Denogginator
Paper City Brewery Co., Inc.

DenogginatorDenogginator
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From:
Paper City Brewery Co., Inc.
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Doppelbock
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
87
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 15.54%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
30
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 19, 2012
Added:
Sep 13, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bigbeerdrinka:
Photo of bigbeerdrinka
Reviewed by bigbeerdrinka from Germany

4.48/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Pours a deep dark brown color (almost black) with a commanding offwhite head that leaves a nice lace on the glass. Initial aromas are sweet and fruity, demonstrating some grape and plum like odors. There is also some malt tones present in the nose. For flavor this brew is initially quite sweet and malty, giving off a hint of roastiness followed by an barrage of fruity notes such as raisins, grapes, and a bit of plum. There is an apparent sweetness throughout the brew, but a bit of spiciness from the hops, along with the nice malt keeps this brew in check. The finish is crisp and still very malty, with a bit of sweetness to boot. Overall a fantastic beer, not as good as Liberator but still fantastic in my opinion.. Probably the best beer by Paper City yet!!!
Oct 28, 2004
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Feb 19, 2012
Photo of agonska
Reviewed by agonska from Massachusetts

4.26/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
I've overheard the opinions of several people regarding denogginator, and although most reviews seem to be of a somewhat negative nature, a few things must be clarified here.

This is a seasonal beer, a cold-weather brew made in at least 2 or 3 different years. I've had the benefit of trying this one straight off the bottling line and yes, I wasn't too impressed. A good, but not great doppelbock, very dark, somewhat malty, with a heavy, almost overwhelming finish. High alcohol content, of course.

But I picked up a case of this stuff and stored it for a period of six months. It absolutely must be aged. After letting it age appropriately, this beer becomes AMAZING in all respects. The maltiness becomes much more assertive, giving it a sweet, smooth, and nutty finish that actually presents very similarly to that of a bourbon-barrel stout. The sweetness lingers briefly, while the tingling sensation of alcohol lasts a bit longer. All eventually fades, ultimately leaving you feeling priveleged for having had the opportunity just to try it. There's such smoothness here that I could drink them all night, if only each one didn't pack such a punch. One of the all-time greats on my list.
Nov 14, 2010
Photo of Proteus93
Reviewed by Proteus93 from Virginia

3.64/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to naproxen for the opportunity to try this one... nice extra:

A: Deep cola brown. The head is slightly offwhite, and very minimal... perhaps the pour was not assertive enough.

S: Almost a rum & butter scent, along with notes of toffee, sugary sweet malts, and some raisin.

T: Quite a sweet flavour of malts, caramel, some dark fruit, with some of the hops adding a touch of bitterness and an alcohol spiciness on the finish.

M + D: A medium, slightly sticky body. That stickiness, in combination with the sweetness of the brew, can make it become a little cloying after a while. It's not overwhelmingly so, but it could get to be after a couple bottles. At a rather hefty 8% ABV, it's not one that would be terrific for drinking a huge amount of, anyways. Not a bad shot at it, anyways. It's one that I think one could potentially warm up to.
Jun 21, 2008
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A vigorous pour into my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip produces a two-finger thick, lightly cocoa stained tan colored head. The beer is a very dark, burnt, concentrated amber color and shows a brilliantly clear, cranberry hue when held up to the light. The aroma is thick, sweet and chewy. It has quite a bit of fruitiness to it actually with notes of berries and brandy soaked raisins. Noticeable alcohol adds a bit of warmth / heat in my nose, but can be fairly subtle at times. Underneath the fruitiness is a rich malt character that provides notes of caramelized bread crust, toasty grain, sweet concentrated amber malts, something a bit like cola and some light toasted malt notes towards the finish.

Rich and chewy up front, but seems to thin out a bit pretty quickly in the first sip. The second and subsequent sips have a bit more palate coating chewiness to them though. Sweet tasting, almost a bit too sweet, which makes it seem a bit like non-alcoholic malzbier. Concentrated malt notes produce flavors of toffee, caramelized bread crust, raisins, . A light bitterness in the finish seems to be as much a product of the darker malts as of hop bitterness; it adds a hint of astringency as well. As the beer warms up quite a bit it loses some of the sticky sweetness, or at least this gets balanced a bit better by the richer malt flavors. A touch of alcohol adds a bit of warmth to the flavor.

