Berkshire Maibock Lager - Berkshire Brewing Company Inc.

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
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%
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 -16%
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 -2%
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 +4.3%
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 -9.7%
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 -15.3%
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 -14%
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 +2.5%
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 -12.7%
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 +1.8%
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 -2%
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 -10.9%
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 +13.7%
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 +5.6%
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

shredsofautumn

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Spring Release- Just came in-store today here in Western Mass at my local package store. 22 oz. Bottle is the serving.

Appearance- Holding a Maglite up to it for maximum clarity, I see a cloudy pale amber with straw accents. Good 2 finger head from an aggressive pour. Lacing on the glass from the diminished head is very thick and coating, much like their Oktoberfest offering.

Smell- Biscuity malt, boozy fruit, slight citrus undertone from the hops that I believe are hiding somewhere beneath the behemoth wall of malt in my face.

Taste- Wow. This lager is different! I'm not into bock/lagers that much, but this is good. Very thick and oily for a maibock, I taste a lot of malty goodness, ripe fruits, and lots of sweetness in the finish with a touch of lingering hops. This is a really sweet bock. Alcohol isn't very detectable in the finish. This is a strange concoction of complexities for a Maibock I can't quite describe.

Mouthfeel- Thick and creamy at first but washes away clean. Unlike most of those mass produced bocks/lagers. I think this beer has the PERFECT consistency for what it is.

Drinkability- I could definitely see myself sessioning this in big old steins while I watch the grass grow with my buddies. Try it out if you get a chance. It's a good BBC seasonal (like most of their seasonals.)

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 22:43:56 | More by shredsofautumn

bamadog

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I received this bottle as an extra in a trade a couple of months ago and wanted to make sure I drank it before it's "best by" date. I have to say I was quite surprised by this beer and would easily grab it off the shelf if I come across it if I ever make it up to New England. Review is from notes taken on 9/13/2010 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pour is a light coppery color and starts with a one finger slightly off-white head that fades to a thin, incomplete, and uneven skim; body is very clear and shows strong and quick carbonation; a couple of strands of lacing are left behind.

Smell: Some crisp and light toasty/dry/cracked grains; just a touch of sweet maltiness; perhaps some barley as well (?); smell is fairly robust... Hmmm...

Taste: For a style that typically doesn't do much for me, I really enjoy this one -- the dry and toasty graininess is pleasant and right up front, but balanced by the sweeter underlying maltiness; there's a slight presence of bittering hops and even a slight bit of alcohol; overall, a very good beer and nice for the fall, and I could see it being enjoyable in the cool nights of the early spring.

Mouthfeel: Body is a tad heavier than light and comes across a little slick; carbonation is present, but far from sharp and very fitting for the body, as well as unobtrusive; a semi-dry, yet still sticky coating is left all over the palate; cheeks and gums are left a little tingly.

Drinkability: Pretty solid, but not really an "all night" kind of beer as it sits a tad heavy after a while and 22 oz. is probably a good place to stop; flavors are great and a little surprising and quite robust and balanced, though, and I will gladly look for this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 01:38:09 | More by bamadog

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber brought back from Charles Street Liquor in Boston, a truly phenomenal bottle shop and then some.

Pours a clear radiant copper hued gold with a disappointing head and a marked lack of head retention. Zero lacing.

The aroma is sweet malt and yeast and mildly floral hops. A mite boozy.

Very rich flavour. I'd almost want to call it an imperial maibock. Malty. Sweet. Peppery. Malty. I know I said malty already but I think it bears repeating. Honey. A little toasty. Maybe a tad plummy with a hint of butterscotch. Very assertive delivery of flavour but the balance seems way out of whack on the malt side. Definite chest warming alcohol. Finish could be drier.

