Do you remember when I drank Moerlein's bad Märzen last September and said it would "...most likely be the last Moerlein brew I ever drink?" Well, I threw in that "most likely" because I needed to give myself some wiggle room.
See, I'm not one to completely write off any brewery. Just because I haven't had a beer I enjoy from them doesn't mean I won't ever have a beer I enjoy from them, you know? What if, this fall, Moerlein puts out the greatest pumpkin ale to ever be produced? I don't want to keep myself from trying it just because the brewery's always missed for me.
That was my line of thinking when I picked up this lone can of Moerlein's Maibock for this year's blog bock season. Maybe, thought I, this will be the Maibock to end all Maibocks. And so it went into my sixer.
Let's see if my hopeful thoughts will pan out (I doubt they well, but I've been surprised before!).
Christian Moerlein is a Cincy staple. The name (and some form of beer) has been in and out of the city's consciousness for nearly one-hundred-fifty years. Their website says their brews offer "...exceptional flavor in every pour." This is true if one realizes "exceptional" doesn't equate to "good."
Maibock doesn't have a full profile on the brewery's website (linked in the above paragraph for your convenience), so we're going to Untappd. Its profile here bills it as a 6.8% "...Spring Classic...[that's] slightly hoppier and stronger than a traditional bock."
The lager's incredibly spring-like, featuring a bouquet of citrusy, lemony zest and malt (the latter here is biscuits, crackers, and toffee). There's no funk to be found from the hops here--just the clean citrus scent and a frosty morning aroma. Purrl, who's obviously feeling better this week, gave my can three upside down whiffs--it's not her thing.
Maibock's flavor profile's light; it's lemon and orange zest, straw, and biscuit and toffee from the hops. It gets a little cloying in the finish, however, thanks to a sudden rush of sweetness that brings down the affair.
EDIT: This is John from a few paragraphs in the future. The more I drink the beer, the worse it tastes. There's a kind of artificial candy butter flavor that's become apparent that I absolutely despise.
The mouthfeel's fine. It's a lager, so it's foamy and quaffable. It's be floored if Moerlein managed to mess up this aspect of the beer.
This can's like spring: Flowers are in bloom, the sun's shining, and it's warm. It'd be a perfect day if it wasn't for my allergies setting in.
I'll be honest with you. From the bouquet alone, I thought this was going to be the Moerlein for me. I was ready to give it an 8.5/10. But then I did the unthinkable: I drank the beer. The more I sit with my can, the more unappealing it's becoming. That fake buttered popcorn flavor is strikingly reminiscent of my least favorite Dum Dum (Buttered Popcorn). That mixed with the aspartame-like sweetness has made my rating plummet to a 4.5/10. So, it's better than Moerlein's Märzen, but only just.
Who knows if I'll ever find the Moerlein that does it for me?
