GOTHIKA
Bavarian Barbarian Brewing Company

 

 

 

Draft pour into a snifter for $6.50. Sampled 11/6/10.

A: Served with 1 finger of well retained light brown head. The body is menacingly black and 100% opaque. Lacing coats every edge of the glass initially but loses proficiency once the head disappears. A fair amount of straggling lace sticks after each sip.

S: The first whiff alone reveals the monster inside the glass. Rich, decadent malt character boasts big dark chocolate aromas, with scents of earth, leather, tobacco and anise in the background. At this point, there is little resemblance to a doppelbock or a rauchbier - much closer to a bourbon barrel aged American Strong Ale.

T: On the colder side, a clean bourbon aroma and flavor is mild, yet substantial enough not to be mistaken. Upon warming, GOTHIKA opens up revealing a much more prominent bourbon and smoke character. The complexity increases with each degree closer to room temperature, transforming the beer into a better version of itself with each sip. Light notes of oaky vanilla, cola and sarsaparilla are buried deep into the flavor profile. The alcoholic heat is evident, particularly as the bourbon presence grows stronger in the latter half of the glass.

M: I'm not sure how long this beer was aged during production, but the body has already taken on the favorable qualities of the aging process. The rich, supple, and silky smooth texture is complimented by a gentle effervescence. Slick yet chewy and nowhere near cloying. Super long finish.

D: [DRINKABILITY] The drinkability takes a hit only because of the high ABV and the intense bourbon flavor at the later stages of the drink. Even still, it would have been remiss to forego a second glass. Overall, this beer is EXCEPTIONAL and exactly what it should be given the moniker "SchwarzDoppelRauchBock."

 

 

Draft at Good Dog.

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with faint mahogany edges and a half finger light beige head that immediately settles into a thin ring.  Minimal lacing.  

Intense aroma with a nice balance of sweet bourbon, subtle dry, earthy oak and vanilla with a good amount of smoke.  Even with all of that, the sweet malts are still evident with hints of licorice, chocolate and toffee.  Impressive.

Full chewy body with a nice balance of sweet boozy heat, barrel character, sweet malt and toasty smoke.  Lots of bourbon sweetness up front with hints of vanilla and faint earthy oak.  This is followed by sone more alcohol flavor with faint yeast.  Sweet malt notes follow with hints of bitter dark chocolate, coffee and toffee .  Dry rosted finish where all of the smoke is found.  Subtle rauch character gives great balance with hints of spicy BBQ, bacon, charcoal and burnt malt.  sweet boozy finish that is nice and smokey.  Very complex and decently balanced.  A bit sweet and boozy but not too much so at 9.2%.

part of the goodies i brought to gbx last night, i opened this one up with two good buddies. poured into the mikkellar glass i ended up keeping, this was enjoyed on 6/11/2011 for my bday!

pours a very dark brown, nearly black with only light touches of reddish brown notes coming through when held up to the light. a smallish tan head simply comes forward quickly and really just out of nowhere.

aroma is interesting. buttery, licorice, roasted malts, hints of earthiness, not really sure what the style would even be here, it simply defies style. brown sugar, hints of licorice and dark oak notes, and a smooth, rich finish that slightly dried the palate leaves me looking for another sip as fast as i found the first.

overall an outstanding beer, simply amazing.

Served on-tap at Bullfrog.

A: The doppelbock is a dark chocolate brown color, damn near black in the din of the 'Frog. A tan head came along with the pour but did not lace.

S: The nose is sweet bourbon paired with the indefatigable (thanks, Forester) malt thickness of a doppelbock. A nice aroma that probably tilts closer to the vanilla and coconut barrel side.

T: I'm a sucker for a strong bourbon flavor. Because of that, I'm enamored with it. The bourbon barrel leaves its mark early, implanting vanilla and coconut, along with oaken strength, on the ale. Those flavors rarely subside, remaining forceful throughout. Toasted bread belies the underlying bockbier, a chewy base that the bourbon has completely taken over. Chocolate flavors, evident from the coloring, add another element but seem to get lost in the mix. That's okay though, the bourbon salves all wounds in the glass.

