Tasting Notes: Maximilian Lager

I was weirdly excited to brew this recipe when I wrote the original brew day post as a stand-alone. I was able to taste the first batch of this recipe at Homebrew Con, but that is not the same thing as being able to enjoy a full pour. Needless to say, I couldn't conduct a side-by-side of that batch either. 

This time I gave the beer a name.

I bought the tins of extract during a Black Friday sale last fall. When I purchased lager yeast for my recent Pale Kellerbier, it only made sense to re-pitch it for a batch that was already in the pipeline. 

The batch did get three weeks to ferment extra cold, before going into a keg for lagering. When I tasted the beer at that time, I picked up some diacetyl. I let the keg warm up to cellar temperature and sit for a week as a crude diacetyl rest. Then the keg lagered all summer until there was space in my keezer to put it on tap. 

For my commercial side-by-side, I saw Notch had their excellent Vienna Lager on tap at their Salem brewery, so I picked up a crowler. If that beer was not available, Von Trapp Vienna Lager would have been my choice from the store. 

More similar than different.

Aroma

Maximillian: Medium low toast and spicy grassy hops. Not huge, but inviting. 

Notch: Malt is a little lighter, hop aroma a little stronger. 

Very happy with the appearance of the homebrew.

Commendable head retention. 

Appearance 

Maximilian: Dark copper, almost brilliant clarity. Thick, foamy off white heat with beautiful retention and lacing. 

Notch: One or two shades lighter. Head is lighter in color and frothier. Retention is good, if not quite as good as the homebrew. 

Flavor 

Maximilian: Moderately toasty malt with a little caramel in the background. Medium hop bitterness provides sufficient balance. Hop flavor slightly lower, floral and herbal. Fermentation crisp and clean  

Notch: Compared to Maximilian, Notch is more bready than toasty. Hop flavor is higher and gives the beer a bit of a light rye bread (as opposed to rye beer) flavor when combined with the malt. 

Mouthfeel 

Maximilian: Medium body and carbonation. Finish crisp with a hint of hop resin lingering at first. 

Notch: Medium body with medium high carbonation that prickles the tongue. 

Overall

Maximilian doesn’t have a homebrew or extract twang, but it is darker and sweeter than the commercial beer. I don’t think this is kettle caramelization from boiling the malt extract. The extract may have been slightly oxidized, I didn't note the package or best by date on the extract tins, or the batch was slightly under-attenuated. With the low and slow primary fermentation I used, that can’t be ruled out. I am curious to see what the judges say at the upcoming Merrimack Valley Homebrew Competition.

Is my all-extract homebrew quite as good as an all-grain commercial beer from one of the most respected lager brewers in the country? Not quite. Maximilian is still an great beer to drink. I had some friends over recently, and one friend went back for a second and third pour. 

Next time I brew this beer, I do think I’ll brew it as an all-grain batch. If for no other reason, than for comparison sake. However, if you are an extract brewer, especially if you have temperature control, you absolutely should brew this extract recipe.