Brewer's Select Series: BA Doppelbock
Ballad Brewing

Appearance: Arrives coffee colored with a thin cap that fades to a collar; squiggles of lacing hang around

Smell: Fig, date and cinnamon spice cake; a little underwhelming

Taste: Brown bread, fig and date forward with cinnamon building; a touch of Bourbon and Rye, through the middle, but rather subtle

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: For a barrel-aged beer, I would expect more impact from the oak aging; otherwise this pretty much hits the nail on the head

 

A: dark brown in cookie with a small tan head.

S: lots of malt with vanilla and caramel.

T: big bourbon flavor, with maple syrup, vanilla, and a long lingering brown sugar flavor. That flavor breaks out from a mediocre aroma, and really nails it.

M: medium thick carbonation with somewhat lower carbonation, and a sticky finish.

O: overall the sons was underwhelming, but it now than makes up for it in flavor. Big, complex, sweet, and tasty.

Very enjoyable beer. Poured from a 16 oz can into a tulip glass, this beer is a dense brown color with some reddish light coming through. There is a medium sized creamy off-white head with a bit better than average head retention and some minimal lacing on the glass. Aroma and taste feature bready malt, a little cinnamon and a little woody bitterness from the barrel ageing. The amount of bourbon is mild (not a bad thing since bourbon barrel flavoring can overwhelm a beer). There is a fairly strong maple flavoring too. (A lot going on with this beer). The aroma and taste area very enjoyable. Mouthfeel is crisp and rich. Not much notice of alcohol but the touch of spicing, the barrel flavoring and the bourbon keep it from being just another smooth, malty beer. I had it with a big plate of barbecued ribs and it held up very nicely!!!!

I don't see a date listed on the can or the label.

Appearance: It has a dark brown body. There are tons of tiny specks of suspended solids that are visible through a beer with otherwise very good clarity. The head is short and somewhat creamy textured with a slightly off-white appearance. It fades pretty quick and leaves no lacing.

Aroma: There is an aroma of cinnamon which comes across more as a sweet-smelling cinnamon than a spicy one. There is a note of caramel and a hint of brown sugar.

Taste: Up front there is bourbon flavor, toffee, maple, and toasted bread. It has an excellent first impression. The middle of the mouth light toasted nondescript nut character which is very pleasant. It gently slides into the back of the palate where the flavor picks up a slightly earthy note just before finishing with a coffee aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: The beer has a medium to medium-full texture depending on the sip. It has a very pleasant warming sensation that is light and gentle while also hiding the alcohol very well. The label states that this is "8.4% ABV" and it barely shows it. It has a nice smooth texture which makes it enjoyable to drink.

Overall: The label on the can states that this is "A TRADITIONAL GERMAN-STYLE DOPPELBOCK LAGERED IN BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP AND RYE WHISKEY BARRELS FOR 10 MONTHS, THEN BLENDED TOGETHER." The bourbon and rye barrel characters come across mostly as bourbon in the flavor, but it could have contributed to the aroma in the cinnamon character and in the flavor which had some earthy notes. The maple is present in both the aroma and flavor which is fantastic. The beer as a whole just worked very well and everything came together harmoniously, mostly in the flavor department. The toasty and nutty flavors came across very nicely for the Doppelbock base beer. The base beer for this seemed to be done very well. I would definitely pick it up again and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a pleasantly smooth and toasty lager with a bit of a twist.