Hofbräu Maibock (Urbock) - Hofbräuhaus München

gkunkle

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a transparent copper color with a 1 finger white head. Smells of light sweet malts. Taste is Starts with sweet malts, then I get a bit of hoppiness as it gets farther back on my tongue. Mouthfeel is just where it should be, in my opinion, if you don't notice the mouthfeel, it's just right. Overall this is a dang good beer, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would jump at a chance to buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 06:33:19 | More by gkunkle

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two-finger white head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Crystal clear amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Nose is light bread, flavor is malty bread with hints of sweetness but hops are there. Lingering bitter aftertaste. $1.69 for a 330ml bottle from Kappy's Fine Wine & Spirits Peabody, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 22:06:15 | More by jdhilt

dasenebler

Maine

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

.5L, best before 11/22/11.

Pours a lovely, coppery amber, very translucent. The head is modest but stays creamy and laces well.

Lots of sweet malts on the nose.

The flavor is richly doughy and bready, but also with a very sturdy bitterness, especially for the style. Faint notes of toast, cookies and cake. The mouthfeel is too carbonated at first, but settles in nicely. Alcohol content is noticeable in flavor.

This bottled version is good, but the HB Maibock was FAR better on-tap in Munich. Zum Wohl!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 23:17:10 | More by dasenebler

drabmuh

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a half liter Hofbrau stein at Stubbies, the greatest glassware bar anywhere, ever.

Beer is red and clear and heavily carbonated with a good head with some nice retention, some lacing.

Aroma is malty with a mild yeast character that fills it out nicely.

Beer is heavier in body that I expected but tastes nice. The beer leads off with this mild sweetness and a bitterness on the end with a mildly dry finish. Mouthfeel is good and the flavor is nice, if you are looking for a slightly heavier maltier lager that's highly drinkable, here you go. I'd have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 00:28:09 | More by drabmuh

sweetwaterman

New York

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(bottle ~ April 2011)

Appearance: Rich Amber color. Crystal clear. Moderate paile straw head that persists a good while. You could put a pint of this next to the word "Beer" in an illustrated dictionary. (Aside from all the lighter and darker styles)

Smell: Rich cereal notes that just keep coming. Toasted notes in the background. A solid nose. Not a whiff of hops I could detect.

Taste: Initial rich malt and toasted cereal waves swap back and forth. Cereal wins out in the end. Mild hop bitterness appears in the middle as a pleasant surprise. Finish is long and toasty bitter. Dry. Simultaneously rich yet palate refreshing. A type-specimen of the style indeed.

Mouthfeel: Clean, crisp on the tip of the tongue. Perfect amount of carbonation for the style. Very session-able.

Overall: Outstanding beer. Almost a perfect session beer, if not for the higher ABV number. A perfect transition between winter and summer beers?

Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 21:48:40 | More by sweetwaterman

argock

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap in a clear Shaker pint glass at Beer Run (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Hazy amber-brown with creamy short light beige head with good retention and some crusty lacing.

S: Light herbal noble hops aromas and not a lot of maltiness in the nose, only some mild caramel notes

T: A pleasant bock but a little low on personality overall. The caramel sweetness is light and matches well with the light herbal. I was very surprised to find that this was 7.2%. Very drinkable beer.

M: The body is mid-range for the style but pretty smooth overall. Carbonation is medium and the finish is coating and not very dry.

