Loggerhead Rauch Doppelbock
Notch Brewing

Heavy in a good way. Brown sugar and caramel notes. Great for cold weather. Holds up well to the hot poker treatment from the starkbierfest, adding campfire chare complimentary flavors.

500ml bottle served in a willibecker. Pours lovely, mahogany hue with a sudsy, quarter inch, khaki-colored head embedded with pinpricks and ringlets. Clarity is slightly hazy. Nose is quite lovely - smoked beechwood and notes of caramel. Taste consistent with nose - sweetness is cut at the finish with a slight, medicinal bitterness. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with an assertive carbonation. Overall, quite lovely and complex.

 

On draft at Notch in Brighton

After finally getting out to the Salem location a few weeks ago, I figured I should check this place out while I’m up here for a concert. I liked the last Rauchbier I had from them so let’s see what this one is all about

Pours a very dark brown with 2 fingers of creamy tan head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

The smoke is the nose is meaty yet sweet. I’m picking up on aromas of roasted ham, beechwood smoke, honey, brown bread, toffee, spicy hops, and light raisin

It’s more intense than expected in taste but still well done. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting beechwood smoke, sweet caramel, herbal hops, dark toast, and toffee. The swallow brings notes of brown bread, smoked meat, sweet caramel, brown sugar, light pear skin, and herbal hops

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a creamy yet sharp beer. Finishes neutral and sweeter than it is smoky

This is pretty good, but I’ve had much better from them. Would’ve been really interesting to have it at their Starkbierfest where they actually dipped the hot loggerhead into the beer

 

Pours a dark mahogany - there's a hammy aroma but it's not as pronounced as you would expect. There's certainly some smoke but there's kind of a burnt caramel/maple/honey underpinning. There's a touch of ash. It's like a slightly burnt creme brûlée. The sweetness pairs well with the smoke character too. I think that burnt sugar character is what I don't like about this, not my favorite smoked lager from these guys.