Maibock
Barbarian Brewing

a style i love that it seems like we never see from american brewers these days, awesome this time of year, and this is a fine example of the style. barbarian is always about the weird and exotic stuff, but i dont think they get enough credit for the classic styles, that they so often execute at a high level like this one. pretty bronze toned brew, gorgeously clear with a nice head from the draft and some visible carbonation rising up. it smells and tastes lighter than it looks, which is great this time of year, still full flavored, and pretty much by the book, no surprised, which you never know with these guys until you taste it. a nice nutty munich malt character, a touch of sweetness to me, caramel but not intense, old world hops keeping it balanced, bready classic lager yeast, pretty good water chemistry, not exceedingly clean to me, but appealing, rightly malt driven, and pleasingly european overall. the flavor follows, hints of biscuit, toffee, and iconic dusty german grain, good mineral character, nice patient lagering, this is dry even crisp on the the back end for what it is. really good bready depth, not in that its a complex mash or anything, but that they have extracted a lot from this grain, its true essence, and i appreciate that, not quite the decocted level of flavor, but its close, and the overall lightness and dryness is way appealing. good carbonation, fast finishing for the style, less residual sugar than most, good lager yeast character. real solid.

edit: every bit as good the second time, seems even more sparkling and refined, improving the appearance score slightly, this is killer for a domestic example of the style, bravo!

Draft at Barbarian Downtown. Hazy amber pour, small, silky off-white head, lacing. Malty aroma, caramel. Taste continues the maltiness, apropos for the style. Faint sweetness and some moderate bitterness.