Christmas Doppelbock / Christmas Beer
Weeping Radish Bavarian Restaurant

Christmas Doppelbock / Christmas BeerChristmas Doppelbock / Christmas Beer
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From:
Weeping Radish Bavarian Restaurant
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
Doppelbock
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 12.91%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
19
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 16, 2006
Added:
Nov 12, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by OldFrothingSlosh:
Photo of OldFrothingSlosh
Reviewed by OldFrothingSlosh from Pennsylvania

3.27/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured a red-hued copper in color with a smallish off-white head. Lace? Nada. Aromas are what you'd expect from a Christmas beer. Lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, mixed in with caramelized sugar. Flavor keeps the idea going. Spicy flavor balanced by sweet malts. "Something funky this way comes" plays out in the aftertaste. Perhaps my bottle got a little too old. Decent mouthfeel and drinkability. Not a bad winter brew, but it clearly doesn't fit the style listed.

Thanks to AKSmokedPorter for this one.
Aug 01, 2004
More User Ratings:
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.21/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Arrives at the bar as the brown "headless horeseman;" no lacing

Smell: Caramel notes in the aroma; smells like a decent brown ale

Taste: Caramel sweet flavors predominate, but lacks complexity - where are the dark fruit flavors

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and undercarbonated

Drinkability: Is this Christmas in July or a leftover product from last Christmas? Either way, another disappointing beer from Weeping Radish
Jul 16, 2006
Photo of lackenhauser
Reviewed by lackenhauser from Maryland

3.11/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Very nice deep ruby color. No head but decent carbonation level. Low aroma-some roasted malt,a tad bready. A vague metallic odor. Malty flavor upfront. Some malt sweetness. Average mouthfeel. Slight body to it but not much. Rather a one dimensional beer if youre going to call it a dopplebock. It at least needs a hint of complexity or something. I also had this unfiltered/pasteurized on tap and it was much better. Get it like that if you can.

Note-as far as the contract brewing in Maryland last I was told by the bartender at the pub in Corolla, NC the beer is being contract brewed by Clipper City in Baltimore until the new brewery is ready just off the Outer Banks in NC. Bartender in Manteo confirmed this as of 4/16/05.
Apr 18, 2005
Photo of bruachan
Reviewed by bruachan from Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
i'm a little puzzled by the contract brewing issue here. this bottle came from MD

deep garnet with off-white head that dropped and didn't leave much lacing. the aromas were somewhate muted, but there was definitely some spice and munich malts. very chocolately flavors with no (or minimal) hop flavor, but a nice bitterness afterwards. more spices.

not a mindblowing brew, but i still enjoyed it
Apr 12, 2005
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Dithyramb for the trade. At first I was wondering what makes a Doppelbock a "Christmas beer" aside from the label, but it does seem like this beer was tweaked just a bit. Pours a dark reddish-brown color with a thin dark beige head that dissipates rapidly. Heavy roasted malt aroma along with spice. Rich body with a good roasty and nutty malt character. Lots of spice flavor too which is really what differentiates this from other Doppelbocks. The finish is spicy and lightly hoppy. This beer is just different enough from typical Doppelbocks that I would definitely enjoy it again.
Feb 17, 2005
Photo of HappyHourHero
Reviewed by HappyHourHero from Indiana

3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Mild cocoa malt aroma. Small light brown colored fades slowly to a film. Dark, glowing mahogany colored beer. Cocoa and caramel malt flavors with a pinch of tobacco. Finish is malty and slightly bitter. Mouthfeel is kind of fizzy up front, watery towards the end. Body is on the light side. At $1.40 for a single this was a good deal.
Feb 11, 2005
Photo of Dithyramb
Reviewed by Dithyramb from Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
**Since the bottles available outside VA and NC are contract brewed by Clipper City--the packaging even states their brewery in Baltimore--I thought that those bottles should be represented here**

Just purchased this the other day from the Barnyard. Presentation was nice. I still haven’t taken down my Xmas lights in the house—I only bought the tree a few days before the big day—so I thought that the winter warmer with the holiday scenery in the background was a good touch. Noticed that the brewery was on the outer banks, but was brewed at their “brewery” in Baltimore. Asked a few folks, evidently Clipper City contract brews the 12 and 22 oz. for the areas outside of NC and VA. Freshness date was evident and they even had something interesting to see on the top of the cap (something one doesn’t always see with the micros…)

Heavy pour loosened up a quickly dispersed brownish tan head. The brew itself had miniscule bubbles throughout. It was a very translucent, almost opaque, chestnut brown with nice ruby highlights.