M: The mouthfeel is lush, dark landscape softened by several months in a barrel. A nice pairing of styles, I wouldn't normally think of barrel-aging a doppelbock.

D: Drinkable? Yes, so much so that I'd break a chair to get to a pint of it.

Special 22oz. bomber with no label, given to me as a gift from Terry Hawbaker himself! Enjoyed with friends on 2/1/11.

A - Poured a murky dark brown liquid with deep burgundy hues and a slight purple tint with a thin tan head that settled into a patchy film and deposited stringy lacing on the sides of the glass.

S - Bourbon, vanilla and a hint of wood immediately greet the nose, followed by sweet caramel and toffee notes as well as a hint of earthy hops.

T - Mmmmm... warm bourbon, cool vanilla and sweet malts akin to toffee and caramel kick things off, giving Gothika a big, chewy base. The flavor then takes a slight departure to reveal herbal, earthy tones, mild bitterness and a tinge of smoke. The alcohol presence remains well concealed throughout. As the liquid warmed, hints of tobacco and molasses also emerged, adding to the complexity of the flavor.

M - Smooth and creamy with a hint of oily texture and medium carbonation that's spot-on. Alcohol warmth is minimal, especially for a big 9.2% Doppelbock! Finishes with lots of bourbon tang and sweetness.

D - This is one bangin' beer! I enjoyed this even more than the growler from a few months ago. Carbonation was right on the nuggets, and the bourbon and vanilla attributes worked beautifully with the slight smokey and bitter aspects of this beer. Gothika is a fine collaboration between them Billtown boys!

from notes after tasting at Teresa's Next Door:

Poured into tulip glass, light dark tan head ringed the top, but dissipated quickly. Deep dark brown color, as expected.

Smell is not overpowering but hints at what is to come, solid roasted malt and vanilla sweetness with a hint of smoke. Again the scents are overpowering, but blend very well.

Taste is a step up from the smell, nice malt sweetness, followed by the smokey flavors and oak/vanilla/bourbon notes on the finish. Everything combined well for a great tasting interesting beer.

Mouthfeel is also very well done for the type of flavors involved, very smooth and drinkable with no cloying finish.

Quite drinkable, I had it after dinner and it was perfect for that occasion, definitely a drinkable beer but in small sips.

Review from notes taken on 11/20/10.

Poured from a growler into a snifter, this brew appears a dark brown color with some ruby coloration and decent clarity when held to the light. A cap of yellowish stained head appears and dissolves leaving a webbing of lace on the glass. The retaining power isn't all that great but a quick swirl revives it.

The smell of this brew is tangy with whiskey and a bold presence of alcohol heat. There is a light smoked element and some vanilla sweetness with a roasted grain scent. There are some fruity indications like raisins, plums and a vinous aspect. As it warms it picks up some intersting character of cocoa and coconut.

The taste is bold whiskey with a tangy aspect. Dark chocolate and a toasty grain flavor are mid palate before a light taste of coconut and vanilla smoothness. A lingering chocolate character resides in the mouth reminescent of baking powder but without the texture.

This is a medium bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. It pushes close to being full bodied but the bold alcohol character seemingly thins it out. This is quite a good sipper that has a lot of flavor and smoothness that allows you to drink this faster than what's appropriate. I'm glad I got a second chance to try this brew, really letting it warm up revealed some characteristics I missed before having it on tap.

On tap at Aurant's.

Pours a murky brown with little to no head. Smell is smokey. A heavy roasted malt smell with a hint of bacon. Taste is very pleasing. Not too smokey. Nice malt to hop balance. A bit of coffee taste lingers. Full bodied and nicely carbonated. A solid beer with an awesome tap handle.

