When something
special happens, it's nice to hop on board from the ground floor. Such is
the case with me and the Smuttynose Brewing Company of Portsmouth, New
Hampshire: we go way back. In fact, I can even remember when they first
rolled out their "Big Beer" series of specialty brews in 22 ounce "bomber"
bottles. Today, lots of brewers follow this practice, but 12 years ago? Not
so much.
In fact, I can still remember when Smuttynose Maibock first rolled
out, and here's what I thought about it when it did back in April of 1998:
(Begin flashback portion of review, preferably in black and white....)
I got lucky today. Technically, Smuttynose Maibock, the second in
their limited production "Big Beer" series (750 cases for this one), isn't
due to hit the shelves here in Rhode Island until the end of May. The
manager at my preferred liquor store got a bottle as a sample from the
distributor salesman, and since I'm his best beer customer, he saved it for
me.
I really enjoyed the Imperial Stout Smuttynose put out (I bought the
remaining stock at my local today), but as good an example of the style as
it was, I think the Maibock is even more representative of it's
respective style. That's a big compliment, considering that this is the
first lager produced by Smuttynose, at least to my knowledge.
Smuttynose Maibock is a rusty copper in color with very little
carbonation and a subtle, slightly fruity nose. This beer screams malt, it
has a thick, sticky, malt palate with an omnipresent but not overwhelming
toastiness reminiscent of a decocted brew. What impressed me most about this
beer however was the sublime sweet malty finish ( a prerequisite for the
style IMHO) that combines with the 7.5% alcohol by volume warmth and a touch
of fruit to leave a lasting impression on the tongue. Another outstanding
brew
from Smuttynose.
(End flashback segment)
Today, I live in Atlanta, and much to my approbation, Smuttynose beers have
followed me south. Certainly, Smuttynose is a bigger brewer today than it
was 12 years ago, and I'm quite sure they're brewing more than 750 cases of
their big beers. At any rate, I managed to score some Smuttynose Maibock
last spring, and I've had a bottle cellared for almost a year now.
This is a big beer, and it is well suited to laying down for a time,
although I wouldn't push it much past a year of aging. Smuttynose takes
liberties with it, and they freely admit as much. Smuttynose Maibock is
bottle conditioned, for example, and I noticed a splotch of yeast at the
bottom of my bottle. The label also has "bottle conditioned in
2009/2010/2011/2012" at the bottom, although none are circled. Duh.
Smuttynose seems to change the recipe from year to year. The strength of the
beer is certainly variable. As mentioned above, it was 7.5% when it debuted
in 1998, and Smuttynose cites the alcohol content as 6.2% for their 2008
edition, and 8.4% for the 2009 that I'm drinking now. That's a bit big for
the style, but it's working for me. Here, let me elaborate:
Smuttynose Maibock pours to a rich golden color with a thick foamy
head formation and a soft, slightly fruity malt nose. The body is a tad
light and very toasty with a decidedly sweetish flavor; it's also a little
nutty, too. A hint of canned corn and seemingly misplaced fruity pineapple
appear as well. This is all balanced out by a generous dash of grassy hops
and alcohol warmth in the finish.
Once again, this is really nice stuff. I'm liking the 2009 with about a
year's age lots, and looking forward to the 2010 version. Which, as it
happens, comes out this month. I'll let you know what I think.
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.