Ragnabock
Longship Brewery

 

 

this one really didnt blow me away it obviously did the other individual who has rated it thus far, i mean, its a well done brew, a patiently lagered and robustly malty drink, but in a lot of ways pretty one dimensional, a bit lighter to me than some of the classics in the style, and without the depth of the best examples, but like all the beer in here, its very well made with attention to detail and brewer know how very obvious. deep amber even brown in color but without the sudsy viscosity i normally look for in the style, like several of their other traditional styles this seems a bit lighter in body. nutty european malts, caramelized grain intensity, raisin and dates, sweet but not chewy, some kilned drying nuttiness there as well, but straightforward enough with the german lager yeast powerful enough to come close to drying this out. the alcohol is really well hidden to the extent it doesnt drink anything like its listed strength, although it does start to set a buzz in on me before long, in cahoots with some of their other beers of course. i had a lot of fun here, and these guys are making some great beers!

With a straight brown color, the flavor is a nicely grainy light raisin bread with very minor sweet pudding and toffee taste and a touch of light brandy. The beer is malt forward with a great balance, as it has fantastic and refreshing mouthfeel to complement the balanced body. The aroma does a great job getting close to the flavors it represents. Amid a lot of very bitter offerings in the west coast, this is what doppelbocks should be! It’s as though you’re having a light version of the doppelbock from Sprechers brewing in Wisconsin. After you enjoy this beer, I recommend the said Doppel Bock from Sprechers, the Bock & Tackle and any other good [hopefully revived!] dark lager beers from Karl Strauss and the Breakline Bock from Rip Current Brewing. There is even a fantastic Weizen Doppelbock from Atwater Brewing called Teufel Bock!