It's maibock, and you can't have it. Well, Okay, you can have one if you ask nicely enough. What’s a good beer after all if you can’t share it with a friend? And if you’re not my friend already, you will be after you thank me for turning you on to this little gem of a beer.

Now, some of you out there may be afraid of the dark when it comes to beer, and you think, “Ah, Bock, that’s dark, and dark means nasty.” The equation is not true I can assure you, but Maibock is a member of the bock family that is actually pale in color. This is not a dark beer at all.

Maibocks are usually a seasonal for late spring to early summer, and in keeping with the warming temperatures on the thermometer, they are lighter in appearance (though not necessarily in alcohol strength or body) than your standard bock beer.

Just the other day, I stumbled on Hacker-Pschorr Maibock on tap at one of my local hangouts. The Hacker-Pschorr brewery is located in Munich, Germany, and they’re one of the only breweries in the world to sell beer at Munich’s Oktoberfest. Not long ago, HP was bought out by Paulaner, another wonderful Munich brewery.

The beer does not seem to have suffered for it, and my tall foamy glass of Hacker-Pschorr Maibock was as good as I ever remember it being. At somewhere between six and seven percent alcohol by volume, it’s a bit stronger than your average brew, so drink carefully.

Time was when beers like this were only made at certain times of the year. That still may be the case here, and I may be getting the last of the run for 2004, but some German brewers do brew bocks and Oktoberfest beers year round now for export to America.

Hacker-Pschorr Maibock pours to a pale golden color with a soft, creamy head formation and a sweet honey malty nose. As I said before, don’t let the light color fool you: this is a very rich and full beer. You’ll appreciate its luxuriant texture as you roll the liquid around in your mouth.

The palate is creamy, full of toasty malt flavors, a delightful nuttiness and soft and sweet notes of honey. There are no fruity esters here as the beer is clean on the palate. In the palate, the richness lingers as a light warming kiss of alcohol; the sweetness is gently (but not completely) balanced by a light dose of grassy hops.

Definitely on the sweeter side, Hacker-Pschorr Maibock is one of my favorite examples of the style. I’ve seen it in bottles occasionally, but it seems to be rather rare in any form. That being the case, you shouldn’t pass on this one if you see it.

 

Update: April 19th, 2015: The last time I had this beer, it was called Hacker-Pschorr Maibock on the label, though it seems to be re-branded as Hubertus Bock (still a Maibock). It's a lot like I described the beer above, very creamy, nutty, with soft honey-like notes and a hint of cooked corn and (dare I say it) banana. The beer is indeed rich and delicious, with dry grassy hop notes at the last. The only difference that I can discern is that it's not as sweet as it once was, and is now much more dry. It's truly delicious, and a steal at the $7.75 I paid for a 32-ounce growler at Stouts here in Canton.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 

 



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