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