Beer on tap at Teresa's next door. Beer is dark brown and clear with a soft off white head of small bubbles that leaves a little lacing on the glass.

Aroma is sweet with a mild roast.

Beer is quite sweet. It's heavy and has a roasty finish. There is very little lager character. The finish is bitter and more sweetness. Its not overly sweet but it is pretty thick. It was decent. Hides the alcohol well.

Had this one on tap at Capone's Black Friday event yesterday. Nice to see Bullfrog collaborating with other local breweries. That's the spirit I like to see amongst the Beer Community!

Appearance: Pours deep brown with the slightest red hue near the folds. The crown on my 6oz sample was non-existent but that could have been due to the shape of the glass.

Smell: A hint of smoke and bourbon (Buffalo Trace baby!), some burnt brown sugar, molasses, and a dash of sweet malt.

Taste: Exactly like the nose but with some welcome citrus hops!

Mouthfeel: On the thick side of medium bodied with decent carbonation.

Drinkability: Not bad.

growlski - shipped by the blackest of barts. split on a lazy sunday

appearance: poured into my ale asylum chalice, dark mahogany body, light tan head with very little retention. carbonation held up ok on the journey

smell: bourbon, vanilla, roasted figs, creamy caramel, smoked malts

taste: not sure what exactly this beer was trying to be - not so much a doppelbock. The bourbon is played very nicely - vanilla bean, smoked malts, creamy caramel, milk chocolate, cocoa bean, espresso, dark fruit, residual hops. Dig it.

mouthfeel: creamy, rich

drinkability: good

Tap at TJ's...
Appears a dark brown nearing black with a ruby edge. A tan head of fluff slowly fades into a film and hearty collar. Scattered streaks are left around the glass.
Smell is of bourbon, mik chocolate, vanilla, roasted nuts, mild smoke, figs, raisins, and currants.
Taste is of the aromas with a melding of bourbon, smoked meats, and dark chocolate harmonizing in this brew.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, chewy, fizzy, with bitter chocolate and a bourbon flambé of warming heat following.

On tap at blue dog chalfont.

A- comes to me with just a faint ring on top of a dark brown black brew.

S- earthy smoke and bourbon up front with some sweet chocolate touches at times.

T- bourbon right out of the gate with a good amount of peaty smoke. Sweet dark breads and a bit of molasses. Roasty as hell at times then a touch of caramel and vanilla smooths thing out a bit. Lots of bourbon the whole way around.

M- medium body with a mid level fluffy creamy carb when on the palate. Tons of heat from the barrel and I don't mean tons.

D- this one takes you on a ride. I was sure how I felt about this beer till I was taking the last sips. I side with I dig it. Its super bourbony and hot with a good amount of smoke and in the end it works for me.

Gothika poured into a goblet a deep chestnut brown with a very little white lacing on top.

In the nose I picked up raisins, burnt brown sugar, prunes, figs and molasses.

The flavor profile of this beer evolved over time. The first wave consisted of notes similar to the nose. Dark fruits(figs, raisins and prunes). A really heavy caramel malt breadiness. With very little hop presence and not much of an alcohol detection either.
Then as the beer warmed for a few minutes I picked up all of the barrel aging complexities. The vanilla showed itself first followed by cinnamon and cloves. It is definetly a very complex and interesting brew.

This beer was pretty full bodied with a syrupy consistency. There was a low carbonation to this brew. It is a good cold weather brew form two companies that know what they're doing.

On tap at Bullfrog last weekend. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a very dark brown that is nearly opaque and has a very slight head without much of any lacing. The nose is initially a bit harsh with a faint scent that borders on nail polish, but might be coming from the alcohol. There is some strong bourbon and burnt espresso. The taste is quite a bit smoother with bourbon, espresso, light oak, and vanilla. Booze in the feel, but overall it is quite smooth. Drinks quite well and the only issue is with a bit of initial harshness in the nose.