10.28.22 from my best guesstimate

Poured at fridge temp into a weizen glass

Pours a richer nas darker but clear golden with an impressively tall head that leaves an even lacing and persists for 10+ minutes. 4

Strong malt and bready balance with a touch of sweetness 3.75

Balanced but strong malts and hops, some slightly sweet alcohol heat. 3.75

Light and easy drinking with no burn, softer carbo and refreshing. 3.75

Overall a different but really good helles/Maibock I wasn't used to but would enjoy again. 3.75

 

 

Date code: L2321 = 11/17/22

L: The beer pours a pale gold color with crystal clarity. The pour gives two finger so fine, white head with excellent retention. As the beer recedes in the glass it leaves a nice mass of webbed lacing. This is a beautiful beer!

S: On the nose I get earthy herbal hops, hints of noble spice, and a good amount of grainy bread crust with honey. The nose is to style but a bit faded after five months in the bottle.

T: This one is malt forward presenting a rich bready malt character riding palate and honey grain bread crust providing sweetness. The hops contribute herbal notes and a complex noble spice character in the form of earthy notes of coriander clove, and white pepper. On the finish I get a touch of ethanol and just the slightest touch of skunk.

F: Medium body with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is viscous with the residual ethanol providing a moderately dry finish.

O: What we have here is a classic Hellerbock. This one shows it's age a bit, especially on the nose, and I can only imagine how much better this would be fresh from the source.

Very much copper in color with hardly any head. Nose is yeasty. Taste was zesty, yeast/bready, refreshing. I see why this is the #1 ranked Maibock. Mark likes.

 

 

330ml bottle, stange glass, apparent freshness code “L2301”.

Clear dark gold, though the head is the star. Though it sports less volume than your standard pale lager, bubbles still pile up and present a two finger head with good retention.

The aroma reminds me of Wiesn, but with a little more oomph. Heavy on sweet pale malt, grain, wiff of alcohol and leafy hop.

Rough rich bread, sweet alcohol, grain husk, honey, and a lingering herbal note.

Medium body, slick, small medium-light carbonation.

I’d agree it’s the best Maibock I’ve tried. Since my tastes are leaning towards lagers these days I’ll try more, but historically this style hasn’t done it for me.

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a touch of chill haze; the two finger head retains well and leaves a few shards

Smell: Bready with a hint of honey

Taste: Bready with a floral, honeyed element; a touch of spice in the back but the overall impression finishes off where iststarts

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Been a long time since I last had a Maibock; at the start of my beer journey I would have really enjoyed this; now, it is more of a nostalgic affair; a nice beer but not something I would seek out very often

1.5 x 333 ml bottles
Glass: Festmug
Temp: 48-54 F
ABV: 7.0%


Look:
Bright and clear light gold. The Fluffy and creamy head starts at 2+ fingers and just stays around forever. When the head does dissipate a bit, it leaves excellent lacing.

Smell:
Sweet bready malts with maybe a very light touch of caramel. Notes of fresh cut hay with a little floral zest and perhaps even a pinch of pepper.

Taste:
Much the same as the nose. The breadiness is accentuated some compared to the nose and some notes of crust in it. The floral zestiness and the pepper are also accentuated. The sip finishes a tad malty and somewhat spicy/zesty. Some alcohol can be noticed in the aftertaste.

Feel:
Soft but also slick. A very mild warmth can be felt from the alcohol. The body is light-medium.

Overall:
A quite quaffable and easy to drink springtime (or summertime) bock.

However, for my preferences for the style this beer is too light in the bready malts department. I prefer Maibocks that have a goodly dose of bready or toasted malts balanced with an appropriate strength of hops. This beer really seems like a lightly-amped up Festbier with 1% more ABV and a touch more hops.

Celebrator was my favorite from Ayinger until I found their Maibock.

Pours a slightly hazy gold with 2 fingers of head that dissipates quickly, leaving nice lacing.

The scent is sweet, citrusy and a bit herbal.

The taste is amazing. Sweet, but not cloying. Malty, but not dark malts like their dopplebock. Some citrusy hops with just the right touch of bitterness to cut through the sweetness.

Nicely carbonated, with a light-to-medium body.

Fantastic beer, just a shame it’s seasonal.

Purchased as a 16oz bottle from The Blue Door for $6.00. Poured into a pint glass.

L - Clear gold, with a three-finger pale white sudsy head. Laces nicely.
S - Clean and herbal. Mineral. White bread crust.
T - Same as nose, but evolves with notes of white pepper & citron peel. Hints of cracker, honey, and extremely light caramel. Balanced. Finish is crackery and floral, with a hint of ethanol.
F - Light-bodied, with plenty of carbonation. Dry. Super drinkable. Refreshing.
O - A refreshing example of the style, this brew really emphasizes how awesome the water in Aying is! I personally wish it was a bit spicier, but a good brew nonetheless. Definitely recommend, and I'm going to get it again.

This review is a compilation of 2 different sets of notes over two tastings -- both with similar results. Reviewed to-style.

Poured into a Becher glass. Ayinger date code translates to bottled on October 28, 2022. Reviewed in March 2023.

L -- Clear, bright gold with a firm, steady white head that holds up well.

