For today’s Advent beer calendar selection we travel to Bamberg, Germany, to visit the award-winning Mahr’s Bräu. While Bamberg might best be known Rauchbier (smoked beer) in the world, Mahr’s focuses on classic German styles; recently they collaborated with Sierra Nevada Brewing to brew this year’s version of Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest.

So it seemed only fitting to include them on the calendar this year, and include their Christmas Bock in this year’s picks.

Mahr’s Christmas Bock is imported by Shelton Brothers, who handles the line of Mahr’s beers. This 6% abv lager is a richer version of their regular Bock. Shelton Brothers say:

Well, Ho-ho-freakin’-ho! There is no better Christmas beer in Germany than this one from famous Mahr’s-Bräu, in beautiful baroque Bamberg – Germany’s renowned city of craft breweries. Not too sweet, nicely balanced with a delicate hop bitterness, this is a bock beer that you can drink forever . . .

Darker and hoppier than the brewery’s regular bock, this robust, flavorful bock was brewed especially for the holiday season. This is a brand-new offering from Mahr’s that sold out in two hours at the brewery. In the words of Stephan Michel, the brewer, “Dude. It’s killer.” Only a few hundred cases were produced for the USA, so get it while you can.

Find Mahr’s Christmas Bock on:

• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
• Facebook