Hofbräu Winter Spezial
Hofbräuhaus München

Clear, deep brown, khaki head, good retention, rings of lace with whisps in between
Aromas of dried fruit, molasses, pumpernickel bread
Tastes like raisins, toasted pumpernickel, molasses
Medium-heavy body, clean, appropriate carbonation
A really nice doppelbock

 

 

 

Poured into a Celebrator pokal. Pours a medium to dark chestnut brown with a fine, two finger light khaki head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma is bready malt, dates, brown and pumpernickel bread and raisins. Flavor follows, with bready and biscuit malt, dates, brown bread with some rye developing. Raisins and figs; malty. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. A fine doppelbock with lots of great malt character. Full of dark dried fruit and yeasty bread notes. Overall flavor depth is a little subdued, but complex enough to keep it interesting. Don't know why I haven't seen this Hofbrau before, but glad I ran into it. Probably left over from the last Winter season, but as usual for doppelbocks, not the worse for the age. I forgot how much I love malty beers.

 

Appearance - chestnut brown body with beige head

Smell - toasted nuts, caramel, cola, toasted bread

Taste - cola, caramel, toffee, toasted nuts, toasted bread

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, sweetness upfront from the cola/caramel, finish has good flavour as well

Overall - this is a pretty good dopplebock that is worthy of a re-visit. Hearty body with good flavors that you would expect from the style. Worth a try.

Price Point - $12.99/6pk 11.2 oz bottles

L - deep brown with a frothy tan head that sticks around leaving behind a good amount of lacing
S - tons of rich dark malts and bready yeast, dark fruits, slight caramel and spices
T - follows the nose - rich dark malts and bready yeast up front and throughout, dark fruits - dates, raisin, and prunes, chocolate, some toffee, caramel, winter spices, mineral well water.
F - medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth, creamy
O - a really solid doppelbock/winter ale

My favorite beer of this Christmas season. No spices or over hopping. Just an honest Bavarian brew. Not your father's doppelbock. Too bad it's Spezial and not Regular.

 

330 ml bottle poured into a Tulip.

L: Chestnut brown, hazy, 1” off-white head, creamy foam had moderate retention, lively pour.
S: Big aroma, bready malts and plum/prune
T: Malty, some dark sugar sweetness, medium floral bitterness, nice malt/hop balance, woody aftertaste.
F: Medium body, slightly crisp, a bit chalky.
O: Nice, drinks fast.

Really enjoyed this one....significant melanoidins on the aroma and taste..fresh baked breads......more chocolate malt impression to this than any other doppel I've had....almost smells like a chocolate malt but not artificial...

The body is on the high side of medium...thinner than a lot in this style but very drinkable.....probably body wise this would fit better as a standard bock.

This is a bit different for a doppel but very interesting and flavorful.

 

Appearance: Pours a completely clear, dark brown color with a strong and rich tan head. SRM of 21-22. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of brown bread, caramel, toasted bread and toffee.(4.00)

Flavor: Strong flavors of brown bread, toast, slight roast. Chocolate with a light toasted follows. Leans dry. (4.00)

Feel: Medium-bodied, lower carbonation. Mildly sweet (but not too much), smooth. (4.00)

Compared to Ayinger Celebrator 12/2023: Pours lighter, similar head. Stronger aromas. More caramel, toasted bread, toffee. Less dark Munich malts. Less carbonation, but similar sweetness. Decently similar.

Compared to Weihenstephaner Korbinian 1/2024: Pours similar, more cocoa, earth, and roast. Less sweet caramel and toffee. Drier and more roasted. Winner: Hofbrau

Overall: Excellent. Caramel, brown bread, and toffee flavors. Authentic and still surprisingly drinkable for the ABV. This was good and and excellent and drinkable doppelbock. (Rating: 4.05)

 

330mL bottle with a 10/11/2024 stamp poured into an small mug at fridge temp 8.4% ABV. The beer pours opaque dark brown with mahogany highlights and light brown head. The head recedes to a thin cap. Slight lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring sweet toasted bread and toffee. The taste is bittersweet burnt sugar caramel and toasted rustic bread trailing off into earthy hop flavor and moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just less that average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Cleanly lagered. Overall, very good.

 

 

 

Winter Spezial has a very thick, cream-colored head and a dark, rust-brown appearance, with heavy lacing. The aroma is of raisin and dark brown bread crust. The flavor is of those elements, with sweetness, chocolate, and minimal bitterness. Winter Spezial has a high-medium body and a semi-sweet finish.

RJT