Convex Refraction
Jackie O's Brewpub

 

 

Murky, dark brown body; virtually no head other than a wispy circumference circling the inside of the glass and thin, patchy areas on the top. Rich dark malt nose; a nearly cocoa and coffee blend; a subtle hint of brown sugar. Great dark malt taste; cocoa; moderately heavy boozy presence; caramel obscura; raisin and date. Heavy body; silky and oily; velvety residual sugar feel; semi-dry.

A nice doppelbock collaboration yet I did not get the fantastic vibes from the beer that others had. The taste and mouthfeel certainly stand out, but the looks and aroma not so much.

Pouring temperature: 48.5 ℉; bottling info: n/a

2021 vintage

I’m very excited to try this beer, given it’s my first from Jackie O’s. Well, aside from some huge 5 way collaboration they did with Allagash and some others, but I would hardly say that counts. As far as Doppelbocks go, this seems to be somewhat of a recent hit, climbing up to the 3rd highest rated of the style in under a year. Let’s get into it

Pours a dark reddish brown with a finger of light tan head that quickly fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

Oh man, this is super sweet in the nose, but the complexity is really nice. I’m picking up on aromas of brown bread, sweet bourbon, raisin, nutty malt, molasses, fresh oak, brown sugar, toffee and light vanilla

It doesn’t translate quite as well in taste, but it’s still very tasty. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting sweet toffee, dates, caramel, earthy whiskey, brown sugar, and lightly charred oak. The swallow brings notes of hot whiskey, fresh oak, brown sugar, caramel, brown bread, and dates

A medium full body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a silky beer. Finishes neutral, but quite boozy, it’s very evident of its abv

While this is objectively pretty good, it’s a bit too sweet for my liking. It’s nice as a slow sipper though

 

Pours a light fizzy tan head with low retention, decent legs, dark molasses brown color

nose sweet candy malt, caramelized sugars, toffee, molasses, toasted sweet bread crust, plenty of dark fruits, raisin up front, some date and sweetened prune, hint of caramelized banana, a bit of chocolate, smooth perfumey alcohol, a bit of spicy hop, light vanilla oak but not much whiskey

Taste more sweet malt again and caramelized candied sugar notes, sugar in the raw and molasses, caramel candies, a touch biscuity, more toffee, some chocolate, plenty of dark fruits again, candied raisin, sweetened prune and date, chewy toffee and rich caramel, a hint of candied banana again and sweet bread crust but not really toasty, smooth perfumey alcohol, a bit of spicy hop bitterness, more vanilla barrel and some vanilla ice cream, a bit of whiskey almost rum like, semi sticky sweet syrupy malt finish, a touch more alcohol

Mouth is thick chewy full bod, med frothy carb, light smooth alcohol

Overall not bad, def wish there was more barrel character, but doppelbock was quite nice despite being more like an imperial version

Very dark brown opaque body with a fat tan collar. Bourbon led smell with caramel malts, earth, toasty oak, and black strap molasses. Taste adds slight vanilla, large tootsie rolls, brown sugar, and faint yeast. Great barrel character without losing the base doppelbock at all. Feel is shaped by a warm and smooth full body with good barrel character and maltiness, best BA doppelbock feel I have ever had to date. The wife loved it

12 oz bottle, poured into a nucleated teku at ~40 degrees F.

L: Pours a quite opaque deep hickory brown, and forms nearly no head of off-white foam that fades to a ring swiftly.

S: A boozy caramel vanilla oaky barrel wafts out of the glass, though with emphasis on the caramel. Some notes of raisin and fig break through as well.

T: For a malthead like me, this is heaven in a glass. Opens as a slurry of caramel malt, buoyed by the caramel-vanilla-charred oak notes of the barrel. That steps back but remains present as a brown sugar note emerges, laden with additional more-than-hints of raisin and fig. Blackstrap molasses and waxed saddle leather manifest in the backdrop, alongside soft, faint cherry notes. The aftertaste lingers as barrel notes beneath a plum and raisin melange.

F: Full bodied, thick and syrupy.

O: I want this as a daily drinker. I'm not kidding. Hey Jackie O's! Read this! Do this one more often!

Appearance - The beer poured a dark brown/black color with bubbles clinging to the sides of the pour.

Smell - The bourbon was very present, but the sweet doppelbock notes were also noted.

Taste - The bourbon was noted initially with a strong presence, but it could not dominate the doppelbock. The sweet malts of the base beer added a nice compliment. It was almost chewy in its maltiness. Notes of vanilla, raisin, and oak were also present.

Mouthfeel - The beer did not have a thick stout body, but it sustained the profile.

Overall - This was so good.

Drank from a 12.7 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Craft Beer Cellar, Belmont, MA
Served in a tulip

Medium bodied and dark caramel brown in appearance. The beer was topped by a khaki colored mass of bubbles that quickly dropped to a thin ringlet. There was zero lacing.

