Plank II
Heavy Seas Beer

Plank IIPlank II
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From:
Heavy Seas Beer
 
Maryland, United States
Style:
Doppelbock
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 9.82%
Reviews:
41
Ratings:
109
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 09, 2021
Added:
Jan 18, 2012
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  7
This beer is aged on thermally treated planks of poplar and eucalyptus wood.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by billab914:
Photo of billab914
Reviewed by billab914 from Virginia

3.82/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle into my Mad Fox glass. It poured dark brown in color with a thin head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma has a pretty big malty sweetness to it with caramel and dark fruit flavors playing a prominent role. I get some notes of cherry to it, which I really like. I get a little chocolate along with a touch of wood, but the wood is very faint.

The taste follows through with more of the malty, dark fruit flavors. Cherry, caramel, a touch of caramel and a little bit of roasted malts helping to give it a little balance in the finish. Again, the wood aging is very light and I probably wouldn't even notice it had it been a blind tasting.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style with carbonation being moderate. Overall I thought it was a pretty solid Doppelbock. I didn't get much of the wood aging to it, but I liked the beer overall.
Jun 02, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.79 by psweendogg from Connecticut

Mar 09, 2021
 
Rated: 3.93 by harryhops from Delaware

Nov 04, 2015
Photo of Myotus
Reviewed by Myotus from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 22oz bottle (2012 vintage) into a pilsner glass.
LOOK: Pours with a finger's worth of khaki foam that dissipates into a quarter's worth after 1 minute. Dark brown in color with a mahogany tint on the top of the brew and on orange one on the bottom. Rising bubbles are very small in size and subtle in quantity. Lacing is moderate and thin.
SMELL: Has strong aromas of caramel that blend with mild aromas of figs, black cherries, raisins, plums, and oak. Hints of eucalyptus oil (reminds me of sick childhoods when my mom would take care of me) and alcohol can also be detected.
TASTE: Strong caramel flavors enter initially and are immediately followed by strong flavors of the dark fruits mentioned in the aroma. Subtle oak flavors enter next along with hints of eucalyptus oil. Alcohol flavors are nowhere to be found (better for me!).
FEEL: Medium-bodied and subtly carbonate. Go does down smooth, but sticky like syrup. Finishes with a moderate dryness.
NOTE: The alcohol was well hidden, so naturally this was amazing for me. I see this was rated much lower by other people, but perhaps because this bottle was 3 years old, it brought out more of the caramel and fruit flavors, which I love. Kudos to Heavy Seas!
Sep 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.97 by shivtim from Georgia

Jan 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by lillitnn92 from Virginia

Nov 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Thirstygoat from Illinois

Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sarge3130 from Pennsylvania

Oct 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Lare453 from Florida

Sep 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.04 by TerpsFreak

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by zestar from California

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by atrocity from Virginia

Apr 29, 2014
Photo of Jadjunk
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia

3.77/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
"Our 'Plank' series of beers are designed to showcase unique wood aging techniques and their impact on beer flavor profiles. Unlike barrel aged beers - where beer is put in a barrel - with 'plank' you might say the barrel is put in the beer. Plank II features a Dopplebock style lager matured with specially treated Poplar wand Eucalyptus wood planks. Look for rich, malty flavors along with woody notes." Brewed in the style of a German Doppelbock, this is the second installment in the Plank series, released as a one-off in April 2012. Available in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a Heavy Seas pint glass. Served above 53º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a mocha cream head of a frothy, crisp consistency over a very deep maroon brown with crimson highlights and varied sediment. Retention is average at best and there is no lacing draping the glass. 3

(Smell) Doughy, bready malts are very potent up front and a lesser biscuity caramel sweetness and light chocolate malt follows. No hop aroma or bitterness is present at the aroma. The aroma is very malt-centered with an insignificant aroma impact from the wood treatment. Balance seems to be equally sweet and acidic with a limited body. Potency is medium. 3.5

