Full Sail "21" - Anniversary Doppelbock
Full Sail Brewing Company

Bottle from Toby. Showing its age. Medium, clear brown pour. Sweet, maple notes. More brown sugar, light malts. Close to not being a Doppelbock anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beer # 12 ampled at Eastern Oregon DONG (Dudes of Northwest Grog) "We Will Bock You!" tasting @ Barley Brown's, 8.6.11. Meticulously taken care of, stored in my refrigerator for 3 years, gladly pulled this out to share with the crew.

Medium brown body, slightly off-white head, some visible effervescence, fairly quick dissipation with some nice lacing legs. Malt forward, raisins and brown sugar, not burnt, hops pretty well obscured by malt bill. Taste is malty, a bit of breadiness to dry out the palate with a wee bit of grassy hops on the backend, the stone fruits re raisins, plums were pretty subtle on the tastebuds, certain mellowed out a bit over time. Mouthfeel on the light side of medium, dry finish, minimal stickiness. Not sure if the might have been past its prime, re assertive flavor profile, but this was certainly tasty, just what you'd expect from John Harris, one of PNW's most respected brewers.

Typing in another old review. Poured from the bottle a medium brown color with a smattering of light brown foam on top. Aromas of malt, brown sugar and milk chocolate. On the palate, this one has a fairly thick mouthfeel, with sticky toffee, brown sugar, chocolate and caramel.

From old notes.

A: The pour is a dark amber color, definitely some brown notes and a finger of tan head.

S: Pretty much what you expect from a doppelbock with notes of dark fruits such as raisins and plums, cola, and toasted bread. Maybe a touch of molasses and brown sugar.

T: Sweet brown sugar, caramel, and molasses. Bread and toasted malt with a touch of roast. Some plums and raisins, perhaps some cherries as well.

M: Medium in body with a moderate carbonation.

O: Pretty decent example of a doppelbock, especially for one brewed by an American brewery.

Note: This had been in my fridge for about 2 years...pretty darn cold too.

Pours a murky, nutty, mahogany brown. Looks really nice, but the head isn't all there. Perhaps due to coldness or age.

Aroma doesn't quite feel full. Nutty, sweet, caramel..a bit of a tootsie roll type deal.

The flavors are nice. The combo and blend of the caramel, nut, cocoa and some herbals is quite impressive. The flavors are full, smooth and not overpowering. There's some orchard fruits in the background, perhaps overripe apples.

Feel is creamy yet the alcohol provides a good bite to mix things up a bit.
A nice beer.

Pours a thick, two-finger off-white head that fades very slowly leaving a good lace. Nose is caramel. Cloudy amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is sweet toffee and caramel, hops balance but stay in background. 22oz gift bottle from Tigard, OR.

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Vol. II Issue X:

Our pints are raised for seeing another year of Full Sail. Gratz!

Crackling light tan head drops slowly to a thin lace. Crystal-clear tawny color. Spicy hop and alcohol in the nose with some browned toasted malt ... the alcohol actually comes through a bit more than the usual Doppelbock, but certainly not a problem. Full bodied and really smooth with a creamy mouthfeel. The toasted malt seems clean, though it pushed a mild rustic character of brown bread, toasted husk and faint caramel throughout. Hops are tame with a pleasant, balancing bitterness and some deeply embedded herbal/spicy flavors. Quick breath of alcohol shows its 8-percent ABV, but stays clean sip after sip. The finish points toward dry with a slight puckering, toasted husk and last fume of alcohol in the aftertaste.

Needless to say, this is quite the malt bomb. A solid rendition of the style, enjoyable all around, and any beer geek in the know has probably already jumped on this release. And so should you.

A: Pours a light sort of flat brown hue. Small tan head no retention or lace.

S: Aromas of pan darkened brown sugar, caramel, and roasted malt.

T: Simple sweet malt flavors mostly caramel but ample amounts of brown sugar and slightly nutty toffee. Very mild chocolate notes with a dash of spice and dark fruit.

M: Medium in body, malty sweet from start to finish. A bit dry in the finish.

D: Pretty good. A solid brew.

Congratulations to Full Sail for 21 years! Their anniversary Dopplebock shows a lot of maturity and character. But not all is sugar cubes and simplicity... or is it?

The beer opens with a beautiful aroma, chocked full of sweet, toasty malts- molassas, sweet breads, stone fruits, light rum-like alcohols, and fruitcake. Delicate, yet complex the aromas are quite seductive.

Dark mohogany, rusty brown, and ruby help to describe the color. A mild haze keeps the light out. A short-lived dainty head falls on the beer and struggles to retain or lace- somewhat uncharacteristic for a Dopple.

The sweet, sweet taste of toffee, caramel, and confection set the stage for the beer. The fruitcake flavors are coupled with light toast, bread crusts, and the meaty-savory-melanoidin rich flavors that define Dopplebocks. Figs, dates, grapes, and raisons begin the fruity complexity (not in an estery way, but in the way that dark Munich malts provide). No hop flavor, and only enough bittering to keep the beer palatable and enjoyable. Light on alcohol flavor.

The beer is efforvescent, bubbly, and airy up front but after the carbonation escapes, the beer falls quite sweet and heavy on the tongue and palate. Never reaching the true malty-dry target, the beer seems a bit heavy and syrupy in the end.

The 21st birthday beer is a fine Dopplebock but it lacks the depth and dry-malty flavor and feel of authentic German varieties. Though it's a very sweet and shallow version, it's quite tasty and enjoyable for the malt lovers out there. Thanks BrewsB4Shrews!