XReserve Dopplebock
Saucony Creek Brewing Company + Gastropub

just continue to eradicate The Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody, finding new beers to drink & review every time that I turn around. It is kind of exciting in a strange, perverse way.

From the bottle: "From farm to pint[,] our beer is alive! Unpasteurized [-] keep it chilled!"

My gentle pour following the Pop! of the cap was still enough to raise a finger of very dense, deep-tan/light-brown head with excellent retention. Color was Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was rich, malty-sweet with a brown bread breadiness & hints of dried dark fruits. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, very effervescent in the mouth. The taste was slightly sugary, quite bready & the dried, dark fruits (prunes, raisins) were quite prevalent. I was seeing great sticky lacing begin to appear as I drank through it. It was surprisingly smooth with the alcohol well-hidden. My my. The only indication that it might be starting to get to me was when I broke out in a sheen of sweat. Phew! Warming, I also got a milk chocolate flavor beginning to appear. Finish was semi-sweet, just beginning to dry out, but just right for my purposes.

 

 

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass not sure when it was bottled. Pours an attractive chestnut, with a 1 plus finger of off white head that leaves some thin lines of lace.

Smell is raisin, caramel, toffee, some funky yeasty smell, and some faint booze.

Taste follows nicely I like the dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, but that extrinsic yeasty alcohol flavor is odd.

Mouthfeel is maybe medium, moderate amount of life fine, not dry, and would drink easier minus that odd flavor that makes it seem higher in ABV.

Overall I have enjoyed the other beers from them, much more than this, not sure what that flavor was, but it is unmistakable. Thanks @jzeilinger for sharing these beers from this really solid Brewery.

A - Chestnut color, hazy, soapy toffee colored thick lacing ring.

S - Toffee, oak, light chocolate.

T - Toffee, chocolate, and oak.

M - No carbonation with a velvet feel.

O - Need more time with this one, it's a solid beer.

Poured from a bottle into a tulip.

L: Pours a dark clear copper/mahogany color. Two fingers of thick creamy head... pleasing lacing.

S: Malts and caramel... bready with faint hops.

T/F: Toasted malts forward... mild sweetness with caramel and bread. Hops come in later cleaning up the palate with a hint of spice. Moderate carbonation... slightly sticky and finishes clean.

O: A great Doppelbock, and very true to style. This would be at home in Bavaria and is a very well put together beer. The X-reserve series continues to please!