The aroma was really sweet and smooth. Super malty and robust. Bourbon barrel notes came through big time. Boozy but not in the least bit harsh or hot. Loads of brown sugar and caramel character too. Big vanilla presence as well. Vanilla icing perhaps. Dark fruit notes were also apparent. Touch of dark chocolate.

The flavor profile mirrored the nose. Really rich and malty up front. Caramel malts were most prominent. Loads of punchy bourbon character. Slightly boozy but, given the high ABV, the alcohol was surprisingly restrained. Brown sugar notes also came through strong. Vanilla was quite apparent again. More boozy bourbon notes on the back end and the finish. Hint of roastiness.

The mouthfeel was the only disappointing aspect of the beer. It was thinner than anticipated and rather under carbonated. Almost a touch watery.

Convex Refraction is an incredibly pure expression of a bourbon barrel aged beer and does so with a style that is often overlooked in the craft beer world. Although I would be hard pressed to guess this was a doppelbock, kudos to Jackie O’s and Burial for coming up with a fresh and unique approach to brewing.

Modest head production; decent retention. It's not the classic Doppelbock appearance, but at nearly 14% ABV and with over a year spent aging in bourbon barrels, I wasn't expecting that, anyway. It's an attractive beer. Dark enough, in a thick glass anyway (tulip), to visually look very similar to a stout or a dark barleywine.

Whew, very strong on the nose! The bourbon stands out prominently, along with boozy strength and a strong caramel malt presence. Dark fruit and bread struggles to fight their way through the bourbon.

Far more balanced and complex on the palate. This really, really works well, and reminds me of some of the other successful takes on the style (e.g. Cigar City, Sun King). Chocolate, bourbon, raisin, prune, caramel, red grape, toast, dark bread. No bitter roasty notes; the emphasis is on toasted malt (and bourbon). Sweeter than your average Doppelbock, owing to the bourbon and high ABV.

It's also thicker on the palate than your average Doppelbock, but there's very little harshness or burn despite the sky high ABV.

 

Pours rather dark and opaque for a doppelbock, with fairly little head as well. Practically dripping with caramel, brown sugar, and malt on a very expressive nose. More muted on the palate, with an addition of some boozier notes from the extended barrel ageing. This heat also comes through on the nose as the beer warms. Unique to have such rich barrel tones in a lager, but it works very well. I'm reminded of Wolverine State's Massacre, but I think this has more depth and complexity to it.

 

 

Muddy dark brown with a short khaki head dying to a curled ring.

Brown sugared raisin and prune are elevated by a barrel char that helps to transform them into Raisinets. While there are accents of black pepper, it's more sweet than savory, exhaling caramels and toffees for day, yet still in decent balance. With time it becomes more oaky, dusty and woody, but having a couple bites of salty tortilla chip further opens the palate, bringing out intensely grapey characteristics that are less desirable.

Quite warming and strong, Convex Refraction brings an increasing warmth to the head, and finishes powder dry but sticky on the lip.

L -- Very deep brown body with a scant half finger of light tan head produced with moderately aerated pour. Minimal retention or lacing. Looks almost still
S -- Sugar coated date&prune, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, oak
T -- Has that rich, molasses brown bread character that is defining of doppelbocks, but this is much more concentrated. The bourbon barrel character is quite prevalent as well, which cuts through the sweetness some and keeps it from being cloying
F -- Big mouthfeel, minimal carb. Lingering sweetness
O -- Aside from the price ($15/12oz), this is quite the interesting take on a classic style

86/100

 

12.7 ounce bottle, 2021 vintage. Served in a Jackie O's snifter, the beer pours dark brown with about a half inch tan head that didn't stay around for too long. Small amount of lacing. Aroma is nice and malty, the brew smells like vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, oak, caramel, bourbon and some dark fruit. I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some dark bread, earthy and raisin flavors. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's rich and slick with a moderate amount of carbonation. It's a bit boozy, but nothing unexpected. I thought it was a pretty tasty barrel aged brew, definitely worth picking up if you get the chance!

Poured from fridge temp into a Jackie O's tulip. Pours black/very dark brown with almost no head. My immediate reaction to the nose is nutty. After a minute I start getting some toffee, bourbon, vanilla, malts, a touch of spicy cinnamon heart candy, and subtle raisin notes. The nose isn't actually popping out of the glass as much as one might expect from a 13.7% beer. The taste just takes everything to the highest level. THIS is where the beer shines. Unbelievable. One of my favorite tasting beers of the year. Huge amounts of toffee, vanilla, malts, sherry, bourbon, chocolate, brown sugar, and more dark fruits. Definitely a jammy note. Definitely leaning towards strawberry jam. Damn this is just so good. The alcohol is not noticeable, making this a dangerous one! Mouthfeel is medium bodied - the fact that it's a doppelbock comes through on the mouthfeel. Definitely not thick and viscous like a bit BA stout. Overall, one of my favorites. Jackie O's has a winner here!