Berkshire Maibock Lager - Berkshire Brewing Company Inc.

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.46/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a clear, burnt straw color. Thinner, white head. Head leaves rings of lace.

S-Mostly sweet. Lacking intensity. Has a sort of 'honeyed cereal' aroma. Grainy and neutral.

T-More of the same. Sweet to the core. Grainy. Would like to see a bit more flavor on the hoppy side.

M-Creamier than expected. Easy drinking. Light carbonation.

O/D-It would take a Herculean effort for me to love this beer and it wasn't.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2013 23:26:36 | More by VelvetExtract

dpianka

Connecticut

3.86/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

date of tasting: 3/22/2013
place of tasting: Barley Vine - Bristol CT
beer: Maibok Lager
brewery: Berkshire Brewing Co.
type: Maibok
style: Lager
glass: mug
temperature of beer:45F

Appearance: pale golden copper in appearance, head is rich and lasting. Very clean and clear

Smell: roasty, malty, strawberry comes through and lends itself to a whiff of cocoa butter

Taste: on the sweeter side, hint of strawberry and concord grape. it’s fleeting, but a little vanilla marshmallow.

Mouthfeel: rich and creamy, medium to heavy bodied.

Overall Impression: I’m not incredibly familiar with the style but from what I know I like it. This beer seems to be a pretty good example albeit a bit lighter in color and sweeter than I would normally expect. Personally, I would enjoy more of a balance with some hops contrasting with the sweetness of the beer.

Food Pairing: strawberry shortcake for sure. any bbq. boiled meats, grilled sausage, blood sausage, rice and beans.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 04:17:51 | More by dpianka

Gatch

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BB: 09/04/12

A: Golden-yellow with some sediment floating around because it's unfiltered. White, fluffy head that leaves some sticky lace and bit of head retention.

S: Roasted malt, caramelized sugar, booze, brown sugar, molasses. A surprisingly dark nose for a lighter lager.

T: Nutty, malty, sugary, with a slight hop presence in the finish. Solid lager.

M: A lot of great lager qualities. Smooth, easy to drink, and delicious.

O: Another great brew from Berkshire. Fresh, good lager.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 21:13:35 | More by Gatch

Chico1985

Massachusetts

2.7/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a light brownish/orange with a bit of haze, white head starts at a few fingers and ends as a splotchy cap+ring, not much lace.

Scent is kinda faint and not all that exciting, mostly a bready lager scent, with some herbal and maybe piny hops.

Straight up big bock lager profile, lots of toasted bread/butter/toffee malt with a generous amount of herbal and earthy hops considering the style, some lemony/light fruit notes there as well. Flavors don't meld quite right, and unfortunately lots of alcohol presence mars this one for me.

Big slick mouthfeel, lowish carbonation, lots of sweetness and hop oils, deterring booze.

I've had this a few times now and it always just feels off and way too boozy...I'm usually a fan of Berkshire, this one doesn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 14:23:28 | More by Chico1985

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz capped bottle into a pilsener- had this last night and enjoyed it so much I bought it again to review. Pours a slightly hazy golden color edging on copper with a one finger head that leaves a layer of foam and some nice lacing.

Smell is mild- sweet malt and noble hops are well balanced and there's a little yeast thrown in the mix.

Tastes great- big pale malt sweetness throughout; definitely get a little banana. Noble hop bitterness in the mid-palate with a twinge of warming booze at the end. Maybe a hint of green grape.

Mouthfeel is nice- not superbly refreshing but enough. Medium light body with moderate prickly carbonation. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 22:40:34 | More by Hopdaemon39

claytri

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The beer poured anice old gold with a white head a little lighter than expected. The aroma is of sweet malt with a touch of floral. The taste is sweet with a bit of alcohol to it. The feel starts wet and on the heavy side of medium, then goes light and dry as the alcohol kicks in. This beer is a bit different and that makes it nice. The feel is quite unique, and very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 04:16:22 | More by claytri

RTEdmunds

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden colored and a bit cloudy. Small white head forms, dissipates pretty quickly.

Bright floral aromas. Sweet and hoppy. Pleasant and welcoming.

