Storyteller Doppelbock
Oak Pond Brewing Company

 

This dopplebock pours a dark amber color with a thin white head that quickly dissipates. The smell is of coffee and bready malts. There are distinct roast coffee and nut flavors with nice bold malt flavors of caramel and dark brown bread. The finish is crisp and refreshing. The body is medium, certainly lighter than the typical dopplebock. At 6% alcohol it is also pretty weak in that respect as far as dopplebocks go. It is also a little less complex than average and not all that exciting. It does, however, have a nice flavor and balance and is quite nice to drink and I would say that it is one of the better beers from this brewery.

 

 

Bottle from Damon's Beverage Mart in Augusta
Deep copper color with a huge fluffy off white head. Smells of caramel and earth with a light sweet fruitiness. Sweet caramel maltiness with a bit of fruitiness and earth. Dry finish with a thin mouthfeel and a lingering sweetness. Sample is a bit old and a bit meh

 

 

 

 

Poured from 22oz bomber into a Samuel Smith's pint glass..

A - Deep Amber / Copper with a half inch off-white head that does not last long but leaves lacing behind.

S - Caramel and Toffee malty smell.

T - The taste is very malty,chocolaty, nutty and a little sweet, similar to a the world class dopplebock, quite surprising for a little brewery in rural Maine .

M - Medium body, the right amount of carbonation.

O - Overall a very nice interpretation of this style for a little over 3.50 for a bomber.

From 12/25/11 notes. Received in the Secret Santa BIF from joepais; thanks Joe. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my Duvel tulip.

a - Pours a dark mahogany brown color with one finger of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of toasted malts, nuts, caramel malts, roasted malts, grains.

t - Tastes of nuts, toasted malts, caramel malts, bready malts. A bit better than the nose im my opinion.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a very nice beer; of the three OPB beers I received, I think this was one my favorite. Very nutty and malty, and easy to drink. Would have it again.

Pours a dark muted brown with a 2 finger head of light tan bubbles. Head has minimal retention, and there are lots of big carbonation bubbles throughout. No lacing.

Smell is a slight malt and grass, some sourness also. Very faint roast characteristics. In short all the good things you look for in doppelbock but which are all very underplayed and not very bold.

Taste is a good mix of many flavors that are more distinguishable than on the bouquet. Grass first, then a good malted/chocolate, and some light brown sugar. Good chewy contrast as well and a nice in the pit of your stomach warmer, and roast embers flavor also. There is also a big creamy milk chocolate malt afterfinish on this beer which is very impressive. I also expected excessive carbonation on this and there was none which I was very happy with.

Great beer! I would have another of these anytime!

Thanks to fo5s for this one. Apparently this particular bottle is very old... 22oz bomber poured into a Harpoon pilsner glass.

A: Standard pour yields a 1.25 finger frothy, light creamsicle head with great retention. Beer is a clear, deep, brownish-purple tea color. Lacing is thick and patchy but sticks close to the head. Good retention.

S: Nose is pretty aromatic. Notes of caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. Nutty. Almost like an English brown ale. Slight tart twinge. Very sweet and appetizing overall.

T: Opens and immediately, there's signs of infection. Rusty metal, sour cherries, and an awkward yeasty bitterness. Toffee and caramel flavors in the background are almost completely covered. A bit of ethanol surfaces towards the middle. Sour prunes at the finish with a smattering of sour grape. Accented yeasty finish with an oily, sour aftertaste.

M: Light to medium bodied and highly carbonated. Sticky and prickly in the mouth and goes down abrasive. Finish is accented and aftertaste is subtle but lingers.

D: I'd love to try the uninfected version of this beer as the nose shows a lot of promise. However, as it is, this one's nearly undrinkable. I'm disappointed but definitely willing to give this another shot.

A dark brown color with a tan head that holds on.
Very malty smell with some sweetness, caramel or toffee.
Tastes as it smells with a hint of molasses at the end.
A body that is little heavy, but satisfying.
Very drinkable beer. Especially enjoy the growlers. A great price for a great beer.

