Hi guys.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying Mastodon (The Hunter) produced by Mahr’s Brau located in Bamberg, Germany.

I don’t really know what to expect from this brew.  Even though I have listened to the band Mastodon for several years I had actually never even heard of this beer until I saw the bottle.  The label looked cool enough, so I picked one up and decided to give it a test drive.

The website, mahrs-braeu.de, is still under construction, yet I was able to find a cool little description from ratebeer.com. 

Let’s be honest: You’re probably more likely to take illegal substances while you listen to the heavy metal band Mastodon. But Mastodon and their crew had the opportunity to get shitfaced legally while they were playing the recent Sonisphere stop in Hockenheim, Germany on Saturday. Stephan Michel of Mahr’s Brau brewery created a limited edition Mastodon Premium Lager that was handed out to Mastodon and their crew at the show. They were reportedly “swallowing”. 

Let’s try it.

This brew comes in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 5.2%.

It poured a hazy orange to light amber color.  Some bright, burnt orange and yellow highlights were shown around the edges when held toward a light source.  The head was off white, sized nicely, smooth, soft and kind of creamy.  The retention time was just ok and lacing was mostly “so-so”.

The nose smelled crisp and clean.  A fragrance of grain and grassy hops dominated at first.  They were soon followed by white bread and wafer notes, which eventually gave way to a fruity pear aroma.  Not too bad really.  Nothing too complicated or elaborate though.  Pretty straight forward.

The taste was nearly identical to the smell.  Crisp, clean crackers and white bread touches.  Plenty of graininess along with the expected grassy hops.  A very light herbal quality was made known throughout the entire drinking experience.  The hop bitterness was very low and the strength of the taste was rather subdued and easy going.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  Dry, soft, smooth, crisp and kind of refreshing.  The carbonation was nice and lively and a decent amount of flavor was left behind after each sip.

Well, this brew was solid enough.  I don’t know that it quite holds the “oomph” and “punch” that the band provides, but it was still an enjoyable drink nonetheless.  The drinkability was outstanding, and like most Pilsner styled beers it would fit perfectly with the warm weather of Spring and Summer.  I’d drink it again for sure, but if you were to do a bit of taste testing with various beers of this style you may find that some of the others on the market exceed this one.  It’s far from bad, but I didn’t really find anything extraordinary that would put the Mahr’s Brau Mastodon (The Hunter) above any other.  With that being said, pick it up and give it a try.  It may be the beer you been looking for.  Be sure to leave a comment and tell me all about your opinion.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  3.6 out of 5
Grade:  B