Tastes of orange rinds or some other similar citrusy flavor. Pretty nice but the sweetness is overpowering for me.

Initially it's crisp, but it becomes syrupy and sticky. Mouthfeel is the biggest turnoff for me.

Overall it's not bad, but is nothing to write home about.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 05:43:26 | More by RTEdmunds

Lothar666

Rhode Island

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured a semi-translucent light brown to amber-orange body with a bone white head that left lots of sticky lacing on the side of the glass. Very pleasant to look at.

S- A faint tinge of pine and some sweet citrus sugars in the background of a sweet, grassy, and slightly spicy fragrance. There is definitely some hop character in the nose though not enough to overpower the sweetness.

T- Brown sugar, caramel or toffee balanced out by the faint piney hop bitterness noted in the nose profile. An excellent balance between sweet and bitter, though I would argue that sweet wins out in the end. Aftertaste is extremely clean, leaving one craving the next sip.

M- Not at all syrupy, the finish is crisp and refreshing, though the body is a bit heavier than a summer pils or similar.

Overall, a fantastic brew, especially considering the price point. This is a great beer to enjoy while grilling outside during the early months of spring when the slightly higher abv and warming sweetness is enough to take the chill off but not enough to ruin its thirst-quenching capabilities. This one also goes phenomenally in a marinade for chicken, steak or bratwursts.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2012 22:19:47 | More by Lothar666

tylerprince

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle at the local bottle shop; first time I've seen it. A nice spring lager, poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a clear bubbly orange copper with a white one finger head. Poor retention and sparse lacing.

S: Quite mild. Fruity with an alcoholic astringency.

T: Complex. Citrus fruits, tobacco, some banana, all blended into a malty brew, somewhere in between bread and biscuit. Some floral notes come out with a warm and welcome booziness. The best part of this beer; much more complex than the meek aromas might suggest.

M: Way too carbonated, but this makes it pretty darn crisp. Warming alcohol is quite welcome.

O: A nice spring beer. Tastes great, almost 4.5-worthy. Quite lacking in smell, and the mouthfeel makes me think BBC just pumped bubbles into this until they ran out. Not to oversimplify, but this would be one hell of a beer if BBC toned down the carbonation and added some more aroma hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 06:33:38 | More by tylerprince

davey101

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at a local restaurant, 23 oz pour into a tall pilsner glass for a reasonable $6.

A - Dark amber body. Small white head forms but disappears all together after a bit. Swirling doesn't yield much action.

S - Bready caramel malts, light spices, honey, and a touch of herbal grassiness. Alcohol is surprisingly present.

T - Very similar to the nose. Bready malts, caramel, toffee, floral hops and a lingering honey sweetness. The alcohol makes it self present in the finish. Medium and lightly creamy mouth feel.

O - Not BBC's best effort. It has some decent flavors and I really enjoy the honey sweetness, but I found the alcohol to be a bit overwhelming for a spring seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2012 20:38:38 | More by davey101

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Golden amber color, lively with a 1" sea foamy like head. nice look.

Very zesty, minty and floral hop, yeast is minty with a meaty, herbal tea and musty spices.

A tangy, zesty yeast flavor, all spice, must and dry herbs, minty-zesty hops with a medium bodied, dry feel, zippy, slightly hot and or "boozy". A very interesting and strange zesty flavor overall. The malt is unique with soft sweetness and slightly smokey and herbal.

There's a lot going on, maybe too much in too many different directions, but well worth a go!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 22:58:56 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

soze47

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Copper/Amber in color with a nice white head that fades into a swirl cap for a bit. Not a ton of carbonation dancing in this while sitting still, but a quick twirl of the glass brings this brew to life. Quite nice looking.

Aroma: Very malty on the nose, breads, caramel, and nuts all come to mind. There is also a whiff of alcohol and grassiness from the hops that contributes a nice balance point.

Taste: Very rich, malt backbone. I predominately get pure sweet bread notes up front, but then the more nuanced flavors line up for their turn on the dance floor. Caramel, a little banana, roasted nuts, buttery biscuit, and finally, a slightly grassy linger. Very nice progression of flavors. It gains a little complexity the longer you drink it.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: Very nice, creamy and light body. The carbonation keeps this robust body at bay on the palette, which allows for the parade of flavors to progress. While not high in ABV or heavy in body, the flavors are really strong on this.

