There is absolutely nothing like coming home and finding a parcel waiting for you from UPS…especially when it contains beer…especially especially when you weren’t expecting it!  Thanks for the surprise Buckbean Brewery!  Without having even tasted their beer, they made my day.  Besides the fact that Buckbean makes great beer, I like them for their humility.  I’ve never seen a self aggrandizing or “grovel at my ivory tower because I’m a brewer!” statement come from their twitter or Facebook feed.  Rather, they exude humility and a willingness to interact with their customers.

That being said, what did I find when I ripped open the box from Reno, NV?

Heck if I knew.  Buckbean really embraced stark minimalism on this one.  Two, shiny silver cans with nary a jot of text glimmered from within.  Coors has got nothing on these silver bullets!  I emailed the brewery prior to drinking to inquire as to what exactly was contained in the cans.  Maibock.  Maibock can be a great brew this time of year, but I’ve had a few craft versions of this German style brew that were utterly disgusting.   The point:  It’s an easy style to screw up.

But in all objectivity (yes the beer was free, no I won’t pander to the brewers feelings) Buckbean nailed it.

I’d just finished cutting the grass.  Then I had to bathe the kids (virgin eyes beware).  It was hot (95 degrees).  I don’t have central AC.  A beer was in order.   Upon pulling the silver bullet out of the fridge and into the humidity, it instantly was covered in sweat.  Having just cut the grass, my sweaty odoriferous body was already bonding with the beer.  It pours a golden brownish bronze and is a bit hazy.  The odor is fairly hoppy, citrusy, and there is even a slight acidic sour fragrance.

I’ll be honest.  I probably guzzled the first five ounces, and man, was it good.  In fact, it was great.  I found myself liking this Maibock for a peculiar reason.

It tasted like homebrew–bottle conditioned–homebrew.  Now that’s a flavor that’s hard to quantify.  The beer reeks of raw fresh yeast goodness.  It tastes like the way a sack of fresh grains smell.  I don’t know if this was can conditioned or forced carbonated, but it tasted like the former.

For a Maibock, this beer really has a sour apple cider feel to it.  There are flavor profiles that remind me a bit of estery Belgian yeast strains (which is unusual, since Maibocks are lagers).  The beer has a nice hoppy kick to it that really balances it well.  I am not sure what the ABV, but I’d be willing to bet it’s at the upper end of the scale…maybe in the 7.2+ range.

Bottom line, is the beer is good, refreshing, and would be a “buy again” beer if Buckbean’s distribution made it this far.