Rogue Dead Guy Ale, or how I came to discover the joy of Maibocks

I picked this bottle up from the Ship in a Bottle in Liverpool, it's a new shop linked to the Ship & Mitre bar I talked about on my round up of Liverpool beer bars a while back. It caught my eye because I've tried a few Rogue beers and they've been on the whole pretty decent, and this was one that I'd not tried. Luckily it turned out to be a little cracker.

The label really doesn't give the game away, with no hint as to the style of beer, what the ingredients are, or even an ABV percentage. But a quick Google when I got back to Leeds told me it's a Maibock, so I wasn't going into this completely blind.

Maibock is a Helles style beer that's been brewed to Bock strength but with a much lighter colour. They're usually fairly well hopped which helps to balance out that higher malt bill and stop it being too grainy or sweet. 

Maibocks are traditionally brewed to fill the void between the darker, stronger beers of winter and the lighter lagers (in colour and strength) of Summer. Hence the name, which literally translates as 'May Bock'. So maybe I drank this a few weeks early, but hey ho. 

It's not got a great deal of aroma but there's a faint fruityness and a bit of sweet grain that comes through.

The flavour is nicely bittersweet with a toasted, grainy malt backbone and only slightly dry fruity hop flavours. The hops sit muted in the background next to toasted brown bread and a bit of brown sugar. It's not overly sweet though and the texture is slick but not thick, adding to its quaffability.

Obviously I took the time to pull out a few flavours but really, that's missing the point. It's not a beer that demands your attention. It's just really drinkable, tasty and satisfying. A great beer all round.

Definitely a style I'll be seeking out again.