Bazelet Double Bock
Golan Brewery

A bit of band-aid to the taste. Semisweet (less than expected) darker malt flavor. Full bodied, naturally, with a low carbonation level. Minor hop in the background. Short aftertaste.

 

 

Poured from 12 oz. bottle. A medium brown color with orange hues at the bottom of the glass. The milk-white head dissipated quickly. It smells of sweet caramel malt, cherry, plum, molasses, and subtle spices. The taste opens with plum, cherry, apple, sweet malt and freshly-brewed coffee but the taste quickly turns dry, spicy (cardamom), and slightly bitter. The tastes really emerge as the glass warms. It has a rich, almost chewy mouth feel with mild carbonation, and the 8% ABV gives it lots of substance. Overall, this beer grew on me as it settled and warmed. The tastes really came alive. While not at the level of Celebrator, Korbinian, and other leaders of the style, it's a fine rendition and worth trying.

 

 

12 oz bottle. Pours hazy brown with tall, long lasting, fluffy beige head and nice lacing. Aroma is of caramel malt, dried plums and hint of coffee. Body is medium and slightly crisp. Taste is of caramel malt, dark fruit and some herbal hops. Finish is long, semi-dry. Very nice brew.

 

 

 

 

 

nice malty flavor. smells excellent and drinks very smoothly. finishes a little too sticky sweet

 

The brewery's name, Golan, makes me think of Golem, the Frankenstein-like creature of Jewish folklore. Indeed, this dark ruddy-brown beer is intimidating; it has a complexion that looks as though it were made of clay and a tall, statuesque head that's hard as a rock. Funny enough, the beer's name, Bazelet, is similar to Bezalel, the rabbi who created the most popular golem narrative.

This smells like the monster it figured to be. Scents of figs, dark bread, pomegranate molasses, raisins and almonds open things off, and combine to give some purview of its strength and the scope of its maltiness. Although these are the kinds of flavours expected of this style of German lager, it occurs to me that they are also, appropriately, classic tastes of the Mediterranean.

The palate offers more toasted pumpernickel crusts, fig jam, bruised plums, red grapes, pomegranate molasses, and a bit of cardamon-like spice. Flavour wise, it's a generous beer. Its malt bill is rather broad-shouldered and has caramelized sweetness as well as melanoidin toastiness. It's smooth and clean; there's no roast or astringency. No real indication of the 8% either.

There's thinly sliced brown bread - and then there's big, toasted, New York-style pumpernickel bagels. Doppelbocks, as a style in general, are best described as the latter but this one especially fits the bill (and I'm not just saying this because of the Jewish connection). It is a hefty beer with a rich, tastefully sweet and toasty maltiness that practically sticks to your gums.

I can't read Hebrew and thus can't understand a single thing the brewery has to say about this product. Still, it's quite obvious to me that, whatever they've done, they did it right. This is a good example of a doppelbock and a very nice beer altogether. A solid first impression of Golan Brewery and Israel's craft scene on the whole. Thanks for the souvenir, Evelyn!