It's full bodied, maybe a tad under attenuated and lacking enough carbonation to help lift the heaviness off the palate

All in all a decent, full flavoured beer but a tad too fruity, sweet and heavy for what I like from the style and not something I could drink a lot of at any one time.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 13:36:42 | More by MeisterBurger

medic25

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass, pours a slightly hazy copper color with a nice thick head that quickly dissipated. Sweet, malty aroma. Taste is overwhelmingly one of malt (much to my enjoyment). Almost no distinguishable hops, mouthfeel is a little thick and sweet. A very pleasant beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 03:03:03 | More by medic25

bum732

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slight hazy copper, nice creamy head with good retention. Smells very floral, apple blossoms, soft melon, touch of spice, black pepper perhaps? Tastes of prominent earthiness before malt sweetness hits. Slight yeasty sweetness and soft bitterness leads to a doughy sweet finish where the grassy and earthy hops fade. Carbonation was solid with a good crispness.

One of Berkshires better beers, imho, which says a lot considering the quality of beer they make. Lots of those clean, soft lager malt flavors. There is a nice subtle spice component that i think comes from the yeast, adding more complexity.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 02:42:53 | More by bum732

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Late May Smutty vs. Berkshire Maibock battle

Translucent golden orange color. Thin dense head that was pooped by half glass. Smells like Triscuits. Triscuits and orange peel. Taste is unmistakeably a well crafted Mai but aggressive take on the style. Mighty hop spice floats atop a peppery, heavy malt sea. Orange zest again--where is that coming from?

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 22:15:31 | More by donkeyrunner

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

One and a half inches of fine white foam capped a clear amber/orange beer after the pour. The cap settled over the course of a few minutes, but continued to leave a bit of clumpy lace on the glass for awhile longer. Very malty aroma, lots of toasty grain, a bit sugary, slight fruitiness. Bitterness is solid and manages to balance the malt sweetness (again with toasty, sugary character). Light hop flavour, a little fruity, with a bit of spice and alcohol warmth in the finish. Medium to full bodied, just short of feeling sticky, average carbonation. I liked this one. The malt was definitely pushed forward, but with just enough bitterness backing it up to keep it nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 00:44:51 | More by DrJay

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Fluffy 1.5 finger head fades semi quickly over semi clear golden yellow color.

N: Sweet malts, a little creamy, some lager aromas with some lighter malts, quite a bit of sweetness in the aroma, but no real toasty malts.

T: Very sweet, damn! Creamy with some lighter malts, slight toasty here, some lager flavors as well. A touch of dark malts with quite a bit of light malts, and a hint of wheat even. Mostly clean and crisp though.

M: Lighter with decent carbonation.

F: Still very sweet, with a lingering heavy malty sweetness, but no real syrupy sweetness. Again lingering lager flavors with just a touch of bitterness, and a little toasty malt flavor. The sweetness just doesn't go either, it sticks around for a long time. Overall way to sweet and not as much maltiness as I would have liked, but pretty refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 16:26:17 | More by jlindros

FishGetter

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured right from my under the counter keg frige. Golden yellow grain color with a one finger frothy head. Great clarity for an unfiltered brew.
Huge sweet malty frame. Nose offers some noble hop aroma and an eye widening alchol content. Malt sweetness definetly the main focus on this one.
Pale grain flavors try to peak out past dominate malted tones. Mild hop bitterness adds a little diversity to drink. Alchol flavor means buisness to offering as well. Some buttery/butterscotch malt flavors finish off drink along with brewhouse yeast flavors.
Solid medium body mouthfeel is a big plus to this drink. Some alchol lingers in mouth.
Drink is more on the sweet malt side compare to other offerings of the same style. Sort of an American twist to style, similar to what American brewers did to the IPA. I always look forward to this offering from BBC in the Spring. Only hope they would offer a big IBU beer in there lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2010 23:36:15 | More by FishGetter

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Light golden orange, with small white head, with little lacing.

S: A lot of caramel and malt, with a tad fruity scent.

T: Very similar to the nose, a lot of malt, but an apple fruit taste to go along with it to make it sweet. Has a breadish quality too, which is enjoyable.

M: Crisp and creamy, if that makes sense, very fresh and enjoyable.

D: It gets old fast, with all the malt, but that's a personal view. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 20:49:06 | More by mostpoetsdo