This beer is dark brown in color with a frothy white head. It's aroma is of nutty chocolate and typical lager notes. The beer starts sweet with hints of carbonation that never become harsh. The taste finishes with a burnt roasted barley taste. Being a lager it is very smooth but with the roasted flavors is finishes much like a stout.

Thanks to Joepais for the chance via 666 BIF. From notes, shared with some friends.

Pours a fairly clear burnt orange/brown with 1.5 head and film retention.

Smells of rich malts. Some hop spice and earth. Lightly toasted bread. Taste mimics this with a relatively low complexity. But mostly sweet with some yeast spice and hop balancing. A touch of herbal quality to it.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation helps lift the sweetness of the brew leading to an increased drinkability. A nice, clean stab at the style.

22oz bomber courtesy of joepais poured into a tulip.

Pours a deep, clear copper with a huge three inch off-white head that recedes fairly quickly to a small cap and leaves some spotty lacing.

The aroma is a little weird. It's got the standard sweet caramel malts and toffee which I was expecting, but it's also got some vanilla and a unique sourness, especially evident as it warms.

The taste follows the aroma almost exactly with the same sourness as the aroma which is a little distracting, especially as it lingers through the finish. The caramel malts and toffee are there, but it's the sourness that shows most.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and has some soft carbonation and a dry sourness in the finish that is a little disconcerting.

This is an OK doppelbock but I'm not entirely sure if it's gone a little bad with the metallic sourness indicating a bit of oxidation.

Thanks to Joepais for this one.

Poured a bomber into my Tripel Karmeliet tulip. This beer pours a murky brown with a creamy dark head that leaves some crazy lacing. The aroma is odd. Caramel, toffee and a bit of vanilla but the strange thing is that there is odd sourness that runs underneath the nose. The flavor follows suit with caramel, toffee and a bit of vanilla. Not much spice but still there is that odd sourness. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It kind of works well with the beer. I don't know if it's meant to be there or a defect in it. It almost reminds me of the sour milk flavor that runs through most of New Belgium beers but a bit more prevalent. The mouthfeel is nice and creamy, leaving the subtle sourness on the tongue. This is just a strange beer. It definitely doesn't fall within the normal profile of a Doppelbock but I like it.

Out of a bomber I drank with a stupid-hot girl this brew was a mahogany color with about a finger of off-white foam. The retention was average and it left streaks of lacing. The aroma was of various malts, chocolate, caramel and some drier, biscuity notes. The flavors were similar, lots of caramel malt, chocolate malt some toasted malt, a general nuttiness, and some lighter hops that added balance and a crisp finish. The body was medium, the mouthfeel smooth and the carbonation good for the style but perhaps just a touch high. Still, I thought this beer was a very good example of the style and a bargain at the very affordable price.

Staying for a spell in Maine, and my girlfriends people have history, and some still live, in the little old former mill town of Skowhegan, where this gal is brewed. My first from Oak Pond.

Gorgeous, medium mahogany, foamy off white head recedes quickly for the most part, but not completely. Leaves a good bit of lacing as the nectar slips down my gullet.

Rich, sweet malty, chocolaty, but backed by sparingly used but noticeable supporting hops. Almost a faint sourness in the nose, and later in the taste.

Roasted and sweet malt flavors balanced by hops, as in the nose. Fairly complex, and very smooth and balanced. Clean finish with just a hint of dryness. Very nicely done. I'm impressed.

Modest tingling and warming sensation, fairly smooth with generally pleasant texture. At some points in the sample the tingling and warming felt overdone and detracted from the otherwise smooth feeling.

Plenty drinkable. The bomber, which cost something like $2.39, did not stand a chance. If I had another, it would surely meet the same fate. Despite wanting to try as many different northeast brews while I am here, I just might repeat this one.