O: A decent bock that could use some more malt complexity but is pleasant and a nice afternoon treat, as long as the ABV doesn't catch up with you.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2011 02:42:26 | More by argock

Sachsenfreude

Germany

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

appearance; clear, light tawny in color. Off white head that dissipates to a thick film, leaving delicate lacing.

smell; honey-nut cherios comes to mind; very grainy cereal malts, with blunt nutty aromas, all held together with with a honey sweetness. Bits of grassy hops in there too with the slightest bit of alcohol. Really a lot going on but still subtle, amazing balance.

taste; I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of flavor and the balance. Very much like the smell. Most flavor comes out in the finish. Very malty and mildly sweet, the hops keep the sweetness in check.

mouthfeel; chewy but loose and easy to swallow, quite refreshing, with a wet finish.

overall; not the best Maibock I have ever had but still quality and for the price it can't be beat. I reccomend this gem as a go to example of the style, buy it by the case.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 16:04:58 | More by Sachsenfreude

generallee

New York

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a green12oz bottle into my Hofbrau mug. It has a very short description on the back label but there is no mention of abv or a freshness date.

Appearance: Its body has a deep sunset orange hue with very good clarity. Sitting on top of this inviting brew is a tall but fleeting white head. It settles quickly and leaves only a thin filmy covering which needs a slight swirl to maintain.

Smell: The nose is fairly light and simple. I mostly get notes of herbal/mineral like hops with some sweet toffee and brown sugary like bready maltiness for balance.

Taste/Palate: There is a balance here between sweet malt and hop bitterness. Its maltiness matches the nose with notes of sweet bread, toffee and brown sugar. This blends with hop notes that add some crispness and dryness to the finish as well as earthy/leafy and a heavy herbal/mineral flavor notes along the way. The plate has a medium feel with balanced medium carbonation. This gives it excellent drinkability.

Notes: The first few sips are heavy on the mineral notes and are bit distracting. Luckily this fades somewhat as it warms and more of the sweetness comes out. Overall I would call this a good average Maibock.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 20:35:26 | More by generallee

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Crystal clear, deep alluring amber body with sticky lacing. Lacing hangs onto the glass during your enjoyment.

S - Some mild sweet grains in the nose. Fresh and crisp but not a ton of scent notes here.

T - This beer has an unexpected level of flavor. I was expecting something much milder, maybe based on its clarity and color. Some sweet grains and malts but not too sweet or syruppy. To me this beer had a nice bite of starchy corn that seemed to fade out some towards the bottom of the glass. Throw a little mild spice in the mix to top it off.

M - Very smooth and clean on the palate and very drinkable. Great ratio of flavor:drinkability in this maibock.

O - A very refreshing and unexpected splash of flavor. Highly enjoyable and a nice style of beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2011 22:31:51 | More by BeerForMuscle

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap poured into a 1L stein at Hofbrau Las Vegas. Clear, caramel/amber color with a light tan head. Bready, doughy, malty, caramel, lightly sweet aroma. Nice amount of carbonation helped keep some lacing on top of the beer as I drank it. Lots of malty caramel flavor, bisquit, a bit of bitterness mid palate keeps it in balance. Light mouthfeel, dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 19:12:04 | More by CuriousMonk

BigPlay1824

New York

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Flute glass. Pours a nice light amber color with about an inch of nice foamy white head that dissipates rapidly for the most part. The beer is mostly transparent with a slight cloudiness and a very large amount carbonation bubbles which can be seen bubbling through the beer from the bottom up. These carbonation bubbles help to maintain the small amount of head that lingers at the top of the brew. There is very little lacing (residual foam left on the glass) with this beer, which, as I understand it is typical of the style. The beer has a very nice overall scent of a nice sweetness, possibly similar to dark fruits, and a very slight molasses note. This brew has a very pleasant taste with an initial underlying sweetness similar to grapes and a nice deep malty finish that lingers on the back of the palate. The Hofbrau Maibock, although it is 7.2%, seems to have absolutely no alcohol burn which really makes it easy to drink. The deepness of the brew really helps the overall taste, but does hurt how easily it drinks. Overall, I found it to have a simple taste, smoothness on the palate, and nice depth.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 02:51:17 | More by BigPlay1824

pinkano

Czech Republic

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - nice, very dark orange color
S - bitter and hoppy smell. Simple but really nice.
T - almost as bitter as some IPAs, and very hoppy. Bread tones are also present. Very well hidden alcohol in the beer body.
M - medium to low carbonation, but well balanced with the bitterness
D - very good drinkability. I am still playing with the taste and want to find out more. Very nice and refreshing one.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 21:58:19 | More by pinkano

chicagoabbot

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured 11.2 oz green bottle into a snifter. Lacy white head that subsides fairly quickly. Bread in the nose, and fruit, but not the huge banana bread nose of a Korbinian or bigger and cloudier doppelbock.

