Dopplebock Lager
Olde Hickory Brewery

 

 

Review #500, beer number 910 overall. Thanks to stoutfiend27 for sending this bottle along as an extra in one of our many bottle swaps.

Garnet in color with ruby hues. The head on this beer is pretty good lookin'. Creamy and fluffy, it leaves thick and full lacing all over the glass.

The nose is just awesome. Nutty, chocolate, clean notes of malty sweetness. Some toffee and caramel in there as well. The flavor starts off similarly with some notes of traditional chocolatey, nutty, and toffee malts. As the flavor develops on the palate, though, I get some off-putting metallic and cardboard-like oxidation notes...certainly odd since it took a chainsaw and a saber to get through the seemingly 2-inch-thick wax that hermetically sealed this bottle from the time it was capped until the moment I chipped it off and cracked the bottle open.

The feel is a little bit thin...disappointing overall since the aroma and appearance were SO promising.

 

hazelnut brown. Lots of carbonation visible throughout the glass. A nice three finger high head of tan colored lace rose up above it and hung around for a few minutes before finally settling down to just a thin film across the top of the glass. Some decent side glass lacing as well, completed it very nicely.

The aroma was rich and sweet. Lots of great earthy and grainy notes mixing in well with a good amount of caramel sugar. The flavor followed suit nicely, with the dominant flavor of caramel really taking hold. Some nice bready malts being located under that as well. The alcohol was very well hidden, and not a factor at all. Nice smooth finish with the long lingering flavor of nutty caramel on the tongue for a few minutes afterward. The feel was a nice medium-bodied ale with a good amount of carbonation and a smooth creamy feel.

 

 

 

 

Received from brentk56 from Secret Santa '10. Poured from a bomber into a Hill Farmstead nonic. The pour is a nice dark mahogany with a walnut brown center. There is a one finger white head that quickly fades to a tight ring, leaving a slight oily lacing on the walls of the glass.

The beer has a pretty faint smell. There's a mostly malty aroma of graham crackers, an almost-salty-pretzel dough, and a vanilla/molasses sweetness. There is some floral hops in the background.

The taste follows the smell, but it's not as clean and it has a strange metallic finish. There is a slight alcohol sweetness. The beer is sweet, without being too sweet.

The beer is well carbonated and has a nice crisp finish. The alcohol is well incorporated into the beer, but the flavor falls short to get high marks for drinkability. This one has a strange almost-metallic aftertaste (similar to the Table Rock pale ale, I wonder if there is a bottling issue?)

A-maroonish with tan head that quickly disapates
S-malty with a nice amount of hops. Suprisingly hoppy.
T-something I have never had before.weird blend of hops and malt that I like.
M-medium body and smooth
D-very drinkable. Nice little suprise from urbancaver

While in Boone, NC I tried the Olde Hickory Doppelbock Lager. There is very little foam on the pour and the beer has a very nice dark ruby color. The smell has a slight malty scent that does not prepare you for the big taste of this Doppelback Lager. The flavor is really good and filled with malts but has a nice hoppy finish. The feel of this beer is a build from sip to the big flavor that continues through the tasting, and yes, the Olde Hickory Doppelbock Lager is very drinkable. I look forward to having this beer again.

Poured from a 22oz waxed bottle into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a dark ruby brown with a surprisingly light colored foam. Foam dies quickly leaving a not quite brilliantly clear body.

Aroma is all malt. Slightly sweet candy sugar - not candi - aroma. Warming this one up a bit just amplifies the aroma a notch.

Taste is right on the money for a doppelbock. Very clean malty and balanced flavor with no detectable flaws. It's not overly complex, but it IS a doppelbock after all. The finish has a surprisingly firm lingering bitterness. That seems slightly out of style, but it feels perfect for an American twist for the style.

Mouthfeel is very good as well. Smooth and clean with just enough body to make it count.

Drinkability is great. I wish that I had more. The 10% is well hidden, and just slightly warming. The strength will sneak up on you after a bit, but this was a real surprised from a brewery that I've never tried. Excellent work OHB.

