6.9 % ABV. Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.
It happened again. Two in a row.
Every spring, Town Hall Brewery releases a new Maibock, and on it's arrival, an event is held: The Blessing of the Maibock. A priest comes in, altar boys in tow, says some Bible-y things, waves a senser about, and a bar full of thirsty patrons raise their mugs in celebration. The crowd is guaranteed year after year, for it's all free, at least the first one. I think. I've only attended the event once, way back, because I usually work Saturday nights, and I try not to drink before work.
So, Maibock season comes around again and this time time, they can't hold the event. Maybe the five people allowed inside to wait for their food orders can fill in for the crowd? Nope. Instead, TH did a livestream on Facebook with the blessing. And to make sure that the faithful drinkers got their free Maibock there was a special deal: order 4 crowlers, get a Maibock, for free. Or order 3 maibocks, get a 4th and 5th for free, something like that. How generous. But, I'm a dummy, I misread the deal. It said "offer valid until 5/1" (the day before the event) and I read it as "5/11". Do I have double vision? I swear I wasn't drunk.
I didn't order a Maibock, because I thought I still had time to get a free one. I held up a different beer for benediction, but I didn't watch the entirety of the proceedings, because religious stuff gets me down. One thing for sure, though, I'd better get a crowler, because, one more time, I've discovered that in the 10 years of this Bitter Nib blogging, I have written about Town Hall and it's beers 192 times...but never once the Maibock, and why not? The slipping of the mind, as old age encroaches? Or, just that I'm always lured in by hopper/stronger/darker stuff? One of the two.
Before I could call them up and have one delivered, a crowler came my way, and I don't have "God" to thank for it, but Zack. What a fine friend he is, giving his extra crowler to me! The next time I see him out there doing stand-up comedy, and how we all dream of that lovely day that we can stand next to one another, without masks on, I'll give him an extra laugh for thanks. (And I'll buy him a beer, of course.)
Here are my original notes from June, 2003. I can't recall, and it doesn't say, whether these were notes from on-tap or a growler. Or whether this was one of the years that they did the blessing. It was the second summer I'd been visiting Town Hall, and the first year that growlers were legal in MN.
Appearance: clear amber color, great, solid, creamy white head.
Aroma: soft, sweet, honeyish.
On first sip: big sweetness ensues, honey, touches of citrus and other fruits, great, lusciously sweet, lingering finish.
Flavor resides anew in every sip and swallow, each time lip meets glass a resonation of honey sweet and luscious malt occurs.
Big malt, little to no hops, but terrifically true to style, in fact, an utterly exemplary example.
Sweetness never gets too cloying, though it shines very brightly and awards the senses with each subsequent consumption.
Continually ringing sweetness, a touch buttery, but every bit perfect.
I'll stick with those old notes, they stand up. It was only the second summer I'd been writing words about beers. I left them unaltered, but for the removal of exclamation points. I just loved exclamation points back then.
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