Eichbaum Maibock

http://www.eichbaum.com/

Brewed by Privatbrauerei Eichbaum
Style: Maibock / Helles Bock
Mannheim, Germany

First question is naturally………. what the fuck is a Maibock?

A Bock is a darkish, malty, lightly hopped ale first brewed in the 14th century by German brewers in the town of Einbeck. It got its name “ein Bock,” meaning “Billy Goat” in German as people mispronounced the town of Einbeck, and for that reason you will often see goats on the beer labels of bocks. It is usually a strong lager from 6% to as high as 12% ABV., sweet, and lightly hopped. The beer should be clear, and colour can range from light copper to brown, with a plentiful off-white head. The aroma should be malty and toasty, possibly with hints of alcohol, but no detectable hops or fruitiness.The mouthfeel is smooth, with low to moderate carbonation and no astringency. The taste is rich and toasty, sometimes with a bit of caramel. Again, hop presence is low to undetectable, providing just enough bitterness so that the aftertaste is muted.

A Bock is historically associated with special occasions, often religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter or Lent. Bocks have a long history of being brewed and consumed by Bavarian monks as a source of nutrition during times of fasting.

Several substyles exist, including maibock (helles bock, heller bock), a paler, more hopped version generally made for consumption at spring festivals; doppelbock (double bock), a stronger and maltier version; and eisbock, a much stronger version made by partially freezing the beer and removing the ice that forms.

As for this beer, the Eichbaum Brewery was founded way, way back in 1674 by Jean de Chaine from Southern Belgium, originally as a small brewpub, and while the exact location changed, its home and heart has always been in the city of Mannheim, a southern German city touching the Rhine. The name Eichbaum came from the German translation of his family name.

All was going well for many years until the Nazis got into power. As the company had a substantial Jewish shareholdership, they were all expelled and the company was nationalized. WW2 resulted in the company ceasing to produce any beer. But after the war, the company reopened and did well since they were the main beer supplier for the American army that was now based in Germany at that time!

Since the 70’s the brewery has changed ownership many times but nowadays it is operated as a private brewery, Eichbaum GmbH & Co KG.

Today, the brewery is one of the largest and most efficient breweries in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany. Not only is it the oldest company in Mannheim but it is also one of the most modern. State-of-the-art brewing and bottling technologies make for an annual output of 1.8 million hectolitres, resulting in more than 16 different beers produced annually for its every widening market.

Review: 0,5l Bottle of Eichbaum Maibock: ABV: 7.2%

A Maibock, also known as helles bock or heller bock, is a lightly coloured beer, less malty and drier in the finish to a regular bock, and has a spicy or peppery taste coming from the hops. Colour can range from deep gold to light amber with a large, creamy, persistent white head, and moderate to moderately high carbonation, while alcohol content ranges from 6.3% to 7.4% by volume. The flavour is typically less malty than a traditional bock, and may be drier, hoppier, and more bitter, but still with a relatively low hop flavour, with a mild spicy or peppery quality from the hops, increased carbonation and alcohol content.

Has an interesting logo of a big goat, that’s the billy goat representing its name “Ein Bock”

Appearance isn’t the best to be honest. The head does die in seconds and it has a general appearance of a flat beer with no lacing.

Having said that the beer does have a lovely golden colour, and it is a very clear beer with some small carbonation going on.

But head is shit, really no head, it fizzles away quickly, falls flat.

Get a lot in the bottle though.

A nice sweet smell, pleasant on the nose. I got malts, and some caramel, and a bit of a general lager smell. It was nice on the nose.

No standout tastes.

Got a caramel taste, bit bitter sweet in the aftertaste, not much in front end. Very boring beer, dull. Not nice at all. Certainly not a session beer.

Very hoppy and bitter. A struggle to drink.

Can’t feel the alcohol, no kick. Very dry in the mouth

Very dry cardboard. Too hoppy for me, yuck, what a disappointment.