Overall: I like this beer, but was a little put off by it at first. My first drink gave me an impression that there were a lot of conflicting flavors in play. However, with each drink, I picked up new notes, things that were really accenting the other flavors well.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 00:22:11 | More by soze47

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.3/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Expiration date of 08-30-11. Sampled on June 19, 2011. The pour is a cloudy orange color with a quick burst of head that fizzles to a thin ring. Scattered sweet malts, overripe fruits, and grains make up the aroma. The body was creamy and in the medium range. This thing ends with an extraordinary sour-tart grainy bite that most definitely leaves an aftertaste. It was a little difficult to drink after awhile but I think it is because it is not a favorite style of mine.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 20:22:46 | More by puboflyons

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light copper with orange or straw like hues beneath a pure white, foamy head that is packed with dense bubbles of carbonation and is very patient to give way to a sticky, white lacing.

Sweet malt with peppery or spiced hops waft from the glass with just a hint of grass.

The malt dominates the palate with caramel and bread like qualities and a touch of fruit. The spice of the aroma is only faint with more of the sugar or sweet qualities coming through.

This beer is on the thicker side, a touch chewy with moderate carbonation.

This beer seems to be another well put together brew from BBC and a bargain at about $4 per.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 01:37:06 | More by CHADMC3

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Sully. From a bottle, pours a clear orange with a small head. Nose is fresh grains, some biscuit, malt, grassy hops maybe a touch of orange. Pretty well-balanced mouth with that biscuit, light grassy hops, some caramel. A light sweetness on the finish. Overall very nice, very drinkable, not as snappy as their Pilsner which is amazing, but a very well made lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 02:20:07 | More by JAXSON

Sam21

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle with a best by of August. Poured into a lager glass.

Appearance – Pale amber body with a sudsy white head that shows a good initial retention. Recedes down to very little and leaves sparse lacing.

Smell – Strawberry jam, caramel, and a strong foundation of bread.

Taste – The jammy sweet esters come out first showing layers of fruitiness that set the stage for the bready base. Undertones of caramel balance out the fruit before stepping aside for dough and grain. The finish is clean with some light hop bitterness. Simple and approachable.

Mouthfeel – Medium-bodied. Carbonation is light and soft. It gives the mouth a smooth feel.

Drinkability – This is a really approachable beer. A bit more malt driven than I expected, but solid. Berkshire is nothing less than consistent at creating dependable and drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 23:18:08 | More by Sam21

DirtybeerguyRI

Rhode Island

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

APPEARANCE: Pours the color of dark honey, but very clear. Very light, sand-colored head. Clean looking beer. Very nice!

SMELL: Rich malty fruits and toffee. There's a hint of pepper, too. Smells as clean as it looks.

MOUTHFEEL: Thin-bodied smooth smooth. A little too sticky for my taste. It would have a better mouthfeel if it had more carbonation and bite.

TASTE: Big toasted malts hit the palate first. This is a very bready beer with a hint of spice on the opening taste. The middle and end notes toss in a lot fruitiness and perhaps a bit of caramel. It's a good beer, but a bit run-of-the-mill.

DRINKABILITY: This is a nondescript, agreeable beer. I wouldn't seek this out, but I'd be quite alright if this was the only thing available to drink.

VERDICT: Good, but not anything to get excited about.

Cheers,
John Harvey
Dirtybeerguy.com

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 00:34:36 | More by DirtybeerguyRI

SirSketch

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - The head grows pretty quickly as it's poured. Sort of a burnt yellow color, a little darker than straw.

S - Smells of moist bread dough, musty hops and freshly fermented beer. More yeast character than I'm used to in a lager. Some lemon character, too.

T - Has a lot of the same malt and yeast flavors from other Berkshire ales I've had. Again, surprising since this is a lager. Very chewy, sugary sweet, cereal-like malt flavor.

M - Medium to med-full body with a chewy, sticky texture.

