My Way Or The Way Way
Against The Grain Brewery

 

I’m not big into smokey beers. This was a gift because someone knew that I liked dark, aged beers. I do not get any bourbon flavor

750 ml bottle, no age that I noticed on the bottle or label, I've had this bottle a few months or so. Collab brew with Way Beer in Brazil. Served in a chalice, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch and a half tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is good and smoky, the brew smells mostly like smoke and burnt/charred malt, along with some vanilla, bourbon, coffee and dark fruit. For the most part the taste is similar to the aroma, with smoke, smoked meats, dark fruit, vanilla, bourbon, molasses, dark bread and earthy flavors. I think the smokiness is the star here. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit creamy and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. If you're into smoked brews then I think you'd really like this one too. It's not exactly a traditional dopplebock so if it was up to me I'd categorize this as a smoked beer. All I know is that I liked it a lot!

 

Big malty alcohol aromas with dark sugars seasoned with moderate smoke. On the tongue bourbon, alcohol, smoke, dark sugars and rich malts hold sway. The alcohol is not hot or harsh. The beer had a big body and moderate plus carbonation.

Pours into a half liter stein a deep rich mahogany color with a huge blooming rocky deep beige head that settles ever so slowly into a frothy mass.Hardwood smoke and coffee aromas stand out most with a bit of cherry-like fruitiness coming thru as well.Bourbon and molasses flavors hit upfront with underlying dry coffee and roast,I get a slight spicy note in the finish,the meaty element comes thru as I drink more.Nice to taste some actual doppelbock traits and not all bourbon and sweetness,a fantastic beer....but pricey.

Poured a black body with minimal head and no lace. The aroma is mostly smoky/meaty with a notes of booze and wood as well. Thick, sticky, boozy, has notes of dark fruits (figs/raisins) and the smoky/meat vibe really comes through. The smoke is overpowering at times but overall a great beer and worth trying. (Perhaps only complaint, if this is labeled as one, is that I don't really see how this is a dopplebock as it strikes me more a mix between rauchbier and bourbon barrel stout).

 

Rich, dry, decadent, smokey, robust.

Huge frothy head, extremely woody in aroma and taste. I've had amburana bo & luke and damn is this wood unique... the taste and smell is truly too unique to describe. I think I actually like it more in this beer.

It's leathery and woody and chewy and creamy.

Respect to against the grain for exploring new avenues rather than settling for the stays quo of trendy trends...

I really wish this amburana smoked aged doppelbock was hazier though.

 

Part of Against the Grain's Stave it for Later barrel series, this bourbon barrel aged doppelbock features amburana wood smoked malt... This is molasses bourbon smoke in a bottle... Rich and sweet and packed with that bourbon, smoke, molasses, and vanilla... Deep, dark brown - almost black in the glass - with a tall dark foam head... Big mouthfeel, smooth as fuck... This is a dream come true for fans of bourbon barrel aged beer, smoked beer, and dark beer with molasses-like sweetness and feel. I don't drink enough doppelbocks to relate how "true to the style" this doppelbock is, but I'm assuming its extreme nature deviates enough from form to throw off purists. First pour was in my pilsener glass, but once i knew what I was in for, the rest went into my over-sized snifter... If you're like me, and you like big beers - and its only an 8.5% abv brew - it's not over-the-top in that regard - you gotta try this...