(Taste) The malt profile is a little more sweet at this stage- bready, toasted caramel malts with very slight roasted malt and a mild lager acidity. The body is somewhat full for the style, flavorful and quenching with an appealing display of ripe dark fruit and molasses. The wood comes in strong on the latter half, pairing nicely with a chocolate syrup sweetness for a complex and balanced finish. As in the first Plank installment, the choice of Poplar is fairly unique and combined with the inclusion of Eucalyptus, even more so. The dryness isn't as profound as white ash and flavor isn't as sharp as I usually get from oak chips. The wood flavor is fairly moist, young and slightly raw, and unlike Plank I, contributes more to the taste than the texture. 4

(Mouthfeel) Texture is moderately full, smooth, mildly chewy. Carbonation adds a soft frothiness for a mouthfeel that lightens the body slightly. The body is medium/heavy for the style, medium/heavy overall. Balance is equally sweet vs. woodsy bitter and slightly acidic. Alcohol presence is mild. 4

(Overall) The wood flavor comes out a bit better in the second installment of the Plank series, creating a young, slightly earthy and vegetal natural bitterness to compliment the sweetness and filling body that this beer has. I really enjoy the notes of chocolate as it adds a creative spin to the traditional German style. The mouthfeel does a fine job at highlighting textures while balancing drinkability. Even though Heavy Seas has recently revamped their lineup and put many experimental avenues on hiatus for the distant future, I am overly eager for Heavy Seas to resume this series posthaste! 3.75

Heavy Seas Beer's
Plank II: Dopplebock Style Lager
3.8/5.00
Apr 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Mar 09, 2014
Photo of BuckeyeSlim
Reviewed by BuckeyeSlim from Ohio

3.59/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22 oz. bottle poured into a NB snifter.

A - Pours a deep copper brown into the glass. A one-finger head of tan khaki loose foam disappears almost immediately, leaving a thin sheen of swirled lace on the surface. Held to a full-spectrum light, the beer is a very deep rosewood mahogany, and almost completely opaque except for a touch of light at the bottom edge of the glass at the stem.

S - Deep, dark, medium-toasted malts that appear rough and woody. Moist, dark sugars. Nose is quite subdued and needs quite a bit of coaxing out of the glass, but does present itself more willingly as it warms. Traces of light, floral hops pop up.

T - A chocolate malted thick milkshake with a just a touch of roast and darkness. Cocoa nibs. Hints of moist raisins. Just enough floral bittering hops to balance the dark malts and chocolates let them shine without being cloying. Lots of chocolate/ dark caramel echos on the sides of the tongue in the finish. Not a hint of the ABV from start to finish.

M - Somewhat foamy upfront, but delivered on a smooth, creamy base that coats the tongue without being thick. Moderate carbonation. Moderately full body, with a decently loose, but integrated, structure. Soft finish that lingers. Overall, the mouthfeel is smooth and mellow.

O - An interesting take on the Dopplebock style. The wood planking seems to mute the malts, blending and smoothing everything out so no one aspect is distinct, and winds up featuring malted chocolate. There's not a trace of the ABV, and the light floral hops, especially in the nose, compliment the malt profile quite nicely. This is definitely worth a taste. Would pair well with something like raspberry/vanilla frozen yogurt.
Mar 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Morey from Pennsylvania

Feb 03, 2014
Photo of far333
Reviewed by far333 from Connecticut

3.24/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Nearly black and opaque, low head of off-white foam that settles slowly. Aroma of caramel, raisin, and toffee.

Rich flavors of coffee, raisin, root beer, and caramel. A bit sweet. Not tasting any woody notes. Low bitterness.

Slightly syrupy with a slick mouthfeel. ABV remains fairly hidden. Overall a decent beer for the style, but not great.
Dec 17, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by BillRoth from Maryland

Dec 12, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by kasubot from Maryland

Oct 17, 2013
Plank II from Heavy Seas Beer
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 109 ratings