S -- Light herbal hops and light doughy bread with a touch of peppery alcohol.

T -- Mellow white bread crust character up front that quickly folds into a sharp, hot alcohol flavor. The Alcohol follows into the finish and aftertaste along with some light herbal and bitter hops. There's a light touch of malt sweetness fighting for recognition in the aftertaste, but the alcohol wins.

F -- Mouthfeel is soft to slick with a light-medium body.

O -- The alcohol seems to overpower any malt goodness to be had -- just not malty-chewy like so many good Maibocks.

It's still so cold, maybe drinking maibock will summon spring to arrive! Murky semi-see through dirty golden body with a huge off-white head. Smell is not heavy handed at all with notes of honey, toasted malt with a brief hint of caramel, big flowers and faint lemon zest. Taste is the same but add dry earth ester and german yeast in the background. Feel is light and stupid soft and smooth, hint of booze warmth whispers in the middle, very easy drinking.

 

330 ml bottle, dated L2321 which my understanding is November 17, 2022, so about 4 months old

pours clear, dark yellow golden, bright white head. excellent head retention. bready pale malt aroma - a little floral and honey notes too. taste is similar, starts a little sweet but finishes a touch bitter and drier. medium bodied, lively carbonation

Bottle from John’s poured into glass at home. The cleanest water in the world comes from 200 feet below Aying? Just quality beers all around.

330ml bottle. Stamped on label is 'L2301'.
Clear, pale gold colored body. One finger of persistent white head. Leaves behind spots of lacing.
Aroma of bread-like malts and floral hops.
Taste is toasted bread, spicy hops, and a little caramel. Malts linger in the aftertaste. Slight bitterness overall, but sweet from the malts.
Medium mouth feel. Smooth and clean. Very good carbonation.
Very well balanced, with a subtle aroma, and a spicy kick to the flavor.

 

 

L: darker w/ no head
S: pleasant fruity smell kinda of bitter
T: ok taste but a little too on the tongue
F: goes down smooth like most german beer
Overall good but not worth $5 a bottle
Drank cold out of a stein

 

IMPORTANT: DO NOT drink this beer too cold. Let it warm up a bit. It is even better warmer. It gets softer and more nuanced. Serve at same temp as Belgians - 50 to 55 degrees F.

Appearance: Brilliant clear light amber. Frothy white head with excellent retention. Slow rising bubbles.

Aroma: Floral and herbal hops. Grainy malt.

Flavor & Aftertaste: Bread toast, grainy, spicy and some pepper. Moderate bitterness. Mild alcohol flavor comes through. Semi-sweet

Mouthfeel: Drying, low to moderate carbonation. Medium length finish.

Overall: Top quality Maibock. It's been a couple of years since I've been able to get my hands on some imported Maibock (Hofbrau to be specific), so this one seems a little more warming than I remember. Perfect looking beer at the pour. Nice delicate floral and herbal aroma. Spiciness comes through in the flavor with a little pepper too. Alcohol lingers a little warm in the aftertaste along with a moderate bitterness.

Picked up a four pack from the Appalachian Vintner in Asheville 2-21-23 for $16.99. Bottled 10-28-22; consumed bottle #1 for review 3-10-23.

Beer poured golden with a nice white head with the original pour.

Nose is honey bready malts along with notes of spicy floral hops.

Taste follows the nose as the malt base emits notes of honey wheat and it is balanced very nicely by a significant amount of spiced floral hops. Finishes a touch tingly.

Mouthfeel is medium to large bodied and very smooth with each sip.

Overall another very enjoyable Ayinger brew!

 

Poured into an Ayinger pint glass. A little bit of a gusher to my surprise (but appears to be a bottle from this year, so not age related). Pours a light to medium golden amber with a two finger white head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of bready malt with mild caramel, hints of corn (surprisingly) and light fruit. Flavor follows, with bready, lightly caramel malt, creamed corn, light honey and a touch of grassy hop bitterness. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Always a pleasure to try a new beer from Ayinger, which seems to brew a great example of any German style they make. This is somewhat simple with nothing that really stands out, but is wonderfully balanced and is a fine maibock. The odd sweet corn flavor makes me wonder if that isn't the flavor that adjunct lagers are aiming for with addition of actual corn. An uncommon style that I'm pleased to find as Spring arrives (wish it was May); if this comes in every year, I will be buying it to welcome the season. With Weihenstephaner, one of my favorites among the German breweries.

I had this on draft 3/7/23 @ Sleeping Village.

See through orange appearance.

Nice off-white head; decent lace.

Sweet corn, mild caramel & faint smoke notes in the nose.

Creamy medium mouthfeel.

Sweet corn & faint smoke flavors up front; mild caramel notes on the finish.

Robust yet smooth & easy to drink. A classic for a reason.

L - Poured a crystal-clear amber with a two-finger fizzy white head that slowly dissipated to a thin film. Light lacing.

S - Slight malt and herbal nose.

T - Malt forward with an astounding balance of grassy hops, vanilla, caramel and white pepper. This is somewhat sweet.

F - Smooth, medium-full body with moderate carbonation. The feel gives way to a bit of dryness on the finish.

O - A very nice drinkable Maibock that is worth the price.