Big Easy Imperial Maibock - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

beergoot

Colorado

3.36/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thick, creamy white head sits atop a honey amber body. Sweet, grainy aroma. Taste follows the aroma with the addition of a soothing bitterness at the finish. Medium bodied, semi-dry finish.

A rather rich maibock with emphasis on the malt components. Fairly sugary with a decent hop presence to counterbalance things. The alcohol presence is there but fairly subdued. Overall, it looks and smells decent enough, but I think the flavors are a little over-the-top and slightly out of whack as far as balance goes. Would I have another one? Sure. But I would be open to checking out other options if available.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:54:36 | More by beergoot

Alextricity

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

"Mystery Beer" at Green Dot Stables in Detroit for the week of February 24th. $3 for a bottle. Bottled in November 2012. Since I had it straight out of the bottle...

1.) I won't bother going over the appearance.
2.) I won't be able to really give this beer a fair shake.

Smell: It's your typical maibock. It has a sort of "dusty" and dirty malt aroma with plenty of sweetness at the end of each whiff.

Taste/feel: Follows the nose, for sure. Has that gritty malt flavor, but a perfect amount of sweetness.

Brief review, and probably not a very accurate one (I was already three deep on an empty stomach), but I feel my ratings probably aren't very far off. Not necessarily something I'd seek out again, but definitely something I'd try again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 16:05:54 | More by Alextricity

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.5/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - slightly hazy garfield orange 1 finger of white head that dissipates quickly. No lacing

Aroma- some orange zest honey caramelized malts. a slightly bread-y yeast smell faint apple.

Taste- slight oxidized gives way to roasted malt character, toasted bread and slight graham cracker.Hops are herbal but clean up nicely in the finish.

Mouthfeel- medium bodied with a little bit of a coating effect medicine-y. Really kind of fizzy.

Overall- despite how my description sounds it is not a terrible beer. I think I may have just got an older bottle of it. The nose is great, I am used to a darker Maibock though. The hops clean up nice in the finish I think the slight medicine taste probably comes from a higher alcohol content, which isn't a bad thing in the slightest. I would order another but only in the tasting room.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 04:48:46 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

Mikicichb

3.38/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Mild & light, refreshing. I could see myself drinking on a hot summer day on the lake, but I give it an overall average. I would reccomend to anyone who likes a lighter beer, or if you are looking to cool off. 7% abv, its a good way to get the old lady hammered too. Idk hard to come up with enough characters for average brews.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2013 21:49:29 | More by Mikicichb

TTAmod

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle from 11/14/12 poured into pint glass.

A: Clear orange/amber with one finger off-white frothing head.

S: Nose is spicy, a bit fruity (grape? fig?), and there's a touch of alcohol.

T: Malt dominated taste profile. Lots of caramel and biscuit. Some dark fruit lingers near the end as well as a noticeable alcohol profile. Fairly powerful spicy hops stick around, too.

M: Smooth and creamy. Extremely easy to drink.

O: A good, quaffable maibock. The alcohol profile in the taste is a bit high, but it doesn't detract too much from the overall taste. Not a bad way to go for $7.99 for a 6-er. I love maibocks and Lakefront Brewing. When these two come together, the result is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:16:08 | More by TTAmod

Halcyondays

California

3.88/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours amber with a small white head, average retention, no lace. Good colour.

S: Nice caramel, almost a Munich malt/Fest feel. Light earthy hops.

T: Nice sweet malt, but not overdone, again has a Fest feel with the amount of dryness this actually has. Light hints of cane sugar and grape.

M: Medium-bodied, crisp, smooth, a very easy drinker for its size.