O - I really do like this beer and I may need to brush up on my lager beer knowledge, but I think a Helles should be a little cleaner and be a little less on the malty side.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 02:42:54 | More by SirSketch

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pretty clear amber color with just a bit of chill haze and three inches of very creamy light beige head. Head settles slowly, draping the sides with lacing as it recedes. Remains full and thick.

Smells of sweet caramel malt and fresh baked bread, and also has a nice floral quality to it with some soft fruity notes. There's a bit of a peppery aroma here too. It's quite pleasant, although the sweetness stands out more and more over time and makes it somewhat one dimensional.

Taste consists primarily of the sweet caramel and bready malt, with a touch of a buttery flavor a well. It's quite sweet actually, almost sugary. There is some soft fruit flavor here like the nose, maybe a bit of apricot comes to mind. I get a quick dash of alcohol now and again as well, nothing hot and burning but it's there. Pretty clean in the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, creamy and pretty smooth. It's a little stick sweet but it does finish pretty clean.

This is a pretty tasty and solid maibock and another quality beer from Berkshire. They really have a nice lineup of beers and this is a solid seasonal and a nice representation of an underrepresented style.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 00:30:20 | More by number1bum

jbertsch

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Appeared slightly hazy orange in color. Sudsy head quickly fizzes and fades to a film.

Aroma gives the smell of cracker-like malt with tones of honey. Floral and fruity notes of apple and grape are also present.

The honey-laced malt comes through from the aroma and owns the flavor profile. Fruity notes make a vague appearance that don't bring any one fruit to mind.

The mouthfeel is where this brew could use some help. Low carbonation and a thin body leaves something to be desired.

Overall this is an agreeable brew. It's a little sweet, and I think a more noticeable hop profile would make this more accurate to style, but I welcome unique interpretations of styles, so no big deal.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 03:06:29 | More by jbertsch

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a viscous amber with some haze and bubbles. No lace, but that is ok.

Some toasted malt, a whiff of booze, some grain, light hop leafiness and some caramel.

Malt forward, but not alot of sweetness. I touch of sugar, but essential dry toasted grain. You get the alcohol, which is a surprise at 6.5%. Some light caramel, but this goes immediately dry, like dark toast. Finishes with some malt and light bitterness. Likeable. Not overly complex, but drinkable.

Thicker and more body than expected.

I liked this, with a bit more booze and body than expected. Drinkable and tasty, a good fresh brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 00:04:51 | More by OtherShoe2

Liverpool08

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice golden brass color. Very thin head, nice bubbles good carbonation. Not much aroma, a little sweet malt. Flavor is nice sweet maly yet not over sticky. Still a clean flavor that makes a good transistion between a winter beer and summer beer. A nice spring brew. A really nice balance, its at first heavy malts, but it has just enough hops at the end to give a crisp finish. This makes it one you can several of at the relatively low 6.5 abv.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 20:39:24 | More by Liverpool08

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle with a Best By Date of 08/30/11. Pours a cloudy burnt orange color with a thin layer of head. Aroma is bready, boozey, and earthy. Flavor is very earthy and floral. Tastes pretty boozey which is a bit surprising since the ABV isn't overly high. Bready aftertaste. Slightly bitter with a bit of a tangy taste. Overall its a decent version of a beer style I dont have often. Worth picking up once in a blue moon (no pun intended). Can't beat the price.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 06:41:08 | More by PicoPapa

SunDevilBeer

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Yummy.

An under-represented style. Malty, sweet, syrupy, slightly boozy...but oh so drinkable.

Biscuit taste & smell up front, then washed away by sweet malt. Each sip leaves you wanting the next. This beer is different than any beer I drink during the year - in a good way without being geeky.

This has become my favorite BBC seasonal. At $3.40 per bomber at my fave packy, a steal.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 02:26:54 | More by SunDevilBeer

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brewed for The Student Prince in Springfield, MA

Served in a large glass stein a 2 finger wispy head.
Classic maibock color

Aroma is Fruity, bready. Nice

Sure tastes like a maibock. A sneaky great style
Lots of sweet toasted malt and fruit. Breast at the end. A touch of ABV present. Fairly assertive bitterness at the finish.

Medium body. Medium carbonation. Not hot but ABV present at all times.

Nice little beer

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2011 22:31:33 | More by Reagan1984