Big Easy Imperial Maibock - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

Ragingbull

California

2.35/5  rDev -32.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Dark gold with a a white foam head and very small but very active bubbles of prickle. Classic beer nose. Grainy flavor that has straw and raw wheat-like flavors that cause me to recall Bitburger (which I didn't care for). It is more mild than the aforementioned German brew. It seems to be very mainstream. I was a little disappointed as it was kind of a clunker for Lakefront in my opinion. I had a hard time getting through the six pack. . . I just didn't prefer it to other things.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2009 18:00:04 | More by Ragingbull

Fulky

Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -29.8%
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

u2carew

Massachusetts

2.7/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz longneck.
A) Pours with a thin, creamy white head then settles quickly. Slightly hazy. Golden color. Lacing is thin and slightly sticky.
S) Aroma is light. Even after letting it warm up a bit nothing happens aromatically.
T) This is like a pilsener on steroids. A blast of malt upfront mixed with alcohol. Nutty. Quite grainy. Finishes quick and with a residual grainy syrupy alcohol.
M) Definitely a bit of warmth from the alcohol. Fizzy. Medium body, a strong medium body despite the color. A slight syrupy feel.
D) A slow drinker even though it is at 7%. I don't think I'd have a consecutive one.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 02:39:06 | More by u2carew

2.73/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz. bottle.

Clear, light gold in color. Medium, creamy, off white head.

Aroma is quite mild. Bit of citrus - lemon. Touch of sweet wheat bread/caramel. Picks up quickly.

Malty, malt liquor like. Alcohol present. Some sweet, corn type of taste, DMS? Very little bitterness except in finish/aftertaste. Grassy in character. Not a well balanced beer.

Medium in body. Medium + in carbonation. Fairly refreshing.

Not to my taste. Leans more towards a malt liquor than a lager. Future travel plans will not include the Big Easy.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2007 19:49:47 | More by

jimmah120

Minnesota

2.75/5  rDev -21.2%
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

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance -- Pours a slightly hazed peach hue with the slimmest of fizzy white head. Even with a vigorous pour there was no head.

Smell -- Cracker grain, apple juice, split plum, and gentle spicy esters. Not terribly deep, but pleasant enough.

Taste -- Malty malty malty. Plum, crackers, apple juice, slight plum skin astringency, and a bit of earthy yeast. Hop flavor is slightly soapy. Lingering flavor is reminiscent of taking a shallow bite into a plum: lots of skin astringency, little bit of

Mouthfeel -- Full-bodied, chewy, with gentle carbonation. Great for an RIS, weird for Maibocks. Also, slightly chalky finish.

Drinkability -- Ehhh, don't care for it. Too thick and syrupy and with too much unrestrained malt sweetness. Your mileage may vary.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 02:28:22 | More by yeahnatenelson

Jbino34

Delaware

2.8/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

I bought this one as a summertime special in July. Held it in the cellar for a couple of months before opening.

The beer pours a golden yellow, a bit darker than a normal lager. Carbonation is fairly high but the foamy fairly thin head falls quickly. It is a bit hazy, maybe a chill haze.

Big easy smells tart and citrusy but not pale ale or amarillo citrusy more like it has quite a bit of lemon in it; maybe some coriander. Other than that, the smell is bland, just there with no great appeal.

The taste is alright. Definitely not something that I would toss, but I probably wont have another for a while. It could be past its' peak but I doubt it. Again, a lemon, coriander taste comes out. It is not as clean as a lager should be. I think of a pale maibock as a sharp beer, that does not come out in this one.

Mouthfeel is above average; as the beer flows into the mouth, it coats the tongue. It is fairly thick and enjoyable.

This beer is drinkable but as I mentioned earlier, nothing to write home about. It is a bit tart, which is okay if you like it but for me, it is not hitting the spot.

Overall, not a bad beer, but not a good one either. I wouldn't really recommend it unless you are a tart beer fan.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2007 14:51:10 | More by Jbino34

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.8/5  rDev -19.8%
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

EvilKeith

Alabama

2.85/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This one poured into the glass a lightly hazed copper orange color. The head was a finger of fizzy white foam that was entirely gone in less than two minutes. No trace of a cap or lacing.

The smell was subtle, malty with mild grassy notes.

The taste was a little bit malty. The main flavors I got were tart black cherry and a dry red wine-like hint. I found this to be very unusual for a Maibock.

Moderately active zippy carbonation and a light body combine to this one a crisp mouthfeel.

Assuming that the style is listed correctly, this was not a very good Maibock/Helles. Quite off of the norm for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2006 02:04:47 | More by EvilKeith

ibashmuck

Wisconsin

2.88/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Purchased as part of "build-your-own-six-pack" at local grocer. Poured a small head on a light amber body. Smelled very strongly of a typical lager, with hop sharpness very present. Taste was along the same lines, some sweetness mixed in, but that hop sharpness pretty well covers up anything else. There was a couple other tastes in there that screwed up the experience, a bit skunky perhaps, certainly off putting. Nothing worth jumping for.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2008 18:29:10 | More by ibashmuck

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle

Pours a hazy golden color with a small white head that fades. Mild lacing on the glass.