O: One of the better maibocks I've had, it's clean character sets it apart. Very much worth a pickup.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 05:36:52 | More by Halcyondays

chinchill

South Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle bottled in Nov. or Dec. of 2012 -- very fresh.
Pours a lightly hazy amber with a good sized but fragile off-white head. Slighty sweet, despite a generous-for-style hop load, and slightly boozy, as expected for style. Medium body with crisp carbonation. Well done but not one of my favorite styles.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 01:10:07 | More by chinchill

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.8/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured out darker than the last time I had this beer, I could have sworn it was more yellowish the first time around, but this was more substantial, about equal parts yellow and orange which rounds out into copper. A musty, skunky aroma, alcohol painfully aware.

Taste, like a mix between a maibock, malt liquor and kolsch. Devoid of hops. Alcohol burn in the forefront. A faint honey and lemon like twang to the beer. What is this beer trying to be anyways?, was a main thought running through my head after the first few sips. I didn't know what to make, it was alcohol and some other things would run in and out. Caramel seems like its bigger at times. Never really absorbs the alcohol or yeast flavors like one would hope.

I dunno, this beer definitely had its fan in Milwaukee, but usually they weren't the types into good beer, or at least not hoppy beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 06:40:46 | More by Beerandraiderfan

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Lakefront imperial pint.
7.1% ABV, Bottled on 11/14/12 on shoulder.

A - A good dump from the festive bottle fills the glass with a fine particle hazed golden honey color with a thick dollop of off-white, densely packed foam. Moderate retention for the head left rings of legs and some thin foam lace in it's wake.

S - Light floral hops and slight herbal notes enter just before a bold clover honey sweetness with deep malts closely behind. Big Easy almost has notes of sweet mead to it. Crisp overall, there's no indication it will reach a cloying level even with the bready biscuit and toasted Vienna notes.

T - The soft clover honey sweetness in the nose does nothing to prepare the drinker for the sweet, rich flavor of the beer. Imagine honey-dunked biscuit with a dollop of caramel on top. Grainy pale malt and toasted Vienna work in conjunction with noble hops' light floral and herbal qualities to balance out the beer for a very nice flavor.

M - Medium-full bodied, this lager is smooth and almost creamy, following through with a lower level of carbonation that never feels flat. Sweet across the board, noble hops add a faint bitterness on the finish while some toasted malt dries it out a bit; a combination that produces a sweet white wine effect.

O - Big Easy Imperial Maibock lives up to it's name, piling more malt into an already malty beer. Wonderful nuances of clover honey and floral hops parade around quietly behind the deep malty base. It's sweetness makes it harder to drink more than one of but this spring-time beer offers a nice look ahead to the warmer days while subtly warming you up on the cooler ones.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 17:52:28 | More by BeerFMAndy

tectactoe

Michigan

3.74/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a very deep, straw-amber color that seems to turn more and more amber/copper the longer it sits here. White head fads very quickly to a thin layer atop the beer, very little lacing to speak of. Slight honey and lemon zest on the nose, along with some kitchen spices that blend together and are difficult to identify. Honey smell becomes stronger and stronger as the beer warms up. Taste reveals some slight pepper, along with hints of nutmeg, spices, and heavy honey sweetness. Phenols are picked up from the alcohol, giving a moderate boost to the taste at the end and a warming sensation nearly all the way through. As it warms some more, I'm also picking up slight wheat and corn-grain smells on the nose. The bread and yeast start to come out a big more, as well. Faint hop bitterness hits middle to end, but it noticeable enough and well received; earthy and leafy in character. Honey and citrusy sweetness fade out into a potent alcohol and spice finish.

Unique beer here, lots of different things going on. Despite the spices, it doesn't taste like a "holiday" beer, and it remains very drinkable. The alcohol warms and adds rather than overpower and distract. Solid choice here, I'd be glad to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 12:48:09 | More by tectactoe

Strix

Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a pale orange, nice head with some lacing.

Sweet, malty smell.

Sweet malt, apple, spice, a bit of a grassy note, and alcohol in the finish.

Medium density, I thought it was a bit undercarbonated.

All right, but lacking that little something extra for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 04:34:39 | More by Strix

UCLABrewN84

California

3.48/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 12/2011.

