The best German beer comes from Mahr’s.

Mahr's-Bräu is the original craft beer imported from Germany. (We're slowly creating a list of other beautiful Franconian beers available in the US, but Mahr's was our first.) The little family-owned Mahr's brewery and cozy adjoining pub is nestled in Bamberg, a beautiful baroque city in upper Bavaria that is justly revered by traveled beer-lovers as the best brewing town in the world. Bamberg is home to nine breweries that offer the widest and most creative range of styles in Germany. It’s hard to choose, for sure, but Mahr’s is our favorite among them.

Frankly, Bock beer is not our favorite style. Most German Bocks are clean, sweet, and bland – too slick for their own good, and too cloying to be very satisfying. And there are too many of them to begin with. But this Mahr’s Bock is different. It’s a little sweet, of course, and strong, but unlike the rest of them, it is only lightly filtered, and unpasteurized. That means a lot more flavor, with nuance and complexity that you have never experienced in a Bock before, as well as a warm, almost rough texture that is wholesome and gratifying. At the same time, it is shockingly pale and light on the palate, with a lovely fresh malt flavor, refreshing enough to drink even in summer (if you’re in the mood for something a little more substantial).

Like everything else from Mahr’s, this is a traditional style from a different dimension. Don’t give up on Bock until you’ve tried this one.

Brewers Website: click here

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