Beer Reviews, Lagers, Specialty Brews

Review: Erie Brewing Golden Fleece Maibock

Some bottles from Erie Brewing Co appeared in my fridge recently, so I opted to try the Golden Fleece Maibock in my quest to let Bocks grow on me – I haven’t seen too many Maibocks from American breweries before. Erie Brewing is located in (surprise!) Erie, PA, and the Maibock is their spring seasonal. It was light amber/gold in color, and had minimal head. The thing that really hit me was the maltiness. I’m a big fan of malt, but this seemed a bit harsh – it had a flavor similar to what you’d get actually chewing on grain. Luckily, that flavor diminished as I tried a bit more. It also had a slightly sour flavor, but that was quickly overcome by the sweetness. Part of the reason I don’t drink a lot of Bocks is that I’m not a huge fan of sweetness in my beer, but this one was pretty balanced. With that level of sweetness comes a high alcohol level, but this beer didn’t hit you with the alcohol taste, which was good. Overall, I wasn’t a huge fan of this beer (the initial grainy taste), but it wasn’t terrible either. However, I’m still going to keep trying other types of Bocks to get a better sense of the range of options out there.