Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": Goose Island Maibock

Went to Goose Island Clybourn last night for the Swan Creek Farm Auction-ending celebration; the online auction brought in over $14,000. All of the monies raised from the various benefits wil go a long way toward helping Swan Creek's George Rasmussen get a new truck for deliveries.

Digressing, we had two very good beers at Clybourn last night. We'll run a separate profile on "Fleur" in a few weeks. Today, we're focusing on Goose Island's maibock. Goose Island — the brewery and the pubs — aren't known for their lagers. They tend to take a back seat to the ales. But this strong golden spring lager is just the tonic for ringing in summer. This maibock is malt-forward, which already separates it from the hop dominance found in many of Goose Island's brews. The malt itself imparts a honey flavor, with a slight hint of pine. carbonation is minimal here, but the head formed upon pouring lingers for a while. this is a strong beer at around 7 percent ABV.