The aroma can seem a little too sweet at times; a Doppelbock should have some sweetness, but it should be a rich, complex sweetness that this one doesn't quite achieve. Not a bad beer, enjoyable enough, but it could certainly be a bit more complex.
Jun 19, 2008
Photo of blackie
Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
a: into my Brooklyn snifter, pours a low, very lightly retained head that leaves behind an attractive deep brown lager

s: a gentle sour note lingers underneath sweet dark fruits (fig, plum, cherry), heavy toffee malt aromas, hops are negligible, just a touch of ethanol, pretty interesting all around and just a few complexities short of being a top-tier aroma

m: light carbonation and a medium-full body

t: biscuity toffee malts dominate here with just a touch of nuttiness, some dark fruits and a touch of roast, a little plain but still reasonably tasty

d: easy, I like

from ppoitras in No BS 3
Jun 18, 2008
Photo of fitzy84
Reviewed by fitzy84 from Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Surprisingly, the beer was available at Spirit Haus so I bought a six pack. The beer poured with a dark brown appearance with a half-inch head that laced away to a creamy lacing. Smells were pretty good, generally roasty malts and nuts. The taste has a very almond like taste to it; a little off for a doppelbock, but still not too bad. Other flavors included obvious malts with some smoky, woody hints. The mouthfeel helped make the drink somewhat light and even a little frappey, but I kind of wanted something heavier for a doppelbock. Overall, probably one of the better things I have had from Paper City; too bad its not brewed often or at all anymore.
May 30, 2008
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle, w/o freshness information. Pours, dark dark brown, with perhaps a glimmer/faint hue of darker purple. Fine, thin head, lighter tan, leaving splattered and fine nice looking lace. Minor nose of sweet, darker malts and some ripe fruits. Full flavor, bold brew, notes of dark malts, licorice, espresso, peppery cola. Smooth, heady stuff, likely would be a fine match to a pepper laden charbroiled steak. Enjoyable, sipper, well worth a try
May 18, 2008
Photo of nvsblman
Reviewed by nvsblman from Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Deep brown in color with tinges of red when held up to light. Light brown head. Chocolate aroma with lots of sweet malt and a trace of alcohol. The chocolate is echoed in the taste, also with some nice fruitiness. Especially raisins. Just enough bitterness to cut the sweetness. Slight hints of smoke. Well carbonated with lots of tiny bubbles. Pretty enjoyable.
Sep 22, 2006
Photo of edchicma
Reviewed by edchicma from Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance is the best aspect of this brew. Pours a drak, dark brown with a substantial head and great lacing. Smell is a dose of "super malt" on the nose. Taste...eww...super sweet...almost cloying.Mouthfeel was mostly creamy and ok. Drinkability suffered by the extreme sweetness that caught on the back palate. They need to tone this baby down.
Apr 24, 2006
Photo of bjohnson
Reviewed by bjohnson from Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
I've had some bad experiences with Paper City recently. Bought 3 different singles hoping to sample Paper City's offerings and have come up lame on the first two, so here goes...

A: Pours a dark amber almost brownish color with a half finger head that dissipates to almost nothing.

Aromas of caramel malts, but not very strong at all. Spicy malt taste that turns to thick caramel syrup sans the sugar. After the first sip its like I have a permanent coating in my mouth. Minimal carbonation with this one. Spices are obtrusive. The mouthfeel is all over the place. No consistency. Terrible drinkability as the beer has no balance whatsoever.

After posting this originally, I checked other reviews and it seems that myself and the last person who posted have had this offering recently whereas everyone else rated this highly Summer of 2005. We may have caught a late train on this one...
Feb 07, 2006
Photo of Longstaff
Reviewed by Longstaff from Massachusetts

1.52/5  rDev -60.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
First, this one needs to be brought out of retirement as it looks like this is a seasonal and not a one-off.

Unfortunately this season, this one sucks. I have to say "worst dopplebock ever". Looked good pouring out with dark body with ruby highlights, and looked pretty thick. Aroma of weird, grainy, husky, malt and slight fruitiness. This is so sickly sweet and cloying that even two sips made me gag. Flavors rampant with worty unfermented malt flavors like the yeast stopped working and left this brew unnatenuated. I don't know how someone at the brewery could taste this one and be proud enough to sell it unsuspecting victims, er, I mean customers. Should have been fixed by trying to get the yeast to finish the job or blended with a drier batch. If it was me who owned the place, I would not want my brewery judged by this piece of crap. They should be embarrassed to put this one on the shelves.
Jan 26, 2006
Photo of RonfromJersey
Reviewed by RonfromJersey from New Jersey

3.96/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
An inviting dark brown body, which takes on a ruby hue all around when held to the light. Topped by three fingers of light tan irregular foam (actually looks a little like foam rubber used in packing), which snap crackles and pops. Beer hear. As the head levels down to a table top, it's looing very Guinness like (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Nose offers a hint of dangerous sweetness, but wasn't as strong as the first whiff from the uncapped bottle teased.

Taste starts with a big burst of malty sweetness, but there is enough hop coverage to cut it back from ever getting overly cloying. The hops don't win this battle, they are just there to blunt the charge. The caramel sweetness slowly fades into a momentary hop tingle, before both give way to a warming buzz of alcohol. Not a hot burn, just a nice little sensation in the finish.

Nice full, thick mouthfeel. Drinkability is good, not too hot or sweet, going down nicely.