Aroma is mildly malty with a mild tart smell. Just a bit of hops in the smell. I love tart beers, but the smell is out of place for the style.

Taste is malty upfront with just a hint of hops and a mild bitterness. The tartness in the smell does not translate into the taste. However, the taste becomes flat and bland at the finish.

Medium body, mild carbonation.

Overall, a mediocre and rather boring attempt at a maibock. Not awful nor undrinkable, but unfortunately that's about the best compliment I can give it.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2007 01:39:57 | More by MaltyGoodness

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a pale orange-ish color with a white head. Aromas of a European malt sweetness. In the taste, malty and a bit sweet, clean but not as refreshing as hoped. It leaves an aftertaste of a sweet maltiness, and a small bit of citrus. It feels big in alcohol for a lager, as well as, darker than anticipated, but a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2007 17:47:04 | More by OWSLEY069

CharlesDarwin

Rhode Island

3/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Originally reviewed May 10, 2005. 12 Oz Bottle. Slightly cloudy rose-orange pour, lacking much carbonation. Head, mostly diminished, is off-white. Aroma of bread crusts and egg whites, with a hint of lacquer and acidic red wine. Rich sugary malt, that blossoms into a lightly hopped caramel sugar, finishing with a touch of cardboard. A little bitter aftertaste. I’m thinking light struck. Notes of brandy, fresh white wine, and an off tone or two. Palate is smooth, crisp and fairly clean, except for some residual oily wet paper and vanilla sugar coating.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2006 03:35:21 | More by CharlesDarwin

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Modest head, very good lace; Dark gold color with a chill haze.

Slightly skunky, which is surprising given that it had recently arrived to the store. I imagine that it would be a delicate blend of lighter malts. I cannot detect any hop.

I'm reminded of a Kolsch when tasting this. The skunkiness is much less noticeable. Light malt flavor, slightly sour, little hop. Creamy body.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2008 01:46:48 | More by smcolw

beer2day

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours deep gold with a thin 1-finger head. Faint retention and no lacing. Slightly fizzy.

Honey and grapes in the nose. Lots of malt here. No hops to speak of.

Hits thin and sweet. Tartness builds to the finish, but more from sour fruit than any hop presence. Surprisingly dry for the style. Ok, but not inspiring. I expected more from LB.

Feel is just not right. It wants to be a maibock, but the body is not there.

Not bad to drink, but much better alternatives are out there. I like the other LB's I've tried, but this one missed the mark.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2009 02:40:07 | More by beer2day

JoshRadTxist

Wisconsin

3.08/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This is my first review of a beer. Drank from a stainless coffee mug used for black coffee, then water, then beer.

A: Orangey amber clear (flashlight down mug).

S: Earthy apricot or other fruit / but reminds of that tangy sourness of flat beer.

T: Malty and alcohol, nice bitterness. Overly sweet towards the beginning, but this tapers off with drinking. Aftertaste similar to mass-marketed beers.

M: Decent body to it, effervescent, but without tongue sensing the carbonation. Overall oily even for a bock, leaving a film. Thumbs down on mouthfeel.

D: I would choose this beer over mass-marketed lagers and ales. Though it's my first maibock, I am not impressed. Certainly this style can be done better.

BTW I am a huge fan of Lakefront's Eastside Dark and Cream City Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2010 01:19:14 | More by JoshRadTxist

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.1/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Lovely, bright, tea-stained orange. Head is poofy and white with fair retention and fine bubbles.

Smell: Surprisingly mild for something called an "imperial maibock." Maibocks are already meant to be strong and sharp, so I would think that an "imperial" maibock would be intensely strong and sharp. This is not particularly strong or sharp at all, but having said that, it smells nice. Lightly fruity with big vinous notes, full of melon, pear, white grape, and raspberry. There is also a hint of caramelized sugar, reminiscent of circus peanuts. There is also a tiny suggestion of nuts and a big drop of triple sec.

Taste: What exactly makes this imperial? It doesn't taste strong at all, both in terms of overall flavor and alcoholic heat. This is pleasant, but simple, and if it is high-alcohol then it hides it very well. Mostly it is characterized by a mild and sweet malt base full of burnt sugar, cotton candy, and rum with a nice orangey edge.

Mouthfeel: Pleasantly smooth and dry, and fairly thin.

Drinkability: I don't really get this beer - why not just call it an ordinary maibock? - but it is pretty good. Just don't expect anything exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 13:32:37 | More by soulgrowl

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a light brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smells of malts with a bit of sweetness and some hops. Tastes of hops with a degree of sweetness to it. Feels medium bodied in the mouth. Drinkability is decent. Overall not a bad beer, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2009 00:01:41 | More by tone77

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a plastic tumbler.