Hofbräu Maibock is incredibly clear and the balance is tightrope steady.

Their hoppy zestiness is right on the money style, but you don't lose the maltiness or breadniess on the tongue. Glad this one comes in 6 packs, fantastic beer if you're in the mood for a classic big bock.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 19:04:28 | More by chicagoabbot

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate copper color that is slightly hazed. Off white head with good retention and some good lacing. Nose is loads of malt with a tiny bit of hop and spice. Taste is malty with some light fruits lingering in the background. A slight yeast character is present as well. Body and carbonation are a little off, but overall this is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 10:41:47 | More by Thorpe429

rlshep

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Mild Pilsner malt. No hop aroma.

Appearance: Light gold in color. Poured thick creamy white head. Good lacing. Very clear. Lots of bubbles.

Flavor: Clean. Medium maltiness. Some toastiness. Very slight hint of sulfur. Medium low bitterness, enough to support the bigger beer. Not tasting any hop character other than bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel. It is not so sweet it lays on the tongue, dry but not astringent. Medium high carbonation. Alcohol is warming.

Overall: A good beer, shouldn't be off-putting to anyone that drinks it. I would score this higher, but I think the beer is lacking pizazz. A definite step up from BMC.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 02:18:11 | More by rlshep

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light golden brown color with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains honey, caramel, light malts, some lager yeast and a little bit of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready with a hearty malt character and lager yeast. Then some sweet flavors of caramel, honey and a touch of fruit. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a nice beer with flavor and substance that make it worth drinking for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 02:25:11 | More by TheManiacalOne

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not sure about the green bottles, but I haven't had any of the Hofbrau ones before.

It pours a nice fluffy 1.5 finger head that fades at a medium pace, over a very clear copper orange color.

The nose has lots of nice toasty and meaty malts, plenty of Munich malt, toasty bock style malts, some light sweet malty aromas, some nice crisp lager, and some nice fruit with raisin and other darker fruits.

THe taste is nice and crisp, with plenty of toasty malts again, similar to the nose. Some toasty lager flavors, a little wheat, plenty of Munich malt and Bavarian lager like flavors. Some sweetness, a little thick, and more of the fruit. A touch of warming booze. It almost has a chewy feel to it. The finish has lingering sweetness with more malts, and a little syrupy, touch of bitterness here as well.

THe mouth is medium bodied with a little syrupy and chewy feel with decent carbonation.

IT has a pretty good drinkability for being 7.2%abv. It has some nice crisp lager flavors, but a little sweet as well, and just a hint of warming booze.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2010 23:03:39 | More by jlindros

MetalHopHead6

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hofbräu Maibock is bubbly, sweet, and metallic.

It poured an artificial-looking near-orange, with champagne-like cascading bubbles, and a short and short-lived head. Little-to-no lace was left on the glass. The smell was all nondescript malt and the flavor was very sweet, with a touch of cherry, and a metallic aftertaste. The feel was crisp and clean with a pleasant dry finish. It was extremely refreshing.

Hofbräu Maibock hit the spot after a long bike ride on a cool late-summer day. Although not complex or overly-memorable, it is sweet, but not syrupy and has a great finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 21:57:18 | More by MetalHopHead6

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I grabbed one of these in a mixed six pack the other day at Martys in Newton. The color on this brew is a dark orange, almost amber, with a large crown of frothy white head. Musty nose brings forth butterscotch, fresh grains, brown bread, and something almost egg like. Taste is full of flavors such as white cake, herbs and floral notes, more fresh grain etc. The mouthfeel is much lighter than I would have expected, which jacks up the drinkability by a notch or two. Although this tastes like a sessionable Maibock, the alcohol that is listed makes me think otherwise. I love big lagers like this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 22:08:36 | More by jamie2dope

TB2

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Nice color (Copper Penny). Looks very nice in the glass.

