It's time for the maibocks. Wisconsin Brewing Company is gently hinting that its version is the GOAT.
April is the height of maibock availability. Among those I’ve been enjoying most this year is Wisconsin Brewing Company’s GOAT, a solid example of the traditional German maibock, a style that is all about the subtleties of malt. GOAT is a dark golden lager, soft, smooth and easy drinking, with an inviting sweetness from Vienna and Pilsner malts. There is also the herbal accent of Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops. Brewmaster Kirby Nelson is well known for his German lagers. GOAT has actually evolved over the past few years, emerging from the brewery’s previous maibocks including Betrayal Ale and Big Sweet Life.
“The beauty of the maibock is in the malt, and how balanced and approachable the style can be,” says Nelson. This year’s batch of GOAT got a slight tweaking by Nelson’s use of the German Nobel hops, which may seem like a subtle change — but to those who appreciate the style, it’s a welcome nod to traditional ingredients that doesn’t go unnoticed. GOAT finishes at 6.8 percent ABV and about 22 IBUs (six-packs of 12 ounce cans cost about $10).
Another great local maibock is Defrostinator from Working Draft Beer Company. Brewer Clint Lohman has had this beer in the fermenter since early February, allowing it plenty of time to slowly condition at low temperatures. This is an orange-copper-colored maibock made with Pilsner malt for soft breadiness and honey-like sweetness. Working Draft’s is strong at 7 percent ABV. Look for to be released during the last week of April (four-packs of 16 ounce cans are about $18)
Bubbly pilsner
Bill Morgan, brewer at Full Mile Beer Company and Kitchen in Sun Prairie, has been creating a lot of buzz in the beer community since taking over the brewhouse a year ago. This month Morgan has a Czech pilsner on tap. My early taste out of the fermenter a few weeks ago was a special treat. It is a
Robin Shepard
Co-owner C.J. Hall at Full Mile with the pilsner.
beautiful example of the style, with bubbly, sparkling bright golden color, and delicate herbal and floral notes from Czech Saaz hops. I really like the hint of sweet toasted maltiness from floor-malted Czech pilsner malts, yet this beer remains crisp and clean. Full Mile’s Czech pilsner finishes at 5.2 percent ABV and is available only in the brewpub’s taproom ($6.50 glass / $12 crowler).
A pumpernickel porter
Vintage Brewing Company’s Scott Manning has been working on a pumpernickel porter. Manning used a sour mash (think tangy sourdough bread) and then steeped caraway seeds in the fermenting beer. The result is a spicy rye-like quality to the dark roasted malts of the porter. “I just love dark sourdough bread and the caraway adds distinctive bittersweetness and pepper to the flavor,” says Manning. Vintage’s pumpernickel porter is expected to be on tap in mid- to late April at all Vintage locations; its price was not available at press time.
Brewery watch
Over the past few months you may have noticed more Badger State Brewing Company beers on local shelves. Currently the Green Bay brewer self-distributes here, but has been upping its presence as it plans to sign on with a distributor by mid-summer. That means Madison will soon be seeing even more selections from Badger State. Currently among the beers to keep an eye out for is Grassy Place IPA. The name is a nod to how Indigenous peoples described the original landscape of Wisconsin. This hazy is loaded with hop aroma and juicy hints of orange, melon and grapefruit from Citra and Eldorado hops. It finishes at 6.7 percent ABV and it’s sold in four-packs of 16-ounce cans (about $12). A lighter version called Caddyshack comes in at 4.4 percent ABV, and it should be hitting Madison shelves by the end of April. Company founder Andrew Fabry is a UW-Madison alum; having more of his beer here means a lot to him.
Lucky’s 1313 has a new brewmaster — Mike Lienau, who brewed for three years at Rockhound Brewing before it closed in fall 2020, has taken over the brewhouse. Lienau was hired last January, replacing Chris Rusu and before him Keith Symonds. To become acquainted with Lucky’s brew house Lienau has been using the brewery’s small one-barrel system. There’s a larger 10-barrel system used for core beers at Lucky’s on Regent Street and its sister restaurant in Lodi, Lucky’s Bar and Grill on the Lake. In mid-March Lienau released a cranberry stout for St. Paddy’s day made with chocolate malt for color and sweetness, cranberry extract for a touch of tart fruitiness, and then fermented with Norwegian kveik yeast known for hints of lemon and earthy nuttiness. Lienau’s small, limited releases make watching this brewpub worthwhile.