Very malty aroma, with definite Munich in there, it was toasty with some spiciness.
Ooh yeah! This is very rich and malty, with little to no hop flavor thrown in, just like it should be. There is very fine hop bitterness on the backend, but it gets washed in the malty goodness. Creamy nuttiness on the tongue, with a hint of melanoidins, it doesn’t finish dry or clean, but sweet and smooth.
Very drinkable and worth a few. Warmth was detectable on the back of the throat afterward and a nice warming of the head. I checked all over, but couldn’t find what the ABV was. However, given that it is so close to the classic style, it must be in the 7-10% range. In that effect, it would explain the head retention, legs, and warming.

Don’t understand the negativity I’ve seen for the beer. Granted, it is no winter warmer in the classic sense, but it is a very well done, great tasting doppelbock. Get away from the spice bombs, and let this one warm you up…
Jan 14, 2005
Photo of RBorsato
Reviewed by RBorsato from Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +31.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Amber-auburn with a nice beige head, good carbonation, and decent lace-type rings. Solid malt aroma with prune-like fruit notes. Nice rich malt flavors without being sweet in any way ... more of a traditional bock maybe. Medium-full bodied (leans medium) and incredibly drinkable -- a bit light for the style.

A bit light overall for a dopplebock but very sessionable if that is possible for the style :-)

Best Before: May '04 (notched)
Tasted: 11/29/04

($7.99 / 6-pack)
Nov 30, 2004
Photo of beerinator
Reviewed by beerinator from Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Dark Brown slightly opaque color. Slight bits of ruby poking through when the light hits it. Very nice tannish head with great retention.

Aroma: Bit of fruit in the aroma, a lot of caramel and toffee are present. Hints of date.

Taste: Little bit of roastyness and smokyness in the taste. Fairly sweet, decent mouthfeel. Finish is quick. More depth to the aroma than there is in the taste.

Notes: Decent winter lager.
Feb 16, 2004
Photo of PhantomVodoo
Reviewed by PhantomVodoo from Ohio

3.72/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Minimal tan head that faded too quickly. Amber to light mahogany in color.
Aroma of sweet, lightly roasty malt. Plenty spicey as well from cinnamon and maybe all-spice or nutmeg.

Taste shows a sweet, lightly roasty, caramel malt backbone. Decent hop balance, but brown sugar sweetness wins out. Cinnamon and possibly nutmeg or all-spice.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin and watery.
Good drinkability.

Clearly not a dopplebock, but still a solid winter seasonal. Big thanks to AkSmokedPorter for the sample!
Feb 09, 2004
Photo of Indybeer
Reviewed by Indybeer from Indiana

3.47/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle. Part of my holiday exchange. Thanks Loki! Poured a deep mahogony, with a decent head that didn't stick around long. Not much lacing on the glass. Aroma is malty and sweet with a hint of spice. Taste is again malty with a slight hop bitterness in the finish. Moderate carbonation, and not a bad beer, but nothing that really stands out.
Jan 15, 2004
Photo of GCBrewingCo
Reviewed by GCBrewingCo from North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
The beer poured a crystal clear dark amber brown color with a wispy yet persistent head. The aroma is slight spice with malt in the background, no hop aroma. The flavor is bone dry with not much going on. Some slight malt flavor but nothing that would make this anything other than a run of the mill dark lager. The flavor is clean, but the body is watery and very thin. It has a high drinkabiltiy, but the rest is pretty average.