Nicely done, if not as huge as some examples of the style.
May 16, 2005
Photo of danadeny
Reviewed by danadeny from Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I cant find a date on the bottle but this one has been in the back of the fridge for probably 6 months. classic doppleback dark brown body, with a light foamy head that dissipates quickly. Getting a good malty aroma, not too strong and a hint a fruityness i find in a lot of higher alcohol beers that smells like apple to me. slightly bready. good malty front leads to a above average bite of alcohol and finnished with enough bitter hops to ballance out the sweet alcohol. mouthfeel is a little oily, leaves a coating in the mouth, but very smooth and light carbonation. Drinkability is good once your pallet is accustom to the alcohol.
May 12, 2005
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours with a three-finger light tan head, fades slowly and leaves no lace. Deep red/amber color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Nose is malty. Starts sweet with the malts, finish has a slight burnt raisin and bitterness to it. A good dopplebock. $1.95 for a 12oz bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.
May 03, 2005
Photo of PatandDavid
Reviewed by PatandDavid from Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Decent beer from Paper City. Appearance is a nice very deep dark chocolate brown. I poured it myself and was rewarded with a 1/2 of bubbly foam, which alas left quickly. Aroma comes across as sweet, with a whiff of alcohol. I enjoy the medium + mouthfeel, plus a the low carbonation. Rich malt, slight bitterness is the finish. I am wondering: what's the abv??
Apr 03, 2005
Photo of mschofield
Reviewed by mschofield from Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a dark mahogany brown with red edges, topped with a big creamy three finger khaki head even with a careful pour, leaves webs of lacing.
Rich malty aroma, molasses, floral, cream and spicy hops.
Molasses taste, floral, raisins, robust maltiness, touch of dark chocolate in the aftertaste. Not overly sweet like a lot of dopplebocks, but the alcohol isn't strong either.
Full bodied, very smooth with great drinkability.
Mar 24, 2005
Photo of Truh
Reviewed by Truh from New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Dreamt of higher office with this one on 12/9/2004. 12-oz. bottle poured in a shaker glass.

Billowy inch+ bed of plume head with a nicely creaming lace. Ruby red brown to widely circulated copper penny hue. Luscious malt complexity with a subtle charring character and just a hint of juiciness to nose. Light smoked oat/malt mix with a tinny wash and light coconut slurry. A crisp and entirely refreshing offering.
Mar 15, 2005
Photo of CRJMellor
Reviewed by CRJMellor from Arkansas

4.35/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to PPoitras for the bottle.
Pours a deep dark maroon/mahogany color. Big tan, foamy head erupts on the pour but settles equally quickly leaving uneven shards of lace on the glass and thin skim of foam.
Aroma of caramel malt, some chocolate and a hint of raisins on a biscuit and toast underbelly. Hint of spicy hops on the back end.
Flavors of deep chewy caramel with a hint of chocolate emerge along with fruity nuttiness. This is followed by a slighly numbing spicy bitter aftershock.
Mouthfeel is full and warming, sort of envelopes the palate and hangs on. Alcoholic warming on the finish with no discernible harsh alcoholic tannings present.
Drinkability is very high. Great for warming after snowblowing the driveway.
Mar 11, 2005
Photo of bditty187
Reviewed by bditty187 from Nebraska

4.32/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Really dark brown in hue, not quite black in the middle but reddish around the edges, it is a pleasant color. The head was beige in color, the foamy mass reached about one finger in height before steadily fading to a thin, clumpy in spots, cap. After a few more moments the cap all but disappeared, there was a thin collar around the edge of the glass. No subsequent lacing. Overall the appearance is good, nothing to noteworthy though. I was surprised at the initial potency of the nose but after a few sniffs it failed to reinvent its power. Upfront is a blast of roasted caramel and slightly nutty malt sweetness, which blends well into a hearty, dark fruit jamboree in the middle. Prunes, grapes, figs are the most noticeable; I even get a hint of orange peel. Before the finish is a kiss of chocolate, by now the beer has allowed the earthy and mildly spicy German hops to show. I can vaguely smell some alcohol notes. Inviting. Damn. This Doppel is tasty! It is big, rich and full of angry-ass alcohol! Roasted caramel malts kick off and the spicy, earthy hops are quick to tackle a clan of raisins, figs, dates, and prunes. They add some more depth. The dark fruit posse is in the house! There are kisses of chocolate along with a hint of roast. The alcohol is not hidden nor is it overbearing. It hits my belly before it affects my brain and I fail to taste it until about half way through the glass. At this point I can’t turn back. Why would I want to? This beer is sweet and vinous with hints of molasses and even some spiciness. This beer doesn’t strike me as a true Doppel but it is close enough and whatever deviation there, it is made up with pure flavor! This beer is very tasty. The aftertaste is long and rich with kisses of caramel and dark fruit and enough lingering bitterness to curb the sweetness. Almost full in body, the carbonation is moderately low but very fitting for the palate; the mouthfeel is terrific. Drinkable? Hell yeah. Do I wish I had about a dozen more? Fuck yeah. This beer is a great nightcap, no food needed or wanted here. Give me a bottle and a snifter and comfy chair and I’ll be very happy. Thanks ppoitras! This was the final beer from the 2004 Secret Santa, thanks for them all.
Feb 25, 2005
Denogginator from Paper City Brewery Co., Inc.
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 30 ratings