Doppel-Hirsch
Der HirschBrau/Privatbrauerei Höss

Poured a 500ml cellar temperature bottle into a pint glass. A one finger bubbly tan head diminishes almost immediately. A clear reddish brown. no lacing.
Clean mild roasted malt smells.
Tastes of sweet malts. molasses.
Medium body with light carbonation.
A decent Dopplebock.

 

Pours a clear chestnut brown colour with a frothy soapy white head of two fingers, quickly receding into a thin white cap. Not spotty, but a very thin white cap supported by bubbles running up the side

Aromas of raisins, sweet roasted malts, caramel.

Taste follows the nose in most respects. Rum raisin cake, toasty malts, low to imperceptible hop notes. Sweet but very tasty. Some nice yeasty esters in the back end.

Medium-low bodied, a very slightly slick mouthfeel, the ABV is well hidden, slightly lower than average carbonation and small bubbles give this a creamy smooth mouthfeel. Gentle finish that is sweet and malty in nature

A lot of German doppelbocks are explosive in character, ABV heat inflects darker rum, fruit characteristics and oaky wooden notes. In this doppelbock, it’s more hidden, a little restrained. It makes for a straightforward but very tasty beer. Enjoyable on all counts, nothing that is totally out there, but respectably subtle and smooth.

Quickly to add, and important to note, LCBO is government run. We get all our beers all at once and then that’s it. For foreign imports, we are at their mercy of when they think they will sell the most of whatever beer. This was absolutely not the freshest offering, and while this doppelbock is high in ABV, it’s not bottle conditioned. I suspect the more restrained flavours are a result of that. Also, this was not bittersweet at any point with low to no hop influences. I’m going to re-review this beer down the line if I ever get a fresher bottle!

 

 

 

90,5

 

 

*edit 06/05/21

love this beer. been a personal favourite of mine in the style for a while now. lovely malt flavour, brown bread, lightly smokey, oaky, nutty, a sort of syrupy sweetness to it which i really like, caramel, molasses, a hint of some dark fruits, medium bodied and super drinkable, always a pleasure to have.

Bottle with freshness date of 26.22.19.
Pours a deep, almost cola colored with two finger breadth of soapy foam which quickly resolves
Smells of sweet toasted malt, molasses, dark fruits
Taste is incredibly sweet - malts forward, caramel, little leather and hint of hay and barnyeard -
Mouthfeel is medium to full - good carbonation provides some astringency and keeps it from becoming too cloying.
Abv well hidden - solid for the style- quite good.

Pours a clear light-brown color with a medium top off beige head that dissolves very quickly.
Aroma is of bread, caramel, toffee, raisins, nuts and ripe bananas.
The taste is sweet with some notes of dark and ripe fruit, with a strong malty back with notes of dark bread and caramel. The finish has a slight bitterness while the back still has that malty tones. Mouthfeel is soft and smooth with the alkohol well hidden. Medium carbonation with a medium body.
A really nice doppelbock.

 

 

 

 

Pours a slightly cloudy, reddish, deep mahogany coloration with a medium, foamy head. Smells of bready, caramel malt with notes of dark fruits and light spice. Taste follows the nose, being dominated by toasted, bready, caramel malt and dark fruit: fig, date, with lighter notes of grains, molasses, licorice and just a hint of yeast esters of clove and banana. There's also a certain herbal/earthy hoppiness in the background. Finishes quite bittersweet, with a light bitterness and some toffee and estery spice lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

This is a pretty nice doppelbock with a good complexity and balance, although it is quite sweet, bordering on cloying, which is kept somewhat in check by the bitterness and spices though.