Alley Kat’s Big Bottle series may be one of the best initiatives on the prairies this year. This special release series offers a single batch of a unique beer packaged in 650 ml bottles. Once the batch is sold, it is gone! The first in the series was a couple of months ago – Three Bears Oatmeal Stout – and it was a worthy version of this difficult style.
The second in the series was released earlier this week. It is the rare and special Maibock, which Alley Kat has dubbed, appropriately, Loaded Goat (Bock is German for goat, but the origins of the beer are more complex). I got an advance bottle, due to my fated departure earlier this week. I sampled it before leaving.
I will preface the review by saying that because we don’t get a lot of maibocks in the prairies (there is Paddock Wood’s version and the occasional Brewsters seasonal) I don’t have a ton of experience with this style. But I think I have a handle on the basics of the style.
It pours a rich medium copper with an off-white head with a middling kind of persistence. The aroma is a rich, bready malt with some sulphur, a touch of fruit and caramel and toast. I find it quite inviting. The front of the taste is bread, toffee and a cafe caramel taste, accented by a bit of light fruit. The middle finds some melanoidin and sharp toastiness. The finish is moderate sweet with a lingering bread and just a touch of hop sharpness.
From my perspective, this is an admirable maibock that respects the traditions of this style. It is malt accented yet still crisp and drinkable. Not as heavy and full as a traditional bock, it offers a spring approach to the style. I am open to hearing that other, longer standing versions are better. I just haven’t tasted them. What I do know is that I like this beer and that I am very sorry I am only going to get one bottle of it since it will be long gone by the time I am back in town.
OV: a drinkable, sweet beer that does what it should.
April 29, 2011 at 9:40 PM
Les Trois Mousquetaires will have a Maibock in the market in the next two weeks.
April 30, 2011 at 12:04 AM
We have Les Trois Mousquetaires-Maibock in Vancouver right now. Lighthouse will be releasing one next week.
May 2, 2011 at 12:01 PM
It was always my understanding that Maibock should be mostly golden in colour, and have more hop character than a Bock. However, I do agree that commercial offerings are hard to come by. The AK Maibock looks to be amber/light red, same as the Paddock Wood Maibock. Based on your review of the AK and my personal tasting of the PW, I would say both are closer to a Bock. Regardless, it is nice to see local breweries attempting full flavoured lagers.
As for other Maibocks I have tried:
Bushwakker Harbinger Maibock is golden, yet malty, with a delicate hop bitterness. Seems to be more in line with a true Maibock, and is available every May at the brewpub.
I have tried the Summit Maibock on several occassions. It too is golden and malty, with even more hop character.
I also sampled a very fresh Maibock a few years ago that a beer trader brought back from Alpirsbacher, a small brewery in the Bavarian Forest. It was really hoppy, yet still really malty (and golden). In short, it was incredible, I have never tasted an authentic German beer with that much hop character, yet still had that delicious, traditional German maltiness (I am assuming it was decocted).