Friday, May 14, 2010

The Maibock at Fratellos in Oshkosh

If you’re out and around this weekend you might want to stop in at Fratellos and check out the excellent Maibock they currently have on tap. I favor bocks that aren't shy about showing their hops so this one is right up my alley. It’s a golden beer that starts out rich and creamy with the requisite malt presence you expect from this style. And then the hops kick in. They first come across as slightly peppery before quickly developing a firm bitterness that pairs well with the malt sweetness Maibocks are known for. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a hop bomb, but it does have a hop profile that’s more prominent than typical for this type of beer. The beer finishes with an easy dryness that closes nicely. This is a well made, well thought out brew that’s ideal for Spring.

If you want to dig deeper into this one, here’s a link to the brewer’s notes by Kevin Bowen, Head Brewer for the Fox River Brewing Company.

3 comments:

  1. Would your recommend a bottle, a grawler, or a pint at the bar?

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  2. I don’t think any of it has been bottled, yet. I had it yesterday at the front bar and it was just fine. In fact I liked it so much I bought a growler of it this afternoon. Haven’t dipped into that yet, but I intend to tonight. The beer clocks in at 6.3% so if you get a growler you may want to split it with someone. Then again, maybe not. Anyway, if you try it, let me know what you think.

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  3. We biked to Fratellos on Saturday. Had a couple pints of the Miabock and then purchased a growler. I enjoyed it very much and while I took my first taste I recalled your observations of the beer and noticed many of the descriptions you gave. The growler was empty in 24 hours.

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