Thirty Sixth Meeting

Meeting #36! Here we are at Dan Turnbull's home for the latest installment of beer club. He's going from noob to brother right before our eyes. He chose a style we haven't done yet- Maibocks. It's just a little bit early so not all of the breweries have released their version yet, but we have enough to field a solid beer club.

First up we have a German version of this beer brought to you by Aktien-Braureri Kaufbeuren Heller Belli Bock! Abv = 6.9%. It pours a really clear, thin looking gold color. It has little to no head on it. It's thin and wet at the beginning but ends up with a sweetish, caramelly spicy kick. Some similar notes as an Oktoberfest.

BPA: 3.11

Secondly we have Smuttynose Maibock, which is described as A Robust Seasonal Lager. No duh, this thing comes in at 8.7% LOL! This one pours much cloudier than the last, but it smells the same. It's pretty strong tasting- here's an accurate formula. This beer:Last beer::Double IPA:IPA. We have just found out this is the highest rated beer of the night and second highest Maibock on BA. Let's rate

BPA: 3.28

Next up we have another German beer. The name of the brewery is too long to type but the beer is called Wohn's Heller Bock. This one is also surprisingly strong- 7.2%. This pours similar to the last German one- a little more clear than the American one. However, this is pretty smooth, yet it has a nice lager kick. So far all three beers have had very similar flavors. Tastes like May.

BPA: 2.76

Tom J brings us not a bonus beer, but bonus quantity! Somehow, somewhere he came upon a growler of Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Which doesn't make a ton of sense, considering Maibocks are lagers. This one also pours a cloudier like the other American one. It smells sweet and scrumptious. This is quite an interesting tasting cup of liquid. This is definitely the hoppiest one we've had yet- but it's a smooth hoppy.

BPA: 3.13

Schell's Maifest is our next beer. This is the first American Maifest that looks like a German one. It smells spicy and sweet, as is the wont of the style. This one definitely has a big kick at the end and I can't tell if it's alcohol or hops or the sweetness of the malts. This is another sneaky 7.2%. Our first MN beer in quite a while, I think.

BPA: 2.99

We decided to switch up the order a bit so we can pit the two locals in a head to head matchup.... presenting Summit Maibock at 6.7%. This is another clear pour with a slight sticky head. Wow- this has quite a different smell than the last several. Malts malts malts, all I taste is malts. It tastes like crackers or bread- really malty with just a slight tinge of the Maibock taste we've seen with every previous offering.

BPA: 2.61

Capital Brewery's Maibock is up next @ 6.2%. 6.2%?? We haven't had anything this low in over a month. Another crispy, clear pour... perhaps it's not a continental thing, but rather a high alcohol trend. This is yet another malty, bready offering. Although, this one is a little smoother than the last.

BPA: 2.75

I believe this is our last Maibock of the night before BONUS BEER! We have Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock. It looks, pours, and smells the same as the original few. There is a nice malty presence with this guy. Well the beer club has become more involved with Tosh.0, once again, so let's move on.

BPA: 2.86

BONUS BEER TIME! Derek brings to us Green Flash Imperial IPA. Daddy, this one is 9.4%. It pours a slightly cloudy orange. Oh boy- that's pretty tasty. Citrus, tons of hops... good stuff. This beer is eliciting howls from the gallery. It's just a strong flavor- lots of hops, malts, and alcohol. Let's rate

BPA: 3.55.

Last beer of the night is another BONUS BEER. We have a beer that was literally released today. Odell Friek is a lambic with cherries added, then raspberries were added later in the process. It was later aged in Woodcut barrels for 2 years. It's pour looks like raspberry juice. It smells slightly tart- similar to Supplication. Wow this stuff is really really dank. To all the readers of this blog that aren't in the club (Dan Carroll), I would recommend buying or trading for this beer if you're into sours. It's not quite as sour as a standard sour, but it still has a brett kick that works with the tart cherries. I somewhat regret sharing this with the rest of beer club.

BPA: 3.8