Bottle says brewed and bottled by Weeping Radish Brewery, Baltimore, MD.
Dec 23, 2003
Photo of Bighuge
Reviewed by Bighuge from Minnesota

2.78/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Nice deep clear crimson color. Slight beige head tops it off. Lacing is adequate. Some light munich maltiness and a little breadiness on the nose. The taste is quite toasty. Breadiness follows. Soggy bread that is. A little caramely sweetness. The aftertaste contains a lingering huskiness or bitterness. Not quite in place. Just a wee bit astringent. Body is about medium Mouthfeel seems about right. But dopplebock? I don't think so. I'd probably rate this a bit higher if it were a marzen...or a bock...or a vienna. It seems closer to those styles.

Thanks for the effort AKSmokedPorter.
Dec 12, 2003
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

3.77/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was another dark reddish/copper winter brew that had a lovely beige head. The aromas were malty and spicy, with not much else going on at all. The taste had a bit of hops in the finish, and a nice flare of boozy spiciness. The mouthfeel was decent and the drinkability was pretty good. Not a bad little winter beer.
Dec 09, 2003
Photo of TinusTime
Reviewed by TinusTime from Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle that just says Weeping Radish Christmas beer.

If this is supposed to be a dopplebock.. Hmmmm

colour is a nice ruddy tea with amber highlights, not a lot of nose except for some caramel malt.
Taste is malty with a slightly hoppy finish, a slight bit of banana clovey esters, but not enough to but it on style, kinda tastes like a souped up fest beer or a strange dunkle. Drinkablity is low cause it just seems a bit heavy and off. I had two at a party and didnt want another,
Nov 20, 2003
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

3.64/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
The beer laws here in NC stink,anyways this beer poured with a nice color and minimal head.Noticed it was somewhat thin (but I dont fault them too much).Smelled very malty sweet tasted like caramel/toffee really enjoyable.Body was thin for style but alcohol content is only 6.0%.A pretty god brew.
Mar 10, 2003
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I'm not sure that I have the right beer here as this is clearly not a doppelbock. It wouldn't even pass as a standard bock. In fact, it's much more of a Vienna-style lager. But since Weeping Radish only lists one "Christmas Beer" on their web page, I guess this is it. It's released at Thanksgiving and the description reads "A dark, smooth lager brewed with extra malt to warm the heart and soul of all who drink it". It's label lists it as being "Brewed and bottled by Weeping Radish Brewery, Baltimore, MD" so I assume it's contract brewed at Clipper City.
It pours a clear, deep mahogany with a crimson cast and ruby highlights. The creamy light-tan head holds well and drops to a nice creamy collar which leaves spotty lace throughout the glass. The nose offers a soft spiciness (cinnamon, all-spice?), some sweetish malt, and a gentle fruitiness (berries, cherry). The body is medium with a very fine and moderate carbonation that leaves it lightly crisp in the mouth. The flavor is lightly spicy and softly fruity up front, leading into a gently sweet & mildly toasted maltiness as it crosses the palate, and finishing short and dry. The bitterness is well restrained allowing the delicate spice and maltiness to come through. It's extremely well-balanced, smooth, and highly drinkable. Although it's not a big, full flavored beer, it is an interesting and enjoyable brew. Well done, and certainly worth trying.
Jan 19, 2003
Photo of goindownsouth
Reviewed by goindownsouth from New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Yet another fine German brew by the crafting hands of the Weeping Radish Brewing Company. This bier pours a deep and rich dark amber color and exudes a serious maltiness at the nose. The head is present at the pour, but fades quickly. It starts smooth and finishes the same way. Again, whiel I am not normally one for the holiday-style brews, this is one that is well worth trying. Prost!
Dec 14, 2002
Photo of DrewS
Reviewed by DrewS from Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours out to deliver about a 1 inch head that fades quickly. Fairly clear with a dark brown and slightly reddish appearance. Mostly malt in the nose, subdued fruitiness in the background. Faintly sweet on the tongue and some good malt flavor comes through with playful, fruity esters. Hop bitterness is found in the somewhat long and lingering finish. IMO this is more like an ordinary brown ale than a Doppel Bock. I found this beer to be a little one dimensional and not very complex. I believe there are better Christmas beers out there but this one is quite easy to drink.
Nov 12, 2002
Christmas Doppelbock / Christmas Beer from Weeping Radish Bavarian Restaurant
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 19 ratings