Altenmünster Winterbier Dopplebock
Allgäuer Brauhaus AG

 

Certainly on the paler side of the Dopplebock spectrum. Deep gold/light copper with a creamy, white head that dissipates slowly leaving heavy lacing. Maybe due to this being a pale version - which I'm not as familiar with - that lovely, deep maltiness is lacking. Nice Noble hops aroma though. Flavors are pretty flat; none of the bready, toasted flavors that makes the style so great. Also no caramel stickiness in the mouthfeel. Very low carbonation, but this is a two liter flip-top bottle, so maybe it isn't as fresh as should be. Overall, not very good , but for benefit of the doubt, it may be better were it fresher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Altenmunster/Allgauer's Winterbier (a bock, whether it be a doppel or helles is your choice, I guess) is a fairly enjoyable, straightforward lager that displays its light malts fairly well, adds in a bit of Germanic hops for complexity, and is generally clean and perfectly masking its 7.5% ABV. Where it falters, though, is in the fairly bland aroma and average flavor profile: it's a good lager, and I could drink this all night without noticing how intoxicating it was. Would I get it again? probably not (the Oktoberfest had bigger and breadier flavors than this, I thought), but I like heavier malt flavors and more complexity in my -bocks.

Pours a 2cm tall head of frothy, light tan foam, made up of very small bubbles, giving a very frothy appearance. Retention is excellent, the foam lasting well over two minutes in a decline to a thin film atop the body of the beer, thicker around the perimeter of the glass. Lacing is excellent, with complex and heavy patterns clinging to all sides of the glass. Beer's body is a moderately bright golden orange color, with light bringing out very bright golden orange (or dark golden yellow) hues. Carbonation visible through the transparent body, low in number, but moderate in pace/activity.

Aroma is fairly muted, some general malt sweetness with hints of light caramel and possibly light toast from Vienna, but lacking substantial maltiness as one would expect from a doppelbock's Munich malt background.

Front of palate is lightly sweet, with gentle bright sweetness from Vienna or light caramel malts, and a hint of floral hop character. Mid-palate is sweet, slightly malty with a light toast and light caramel component, just a hint of bittering hops that also contribute slightly floral qualities. Back of palate is sweetly malty, with slightly more bitter hops. Aftertaste of lightly toasted bread, light caramel-like sweetness, very mild bitterness.

Beer is medium-bodied, with carbonation of medium-low intensity, resulting in a slightly foamy (1/3) and smooth (2/3) mouthfeel that is super-pleasant and gentle, kind of like a fine, slightly frothy cream. 7.5% ABV discloses none of its ethanol. Closes dry, with moderate to heavy stickiness clinging to the palate and lips.

 

 

 

 

It's on the lighter end of the color scale for a Doppelbock, sort of a deep, clear amber-copper. The head is fluffier and less dense than I might expect, but sizeable enough and with good enough retention that it doesn't look bad. It's able to drop some spotty lacing in moderation on the glass.
The aroma is malty and breay with some good sweetness and a touch of molasses to it. It might not be as big or robust as the best out there, but I think it's pretty standard for the style as it used to be or as it's still brewed classically in Germany. A bit of cocoa and a gentle bite actually make for a fair complexity. I'd liken it to a cookie that's not too sugary and is baked with ginger and molasses.
The flavor's not as complex, and it gets a little too light for my liking. There's only a hint of either the molasses or anise/black licorice notes typical to a doppel, breads are less pronounced, and some of the strength of the nose is lost. It is a little spicier and has just a ghost of something like floral hops bitterness.
The mouthfeel is where I'm really at a loss. Who took a robust style like this and decided it would be better to take out some of the depth and body, to thin in out, and thought it would be better? I'm not sure I can get into a light-bodied doppel, to be honest. Maybe it's not that bad. It picks up a bit as it goes. Still, let's give this one some more heft.