Is it Mardis Gras time already? Alright. This seemingly appropriately-themed brew pours a lightly hazy golden straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises caramel, maple syrup, and a slight tinge of orange peel. The taste holds notes of grass, caramel, and buttery biscuits. These do not go well together, let me tell you. The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly syrupy feel. Overall, a decent maibock, but not really something I'm gonna look for again.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 23:07:27 | More by TMoney2591

TheSarge

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nearing the end of my 8 pack taster pack, next to last I try this "Imperial Maibock."

Thin amount of bright white head, and has a slightly hazy dark gold colored body.

In the aroma there is a white wine and slightly boozy aroma, along with some grainy huskiness.

Has an intriguing caramel flavor... Overall very sweet with no vegetable or herbal flavors I associate with this style.

Creamy in body... Normally dry from my past experiences. A good beer but not what I'd expect from a beer designated to be in this genre of beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 02:00:00 | More by TheSarge

cjgator3

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle

A- Pours a hazy amber color with an off-white head.

S- The aroma is malty and bready with some caramel.

T- The taste like the aroma is toasted malts with some caramel as well.

M- the mouthfeel is between light and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, not a bad brew but probably not something I would purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 01:36:02 | More by cjgator3

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: There was sediment on the bottom of the bottle, so I poured this copper-orange beer out really easy. The beer was still pretty cloudy. There was a solid inch of foam on the beer made up of tight bubbles that retained pretty well. Overall the head lasted a few minutes before settling.

Aroma: Very restrained aroma. I can get a bit of the alcohol here that comes across with a bit of a sherry note at first pour. As it warms a bit, it is taking on the aroma of peaches. It's pleasant, but not what I was expecting from a Doppel/Mai Bock.


Taste: The taste isn't too far from the nose. It really is a pretty fruity beer, and it surprises me that it is a lager at all. Perhaps the yeast sediment was allowed to change the flavor profile of this beer so much, that it has lost its lager qualities. It’s not objectionable, so it's almost hard to believe that it is not intended. I wonder if I put this beer down for a few years...if I will have a Flanders? Hmmm...

Though this particular example doesn't fit the style of a MaiBock, I didn't want to slam it too hard. It is a clean beer though it seems to have some age on it. I would try it again...especially closer to the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2005 03:08:52 | More by SkeeterHawk

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. Lakefront's Big Easy pours out a mostly clear golden brown color with a small head. Toasted malt aroma. The flavor is very sweet and malty. Some banana and apple flavors. Almost tastes like a hefeweizen. The finish is weak, with very little memorable flavor. Alcohol is well hidden. Medium is a little creamy. Carbonation is very low. This beer could have used some hops. As it stands, it is one-dimensional in flavor. Mediocre at best.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2006 18:24:48 | More by beveragecaptain

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

UNINTENTIONALLY AGED BEER REVIEW
Date Notches indicate bottling second week of December. Uh-oh. This has been "lost" in the very back of my fridge for five months, so lets keep that in mind as we consume and review. At least it was refrigerated the entire time. Despite having a novice's enthusiasm for aged beers and a year-old cellar in the basement, somebody wiser than myself in the ways of beer aging once told me that "Maibocks don't age well, they fall apart rather quickly" and I believed him so much that I never bothered to try doing it. And now we get a psuedo-aged (because of refrigeration, things change much slower) bottle by accident.

Pours a hazy honey color with absolutely no foam or head at all. Not even lacing. However the beer is still pleasingly carbonated. Nose at first is is a brief fragrant floral hop hit that falls into earthy tones and than reveals an egg challah loaf-like bready malt scent. I wonder if that "egginess" can be attributed to Burtonization with sulphur ions? It doesn't directly smell of sulphur, though, thats for certain. It is still quite tasty, mellow pale malt flavor with surprisingly low oxidation or staleness. Although there is a tiny bit of staleness, it is not even close to my threshold of tolerance. Tastes of challah, just like it smells, with a butter pat on top from the oxidation. Only problem I have is that fleeting burst of floral hops, once dissipated from initial opening, is gone forever from taste and nose. Damn. As one might expect, I've killed the hops. I'm left with earthy malt and bread. Sadly, I find it sort of one-dimensional and lackluster without those floral hallertauer notes. You can tell that is exactly what is needed to make this a great beer, as well. Mouthfeel is refreshing and the ABV is well hidden.

So, lesson reinforced. Maibocks, best consumed fresh.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 18:51:07 | More by WastingFreetime

Jredner

Florida

3.23/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle from Beer World of Largo

Has next to no aroma. A vague "smell" but I wouldn’t even hazard a guess as to what smell that is. Ok I will..it’s kinda a vague alcohol enrinched caramel candy smell, but it is very faint. You have to get your nose wet to smell it. The color is a lusterous amber/orange with a diminishing thumb thick white head. Quite pretty coloring. Fore yields caramel malts, more alcohol flavor than you’d expect from a 6% beer and some mild spice and yeasty notes toward the finish. Not bad really as American Bocks go.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2006 07:42:53 | More by Jredner