Pours a slightly murky honey orange with a 1/2 inch foamy orange-tan head that settles to thin streaks of lace on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, and some citrus aromas. Taste is of sweet malt and some light citrus fruit flavors. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but very simple in its aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 03:24:49 | More by UCLABrewN84

jimmah120

Minnesota

2.75/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle born on 2nd week of feb. Tried out the Lakefront Sampler, even though they're very hit-or-miss.

Look is golden amber; small head. Smell is wheat and spice. The feel is very cloying and thick, like syrup. Tastes kinda like Steel Reserve; theres plenty of grain and malt, some clove and spice, alcohol, and an odd 'garbage juice' flavor.

This one was disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 03:59:21 | More by jimmah120

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled late Jan., so about 3 months old.
Kinda' faint aroma of rich pale malt, slight sweet water with a mild grain hint. Fine but nothing special.
No head to speak of. Rim left is white. Slightly cloudy. Slight reddish hue to the gold color.
Certainly rich. Sweet, almost candy like taste that intermixes with the grainy, near bready malt flavors. Dries out well enough and it lays on the tongue nicely. Flavor hints of the alcohol, but it dings my pre-fontal cortex quickly - "ping". Also a bit of warmth. Appropriately rich. A bit of shallowness to the flavor in time.
Moderately to a little more in feel. Holds a decent amount of cleanliness. Lower carbonation is fine with me.
This is alright. Rich enough that it would be rare to do more than one in a session - also don't drive if you do. However, don't turn it down if offered.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 03:05:36 | More by garymuchow

Fulky

Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Came in a six pack variety of beers I won at a Drawdown. Not sure how long it had been sitting in this basket, which could ultimately affect my review. Poured from 12oz bottle into a 10oz scooner.

Pours a darker straw yellow color. A light, but not petty, head that is frothy that withers fairly quickly. Not all that much lacing.

Smells of sweet malt, a bit spicy, a bit floral, couldn't really reach the hops.

The taste is fairly offensive, in my opinion. An awful overpowering alcohol flavor and very bready with not much else to speak of. The flavor honestly reminded me of a sweet bread soaked in an ages old adjunct. Nothing that I liked about the flavor.

The mouthfeel was average, maybe slightly above average. it had a nice body, and a smooth drinkability that is acceptable and refreshing. The flavor, however, dismantles my enjoyment for this.

Had trouble finishing the entire beer. Smells fine and drinks okay if it weren't for the flavor. Will probably have to try it again to assure that age or some other factor wasn't effecting my enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 21:31:47 | More by Fulky

Raebo56

4.45/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured nicely not to much of a head which I like.

Colour of apple juice, not gassy, but has a crisp cleansing feel like some high end beers from India like a Kingfisher Ultra.

I would mate this beer up with foods that are greasy, deep fried and or spicy as it cleanses the palate after each sip very nicely.
It has for me an excellent taste, not yeasty at all.

A keep em coming type beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 03:50:46 | More by Raebo56

TheBigE5

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured from a bottle into a chalice. Minimal head. A hazy, grassy, yellow amber

S - Sweet biscuit malts. Yeast notes.

T - Malts, dark fruits, honey

M - Very smooth, little carbonation, a bit heavy

O - Interesting beer. Definitely malty and sweet. Not my usual style of beer, but nice for a change up

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 23:36:35 | More by TheBigE5

matjack85

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I found this single 12oz brown bottle at the Binny's store in Plainfield, IL for $1.49. The label had month and week tabs printed on the side but nothing was notched, so I have no idea how fresh this is.

The beer poured a cloudy golden/orange color and made a nice 2-finger white head, but it all disappeared rather quickly and it didn't leave much lacing.

Sweet malt, lots of fruit, and a flowery hop aroma. I liked the smell.

This is one of the weirdest tasting beers I ever tried. It had both bready and caramel malt sweetness, but the fruit flavor was kind of sour - apple mostly but something funky as well. A mild but noticeable hop bitterness kicks in at the end along with a touch of alcohol.

