Does Sierra Nevada teamed with Cigar City create something different? I ask this with the last Beer Camp beer because SoCal gets a few CC collaborations and I have yet to look at the contents of the glass with wonder. Will Yonder Bock make me wonder?
I do like the idea of a Tropical Maibock. And the mixture of the guava notes from Calypso hops and the blueberry of what was known as Hop 366 aka Equinox should liven up a stalwart German style. Yonder pours a reddish tinted orange. Lots of initial foam that fades into the ether completely. The bock style comes through loud and strong. The Mai part of the bock doesn’t enter the picture for me. The aroma carries notes of a tropical cocktail. One you might find in a tiki bar. Pineapple and guava come through to my tongue.
This is certainly more bitter than your average Maibock which usually has more caramel in my reviewing history. This beer substitutes that for fruit punch and a little residual bitterness in the back. This is unique and I do like it but it is not the type of beer that blows your palate away at the start. You do have to search your memory banks to identify the aromas and when they come they do reward you.
I am a bit sad that the Beer Camp has left my ‘fridge. I wish a new box of 12 was coming down the pike. I could review these type of beers each month.