Thanks to Craytonic! Bottle that was doubled waxed and took forever to open, poured into my Darkness glass...This lager settles to a super dark brown with deep blood red hue in the light. A full thick tan head, great retention and lacing. This bad boy looks awesome!...The aroma is super malty, brown sugar, bread, prunes, dark fruits and grape soda dominate, a hint of yeast and alcohol on the finish. A touch to sweet for me, but good...What happened? Man this is just not right. A super malty aroma, taste crushes your senses with hops and alcohol. Not balanced at all, all the sweetness is gone. Almost makes me gag. This is so bitter, like they confused a dopplebock with double ipa.

I can't recommend this. Looks and smells great, taste is bad. The hops are totally misplaces, trying to be creative, just ruined the beer.

From 12/31/10 notes. Shared by nmann08; thanks Nate.

a - Pours a dark reddish brown color with one inch of off white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts, bready malts, toffee, sugar, and dark fruits.

t - Tastes of dark fruits, mainly raisins, bready malts, caramel malts, sugar, and light chocolate.

m - Medium to full body and moderate carbonation; pretty smooth.

d - A very nice dopplebock; I liked this one a lot. Would like to try again.

22oz bomber into a DFH Signature glass pours a deep dark brown with a decent khaki head that lasts as a thin layer and leaves great lacing on the glass. Aroma is loads of caramel malts with baker's cocoa and mild Earthy hops. The taste is a kick of dark malts with burnt caramel, molasses and mild dried fruits. The beer is a bit on the heavy side, but it's a nice sipper. This is a very enjoyable Doppelbock, another great brew from Olde Hickory.

22oz bottle into SA perfect pint glass. Split with a friend. Thanks to craytonic for sending me this one.

A: Pours a dark ruby-brown with a finger of light brown head that quickly faded into a bubbly, oily film that left faint streaks of lacing down the glass.
S: Notes of lager yeast, sweet honey and dry nuts. Hints of salty brine as well.
T: Big sweet malty taste. Honey and molasses come through strongly in addition to notes of toasted bread and bitter piney hops. Finish is full of roasted notes and the aftertaste has a hint of coco.
M: Alcohol lends some viscosity to the medium-full body but isn't warm on the throat. Mouth is sticky but goes down smooth.
D: Not my favorite style but a pretty decent brew, and one that I was certainly happy to try. Very rich and delicious. A half a bottle was enough for me.

Thanks to blutt59 for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark red color with a white head. The aroma is very nice. I get a nuttyness, toffee, caramel and dark fruit. The flavor is more of the same with the addition of some roasted malt. The dark fruit and toffee malt really stand out. The alcohol is very well hidden. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very nice doppelbock.

Poured from a 22 oz brown bottle into a pilsner glass

A-Deep reddish brown pour capped with a very thick tan head. Definitely towards the darker end of the spectrum for the style. Moderate lacing and cling.

S-Lots of bread and dough. Some caramel, brown sugar, toffee, along with dark fruit (raisin? fig?) and maybe just a hint of cherry.

T-Follows the nose. Lots of breadiness with toasted and burnt grain, brown sugar and dark fruit. Some tobacco and a little alcohol burn round it out. Surprisingly hoppy. In this sense, it is not exactly true to style (at least in the traditional German sense). The hoppiness almost challenges the malt sweetness for dominance - though doesn't quite over take it.

M-Very sticky and full bodied. Medium carbonation with a slight booze presence. Gets a little cloying near the end.

D-Didn't really have any trouble polishing off a bomber by myself, but wouldn't want much more than that. At 9%, it's not something I'm going to consume more than a bomber at a time anyway. It's definitely aggressive for the style; an Americanized interpretation of the style, but quite enjoyable nonetheless.

22 oz. Picked up at Brawleys. Fairly solid reddish brown pour, a thin layer of off white head.

Malt, brown sugar, caramel, yellow raisin aroma. Tad of chocolate, peat and fainter hoppy resin.

Taste matches well, but more toasted and ashy flavors, which I expect in a doppelbock. Not as much fruit in this one to me, though it is here and there. Malt and caramelized brown sugar. Oak and burnt toast, almost to a fault. Mellows a bit as it warms into more of a dark chocolate or bakers chocolate. Finishes with just a bit of roast bitter and to a lesser extent piney hop bitterness.

Solid medium mouthfeel, coats well. A little warm yet though. Carbonation is about right.

All around just fine, though a bigger beer. This should probably age quite well. Olde Hickory has yet to dissapoint me.