Medium body with medium carbonation.

I'm not saying that the weird flavor is all bad, but it certainly is different from anything else I've tried. You'll have to judge for yourself whether you like it or not. Certainly an interesting beer if nothing else.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 10:49:34 | More by matjack85

kylehay2004

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A:single finger  head, little lacing on a clear golden with amber hues body.

S: sweet caramel malt and light hops

T: very sweet caramel malt with mild musty hop flavor. Sweet corn and lager yeast.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation

Overall: a little too sweet for my tastes. Not at all boozy. Smooth and easy to drink 

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 08:32:54 | More by kylehay2004

Nerudamann

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a flute glass.

Look – light amber/golden color, a little hazy, with about two fingers’ worth of light tan colored foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell – slightly hoppy, a little citrusy, and maybe a hint of spices.

Taste – very interesting taste! At first and through the middle of the taste there’s much of what comes in the smell, but then in the late middle there’s this wave of bitterness and tanginess that hits pretty hard but then backs off, leaving you with a musky quality in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – pretty well balanced, but leans a little more on the creamier side.

Overall – extremely interesting beer in terms of taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 04:15:41 | More by Nerudamann

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - a nice light copper tone to the body - slightly hazy, lots of off-white head

S - malts, caramel, citrus (orange peel), alcohol

T - sweet, bready, a little strong tasting on the alcohol, slight bitterness on the finish

M - well balanced, a little strong with the alcohol taste/smell

O - not a bad beer, but not one that is of my liking either. not much there in complexity or taste aside from malts.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 18:32:38 | More by facundoCNB

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

appearance: hazy gold. Slight off color white head.
smell: sour fruit and malt.
taste: sour apples with a little sweetness to off set the sour.
overall: This is a beer I would absolutely have loved a few short years ago. Still a nice brew but with the explosion of truly great beers, gotta grade this on a curve. Liked it, not loved it.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 22:25:47 | More by cindyjeffsmith

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this fine beverage on tap while out for some wings on Fat Tuesday. It arrived at my table in a standard pint glass, pretty well chilled.

A) Golden amber in color with about a finger of creamy looking white head. The head settled to a dusting and was well maintained. There was no lacing.

S) This was mostly malt sweetness, caramel, and some fruit. There was a very light floral fragrance.

T) Nice malt presence in the flavor, not quite as sweet as the nose but there was light caramel, a little bready, certainly some fruit, primarily apple, like a light cider taste. Not much hops. you could pick up the alcohol a little as it warmed, but it was really well hidden for 7.10 ABV.

M) A solid medium on the body front. Felt fairly thick and kind of creamy. The carbonation was pretty light. This went down smooth.

O) Paired this with hot buffalo wings and some dry rub jerk wings. It went quite well. Another solid effort from Lakefront. I would recommend giving it a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2012 01:47:34 | More by RoamingGnome

avalon07

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a clear consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Below average lacing.

S: Lots of malt in the aroma, but not much else.

T: Tasted of malt, grain, a hint of hops, and some caramel in the finish. Not a bad flavor as such, but the malt does tend to dominate it in a big way.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: On the whole, this isn't a bad beer, but it certainly doesn't separate itself from the rest of the herd.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 13:17:50 | More by avalon07

jwc215

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted last winter, shortly after the "bottled on" date. Reviewed from notes that were lost, but recently found:

Pours hazed orange-amber with a thin white head that barely covers the top. Minimal lacing sticks.

The smell is grainy with sweetened dry fruits.

The taste is sweet-ish but with some balancing hops. It has characteristics of dried fruits, balanced sweetness and some carmelized grains. It has a refreshing finish, with a medium to full body.

I'm not quite catching the "imperial" aspect, other than a high abv which is only slightly noticeable. Otherwise, it's nicely done and one to buy for a Mardis Gras or Carnival party!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 18:51:48 | More by jwc215