Maibocks

Mark West

Originally Published in Vol. 1, Iss. 5 (May/Jun 2008)

Today I am sitting outside. It’s the first real quality time I’ve enjoyed outside since we pulled all the patio furniture inside, covered the grill and battened down the windows last fall. Lighter fluid mingles with roasted meat on the air, and the first flowers are beginning to poke their pale green tops through the dirt and bark mulch. I just threw some chicken on the grill and I have an ice-cold beer in my hand. Nothing seems such a simple pleasure as enjoying the first warm days of spring. This is one time when change is certainly welcome. The transition of winter into spring means that summer is just around the corner. Finally, spring is here.

Spring is a time of change, and the Maibock is a perfect transition beer. For the last four months you’ve been drinking the heavy, high-alcohol-content, soul-warming dark beers just to carry you through the cold winter months. These dark beers (usually lagers) are much higher in calories and sport a much more robust flavor. They served an important duty, but their time, for now, is up. We’re now ready to move on to the light, crisp beers of summer … beers that accompany a more active lifestyles. And you can’t just jump from those dark lagers right into the summer ales. What you need is a less malty lager, but still hearty enough to wean you comfortably off of the full-bodied dark beers. You need a brew with a bit higher hop content, but still sweet. You need a Maibock.

 Maibocks are very different from their darker, full-bodied brothers. They have a lighter body and crisper taste. It’s not the same “liquid bread” that we sampled last issue, yet it retains the malty, lighter hopped characteristics of a bock. This variety of bock is a relatively new style of beer. Maibock gets its name from the month of May, and it is often lumped into the same category as the Helles Bock, or “pale” bock. Monks also brewed the paler variety of bock, like its brethren. Maibocks eventually became the official beer of May Day celebrations. Today, spring is here. Today is the perfect day to sample these beers.

They Say:
“This malty, pale beer is brewed using Czechoslovakian Saaz hops, specialty malts and German lager yeast.”

I Say:
Summit’s Maibock pours light golden in color. The tight off-white head holds well and leaves a lot of lacing in the glass. The taste is sweet and sour … very light, crisp. It does leave a bit of a tart aftertaste, but is balanced by a subdued pear flavor. This Maibock definitely has higher hop content. It is boldly spiced. The mouth is light to slightly oily. The carbonation makes it seem to fizz on your tongue. I would definitely try this one again and again.

Maibock
Sprecher Brewery
Glendale, WI
Availability: Spring

They Say:
“Pale malt flavors are balanced with a rich hop character and a light fruit bouquet in this seasonal spring lager. Traditional dry-hopping and extended aging give this blonde bock a distinctive flowery aroma and a potent kick.”

I Say:
Sprecher shows its German influence, crafting this richly flavored and boldly hopped seasonal. You won’t find a more complex Maibock on our list. The body is a light golden color and the head is off-white. It has a crisp, oily mouth. The sharp taste has both piney and fruity notes. This Maibock finishes dry and a bit tart. This one won’t make your transition to summer “smooth,” but who the hell cares?

Einbock
Stevens Point Brewery
Stevens Point, WI
Availability: February 1st – May 1st

They Say:
“Point Einbock is an authentic Maibock style lager. This seasonal Bock beer, offered only during the spring, is handcrafted utilizing the finest Munich and Vienna styles of specialty malts with a blend of Bavarian Hallertauer hops. With a German translation of “One-Bock,” Point Einbock is one Bock you are sure to enjoy.”

I Say:
This is a brand new beer this year.  I usually don’t gravitate towards Point Brewery because I am usually neither impressed nor disappointed. But so far good things are being said about this one. I would agree. It could be the one of the most favorable beers to their credit.

The beer pours out clear amber to pale red with a light yellowish head. The head doesn’t last too long, but leaves sparse lacing in the glass. The aroma is sweet with a faint botanical hoppiness. Its mouth is clean and light. It starts out sweet caramel, slightly roasted and ends tart and dry. The hop flavor lingers slightly. The only thing keeping this from being exactly true to the Maibock style is that it may be a bit too dry.

Maibock
Capitol Brewery
Middleton, WI
Availability: February – April

They Say:
“A bock beer with a beautiful, deep golden hue. Very smooth, this beer has great depth of character, and is an excellent beer to celebrate the end of winter and beginning
of spring.”

I Say:
Capitol’s Maibock pours out golden amber in color with a loose white head that leaves soft lacing in the glass. My first sniff was of sweet apple.  There is a very faint odor of hops. The mouth is creamy with a crisp, tart but sweet flavor. The beer finishes with sour apple notes. Other than being slightly more watery than its peers, this is a quite satisfying Maibock. It would be a very popular beer to share at an early spring cook out.

Mai-ur-bock
Einbecker Brauhaus AG
Germany
Availability: Spring

They Say:
“This famous specialty beer with its refreshing taste is produced
every spring.”

I Say:
Well, the imports strike again! My first couple samplings of this brew were skunky. Again, green bottles do not keep the beer properly protected from the sun. However, when I was finally able to get my hands on a fresh bottle, I was impressed. After all, this is supposed to be an original Maibock. It pours out copper colored — almost red — with a tight off-white head that recedes a bit, and then holds at about an eighth of an-inch. The aroma is sweet and caramel, as is the taste. It is accented by a mild hop flavor and a sharp tinge of alcohol on the tongue. Mai-ur-bock finishes dry with a lingering tingle and soft hop aftertaste.