Accelerator
Two Roads Brewing Company

A: crystal clear; deep bronze in color; 1 finger finely pored khaki head that receded to a thin collar; no lacing;

S: raisins, alcohol;

T: alcohol, sweet malt, honey sweetness, dark fruit; very mild bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: good, but there are much better examples of the style;

 

 

This brew boasts a mahogany color and en enduring yellowish head.

The nose is muted, and eventually divulges yeast and sweet barley notes.

Carbonation is slow; beer is syrupy and full in texture.

There are sweet, caramel tastes on the palate -- as well as toasty notes. There is a faint touch of hops in the finish. There's some subtlety here. It's warming.

Nice brew! A little bit too malty for my taste. The foam head is mighty and long lasting at 50F temp. Good carbonation (bit burpy) everlasting aftertaste.

Almost clear, deep amber to copper (SRM11-14). A big beige head reached 3" and lasted a few minutes; then was in no hurry as it progressed to a sea-foam blanket. In its wake was left thick patches of lace on a Pilsner Glass.

The aroma is a bit lackluster, initially sweet; it quickly transforms to peanut skins and husks. Wheat bread is mild to faint, as modest sweetness comes back in waves.

It is remarkably bitter, for the style, and this time very much like hop bitterness. There are clear notes, of grassy hop flavors, though they are far less than the toasted malt. Biscuits and cracked pepper, like water crackers, fills the middle. Wheat bread shows with warmth. The finish brings sweetness, then turns bitter for the long haul.

A medium body and sharp, course nylon texture. The alcohol is less present than expected yet certainly noticeable. Carbonation is modest and fizzy and there is a light astringency. Slight residual sugar starts to build on the lips.

At a blind tasting, it is uncertain if I would identify this as a Doppelbock. That said, after coming home from another long day, it is enjoyable to decompress with Accelerator in my glass.

12 ounce can, packaged on 02DEC20 stamped on the bottom of the can. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this one, had it a while but got hidden in the fridge so it's my fault for not drinking it quicker. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a mostly clear reddish/amber color with not quite an inch light tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. I like the aroma, the brew smells like toasted malt, nuts, raisins, herbal hops, and some dark fruit. I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some caramel and bready flavors noticeable too. Good and malty, just the right amount of sweetness. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's smooth and a bit slick with a low/moderate amount of carbonation. I liked it, wouldn't mind trying this one fresher in the future!

Look: It pours cooper with a small bit of haze. It has a tan head with good head retention.

Smell: It has toasty aromas with a strong spicy smell.

Taste: It is quite malty with some toast and caramel. It is quite spicy overall. There are low levels of molasses.

Feel: It has a medium full body with some alcohol warming.

Overall, the spiciness is a bit too pronounce and clashes with the malts.

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a dark chestnut color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of dark breads. Taste is bready malts, dark fruits, a hint of molasses and alcohol. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

(12 oz bottle, BB 01 JUN 22; purchased single off shelf... poured into a fat tulip)

L: crimson-tawny in color with a mild cloudy clarity; tan, yellow-tinged , tight but bubbly foam... the foam falls fast, settling into a big, bubbly collar

S: aromas leap out of the glass during approach... baked-browned caramel, orange rind essence, turbinado; accented by an herbal, almost menthol grassy hop... in the background, whispers of sherry... excellent expression and intensity

T: more of that bready, toasted caramel at its core... earthy, dry lawn aftertaste... mildly spicy(?!) by its second sip, figuring it's in part from the alcohol; bitterness starting to build... the aftertaste eventually takes on a horehound or Ricola cough drop (or dry amaro?) character... overall fairly dry with a delicate malt kiss lingering

F: medium-bodied, but lightened up in its dry, subtly-warming finish... the bitterness/booze does lend a little stunning sensation... parching yet moreish draw

O: the flavors are pretty true to standards, but it's noticeably not an import... well made doppelbock at any rate; would certainly have one on tap if I saw it (1881)

Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is amber, head is very light tan with fine bubbles, head presents 1 finger thick, lingers fairly well and drops to thin top with spotty lacing on the glass sides.

Smell is light caramel, then mix of munich and vienna like notes of grapenuts and toffee, maybe light raisin and chocolate; light earthiness.

Taste is similar with light caramel, munich and vienna like notes of grapenuts and toffee, lighter fruitiness like raisins; there is light spicy or crispness to this, could the hopping that goes along with lighter earthy and grassy hop notes.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, light/moderate bitterness with a spicy finish.

Overall a solid doppelbock with a light sweet aroma and flavor mouthfeel is not really bitter but there is spicy or sharp feel/finish to the beer.

 

 

L: one finger light tan head. A rich, cloudy, reddish brown color body. Some light head remains after the initial dissipation.

S: Sweet molasses. Heavy malt characteristic. Roasted nuts. Raisin or prune. A tiny bit of dark chocolate.

T: sweet malt and molasses again. The dark fruits come out much more in the taste than the smell (raisin/prune) a little fig. Spicy. Substantial nuttiness and notes of burnt bread crust. Floral hops in the background towards the end.

F: Medium bodied. Sweet and lightly carbonated.

O: Not exemplary, but a decent doppelbock from two roads. I do like that the current picture for this brew on BeerAdvocate is an empty can on a dryer in the basement.

From the bottle, it pours a murky mahogany with a thin layer of an off-white head. The nose gets roasted and caramel malts and some dark fruit. The mouth gets the same - some roasted malts, some dark fruit.

not enough malt flavor for a dopplebockk .

Canned 12/2/20

As I was browsing the beer section today, I realized that I have not had any bocks recently, and this weekend there is actually a virtual bock tasting here on BA so I figured I might as well pick it up. Two Roads is a bit hit or miss for me, but at least they're going for an underrepresented style with this one. Let's see what it's all about

Pours a murky brown with a finger of off white head that fades to a thin ring and leaves no lacing

The nose here has a nice balanced sweetness to it, giving a nutty malt vibe. I'm picking up on aromas of brown bread, toasted nuts, sweet toffee, herbal hops, and a hint of dates

A damn near perfection re-creation of the aroma is translated to the taste, and is very effective for this one. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting herbal hops, doughy malt, toasted bread, and a touch of general citrus. The swallow brings notes of sweet dates, nutty malt, toffee, and earthy hops

A medium full body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a thick and chewy beer, a bit heavy for a lager but it works out well. Finishes mostly dry with just a hint of earthiness to counteract the sweetness

This one was solid if not a bit heavy, feeling a bit higher than the actual abv. Regardless, good stuff here

 

Pours clear, copper in color with one inch head. Taste is toasted malt, dark bread, dark fruit and brown sugar. Medium body and carbonation. Makes for a solid American version of the style. Very clean. Would get again.