Spaten Optimator | Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Brewed by:
Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Germany
franziskaner-weissbier.de
Style: Doppelbock
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.60%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 04-06-1999
Ratings: 3,045 | Reviews: 1,332
4.07/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.89/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A: [3.75] The bottle lists the ABV (7.6%) and there is a best by date (05/01/2017). Dark brown beer with lots of red highlights when back-lit. The beer has 1 finger of off white to tannish head. The head settles to 1/4 finger.
S: [3.50] Brown bread, slight booze, caramel, vegital scent.
T: [4.00] Caramel, cocoa, leather, vanilla cream.
M: [4.25] Smooth body. The cream taste is also a feel at the end. Good carbonation level and finish.
O: [4.00] Overall this tastes like a Scotch Ale mixed with vanilla. The creamy taste and feel set it apart and make it really nice. The biggest ding is the nose but the taste and body make up for that. This is a really enjoyable beer.
685 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A: [3.75] The bottle lists the ABV (7.6%) and there is a best by date (05/01/2017). Dark brown beer with lots of red highlights when back-lit. The beer has 1 finger of off white to tannish head. The head settles to 1/4 finger.
S: [3.50] Brown bread, slight booze, caramel, vegital scent.
T: [4.00] Caramel, cocoa, leather, vanilla cream.
M: [4.25] Smooth body. The cream taste is also a feel at the end. Good carbonation level and finish.
O: [4.00] Overall this tastes like a Scotch Ale mixed with vanilla. The creamy taste and feel set it apart and make it really nice. The biggest ding is the nose but the taste and body make up for that. This is a really enjoyable beer.
685 characters
3.85/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deleted Review
12 oz. Bottle
Pours a very nice dark brown color, with some pretty nice carbonation, with a nice thick/creamy one-finger off-white head, which leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, yeasty, slight dark fruits. The taste is malty, yeasty, some dark fruits. Medium body. Overall, a very tasty brew.
339 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deleted Review
12 oz. Bottle
Pours a very nice dark brown color, with some pretty nice carbonation, with a nice thick/creamy one-finger off-white head, which leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, yeasty, slight dark fruits. The taste is malty, yeasty, some dark fruits. Medium body. Overall, a very tasty brew.
339 characters
3.86/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.93/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.75/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.68/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a reddish brown color. Complete clarity in the beer other than some carbonation bubbles. Thin off-white head dissipates quickly leaving just a ring of tan foam along the outside of the beer.
Smell has notes of bready malts, sweet dark fruits, strong malts and some mild earthy aromas - hops, but not a hop aroma per se.
Taste follows the nose with notes of bready malts, dark fruits, raisins, prunes, some mild earthy hops. Simple and straightforward but a solid example of the style.
Feel is a bit light for the style, but that makes it very easy drinking. Medium prickly carbonation. Smooth with a somewhat surprisingly drier finish.
Overall a very well done doppelbock. Not the best of the style, but a solid example.
734 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a reddish brown color. Complete clarity in the beer other than some carbonation bubbles. Thin off-white head dissipates quickly leaving just a ring of tan foam along the outside of the beer.
Smell has notes of bready malts, sweet dark fruits, strong malts and some mild earthy aromas - hops, but not a hop aroma per se.
Taste follows the nose with notes of bready malts, dark fruits, raisins, prunes, some mild earthy hops. Simple and straightforward but a solid example of the style.
Feel is a bit light for the style, but that makes it very easy drinking. Medium prickly carbonation. Smooth with a somewhat surprisingly drier finish.
Overall a very well done doppelbock. Not the best of the style, but a solid example.
734 characters
3.82/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Dark frown color with a thin beige head, decent lacing. Subdued dark malt smell. The taste is wheat, dark toast,,chocolate and a hint of banana. Overall, pretty good!
206 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Dark frown color with a thin beige head, decent lacing. Subdued dark malt smell. The taste is wheat, dark toast,,chocolate and a hint of banana. Overall, pretty good!
206 characters
3.67/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.07/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
The beer comes in a deep brown color, with a ring of creamy white head.
The beer offers a rich malt flavor, raisins and dried prunes, toasted bread crust, hints of light cocoa, an earthy bitterness to balance the sweetness. A clean lager finish that helps hollow out the Maillard flavors and sweetness offered up front. Mouthfeel is medium plus with a bit of tingly moderate carbonation.
389 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
The beer comes in a deep brown color, with a ring of creamy white head.
The beer offers a rich malt flavor, raisins and dried prunes, toasted bread crust, hints of light cocoa, an earthy bitterness to balance the sweetness. A clean lager finish that helps hollow out the Maillard flavors and sweetness offered up front. Mouthfeel is medium plus with a bit of tingly moderate carbonation.
389 characters
4.2/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.44/5 rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
For the style this is a great doppelbock. It's not my favorite style of beer but definitely a great beer for cold winter night. Similar to a "winter warmer" without all the spice. The aroma is clearly sweet raisin sugar all malt no hops detected. Pours a deep brass - nearly opaque. Very little head and low carbonation so might be turned off by this but it does make for an "easier" drinking beer. Taste overall is dominated by sweet raisin, plum notes with lots of brown sugar. This almost reminds me of a Belgium ale but minus the spice. Bottom line if you dig German beers give this one a try, you won't be disappointed.
634 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
For the style this is a great doppelbock. It's not my favorite style of beer but definitely a great beer for cold winter night. Similar to a "winter warmer" without all the spice. The aroma is clearly sweet raisin sugar all malt no hops detected. Pours a deep brass - nearly opaque. Very little head and low carbonation so might be turned off by this but it does make for an "easier" drinking beer. Taste overall is dominated by sweet raisin, plum notes with lots of brown sugar. This almost reminds me of a Belgium ale but minus the spice. Bottom line if you dig German beers give this one a try, you won't be disappointed.
634 characters
2.5/5 rDev -35.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
3.81/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.79/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
1-17-17 - on tap
16 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
1-17-17 - on tap
16 characters
4.28/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Spaten Optimator from Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
3.9
out of 5
based on 3,045 ratings.
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5