Doppelbock
District ChopHouse & Brewery

 

 

On tap at the District Chophouse. Pours a lightly murky brown with a thin beige head. Roast, chocolate malt, and almost a bit of lambic funk, but I'm not sure where that's coming from, as it's not backed up in the flavor, and is quite out of place. Roast, dark fruit, little bit of dark chocolate. Large plum and warming alcohol on the finish. Really boozy. Listed on tap at 10%, so I'm not sure if this is a new version or not.

On tap at The Brickskeller on December 9, 2010.

Pours a dark brown color with a light tan head and a slightly-lopsided collar. The nose rings some sweet chocolate and slight roast. A bit of booze, but nothing overwhelming. Mild notes of slightly-sweet malt in there as well.

The taste is a whole different story, as while there are some notes of caramel and chocolate, the overwhelming presence is alcohol. Fusel alcohol, to be specific. Something went quite wrong with this one, as when you move away from the alcohol in the taste and into the finish, not only is there a burn but also a cit of astringent penny-like character. Finishes very dry. To quote another, "this beer tastes like wet dog and pennies." Really not a good offering and I couldn't finish mine.

Comes to the table in a snifter glass. Pours deep red. Very dark 1-finger head on this short glass. No retention and a viscous coating of liquid sheen for lace.

Sweet nose with bananas. Clove, pale malt, plums, and figs round things out.

Tart hit transitions quickly to ripe fruit. Plums, figs as in the nose along with raisin and caramel. Very nice profile.

Slight fiziness to the feel brings that score down a notch. Very, very creamy and smooth otherwise. Syrupy.

Very nice sipper on a cold winter day in DC.

Served on cask at a local beer bar. Beer is dark brown, head is almost non-existent, clings to glass what little there is, no lacing to speak of.

Smell like caramel, really strong caramel smell, burnt sugar.

Beer is a little boozy at first, overall the beer is dry. After drinking it a bit more, the beer is too sweet, still dry and thick. Mouthfeel is really thick but there is no payoff. The sweetness must be malt based but I'm not getting it, there is no bitterness (which is fine) I'm just not really enjoying this beer. After most of the beer is gone I pick up a slight hint of roast in the back, where did that come from?

A: watery brown color with a small rim of bubbles and no lacing.
S: faint aroma of caramel, but not much else.
T: flavor starts a bit sweet, with milk chocolate, then progresses to a subtle dark cocoa, then to a bitter almond finish.
M: a bit lighter than I would expect from a doppelbock.
D: has decent complexity, interesting enough to give it a try, but nothing o write home about.

This beer has a dark, grape-stained, brown color that is quite opaque and is topped by a thin, tan colored head. The aroma is malty and rich with a bit of sweetness and lots of toasted grain notes. Aromas of well browned malt, sweet raisins, and alcohol, the last two combine to form a sort of warming Rum / Brandy like aroma to this beer. There is also a touch of husky, grain astringency to the nose.

The beer is sweet tasting, though perhaps not quite as much as the aroma might have suggested, but it is still evident. Rich malt notes contribute flavors of toasted malt, a definite Maillard-browning heartiness in the finish and lots of caramelized bread crust notes. The beer is a bit hot towards the finish, it has some sharp astringency and it can be a bit thin at times. It is note nearly as rich and chewy as I would prefer for a Doppelbock, but it is still a sipping brew. It also doesn't have that lager-like smoothness that it should; perhaps it needs a bit more lagering time. Somehow the sweetness is a bit too clean and simplistic at times, a Doppelbock should have some sweetness, but it should be a big, complex, chewy sweetness that is oozing character.

When I went to the Chophouse this was on tap as the Brewer's Maker Dopplebock. The bartender told me they just started to make and sell it to the public. A thick, black liquid with a large head that left lacings arrived, and when I took a huge whiff the first thing that struck was cinnamon and bubblegum. This beer has a spicy and sweet aroma, belying its malt heavy taste. The malts are mainly dry, like coffee and roasted and maybe some cocoa, with a good hoppy backbite on the end for a dry finish. A full-bodied beer, I imagine the ABV is up there. I am not a huge fan of dopplebocks, and this didn't really remind me of one, but still a good beer nonetheless.