S: took a whiff and then simply said: Mmmm

T: MALTAMAINIA! Tastes very good.

M: Heavy for me. The malt flavor seems to seep under the tongue and linger there for awhile.

D: Not that drinkable for a guy who favors light beers BUT if you are looking for a good German Bock Beer you could prob. drink this all day!

A Great Beer.

Well Done.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 03:45:40 | More by TB2

Swill5786

Kentucky

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I wouldn't have purchased this if I had noticed the green bottle. Too many bad skunky beer experiences - I swore off anything but brown bottles... Well, here goes...

A - Deep amber with two finger, long lasting head. Carbonation bubbles rise steadily.

S - Fruity/spicy hop aroma dominates. Slight traces of yeast and alcohol. No skunkiness. :)

T - Sweet bready start. Traditional bock "alcohol at the back" and hop bitterness lingers long into the aftertaste.

M - Medium body, carbonation rides the middle, dry finish.

D - Decently refreshing and quaffable. Pleasantly surprised by the experience.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 23:57:55 | More by Swill5786

tronester

Oklahoma

3.48/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a clear reddish orange with a big creamy tan head. Spicy clove aroma. Taste is pumpernickel bread up front, with a spicy, herbal hop middle and finish. A hint of alcohol can be tasted. Mouthfeel is rich and chewy, low carbonation. Drinkability is average, one of these per session is good, the flavors get a bit cloying after about 10 oz.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 02:40:07 | More by tronester

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Hofbrau Maibock poured a copper color that was almost red, with a small white head that bearly lasted. It smells spicey and a little bit hoppy. It has a very smooth and slightly hopy slightly spicey taste. The flavors werent too strong, but still very present. It was very easy to drink, and I could easily drink another. Overall I found it a good beer, very smooth, and just enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 22:39:40 | More by vette2006c5r

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear amber with a coppery hue and a short, cream coloured cap. Fair head retention with a bit of short-lived lace. Malty aroma, toasted marshmallow, caramel, bread. Slight hop smell, a bit fruity and floral. Low bitterness with strong malty sweetness. Toasted and caramel notes were evident up front, slightly grainy, followed by light hop presence. Alcohol flavour and warmth linger in the finish. Medium bodied with carbonation that was on the creamy side. Light dryness, but with a slightly slick texture. I liked the aroma, but I'm not sold on this beer based on the flavour. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to based on the smells I picked up initially.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2010 20:47:14 | More by DrJay

BranfordBound

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz green bottle with no freshness date. Poured into a pint glass.

Hofbräu Maibock pours a lovely amber with copper hues. It's completely transparent with gentle carbonation and spotty lacing. A two finger head of off white bubbles form from a fairly vigorous pour.

The beer has a pretty simple and subdued smell. I get some caramel with bready and fruit malts.

Thankfully, the underwhelming aroma doesn't even compare to the taste. Upon the instant this beer hits the tongue, there is a rush of malts and dark fruits. This then melts away into a sweet caramel which all fades and leaves a very delicate hop flavor and gentle bitterness from the aforementioned hops. Alcohol is hidden for the entire beer.

The mouthfeel is pretty nice, slightly wet with only a slight tickling of carbonation. Slight burn as it goes down once it warms.

If this beer wasn't so high in ABV, it would be excellent in terms of drinkability, especially for a malt lover. However, it does truly limit you. This is an excellent offering from Hofbräu, who usually make good beers. Worth trying in early spring when you're tired of roasted and spiced winter beers but it's still too cold out to break out the golden lemon fizzy stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 21:59:37 | More by BranfordBound