Dopplebock's - Where is the love?

When I lived in Germany I used to buy Salvator by the case, 20 .5 liter bottles. I now realize how good I had it back then.... Out of the 44 I've tried, Salvator is in the top 5, Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock is my fave. First American to enter the list is at #16, Full Sail 25th Anniversary Pale Dopplebock.

 

Note: In Germany it's not just all bock, they have heller (light) and dunkler (dark) bocks, then the doppelbocks, and then the weizenbocks (wheat). And the grandaddy of them all, the eisbock (ice) where the they freeze it to separate the water from the alcohol, leaving behind a pretty potent brew. The eisbocks are some of Germany's strongest brews.

 

Depending on where you are in Maryland, there's a kick ass authentic German restaurant in Port deposit, named Prost! Excellent selection of German beers. And awesome food to go with it.

 

I'm going to have to look into that. I've had their Zwickel and quite enjoyed it, if they handle a doppelbock with the same skill it should be a treat.

 

While I agree with your general premise that beer geeks want bigger and bolder, I disagree that they'll necessarly like a well made Doppelbock. The style is bigger and bolder, but the flavors are more nuanced, and aren't easily recognizable to your average beer drinker. It's sort of like pils malt, I've found others (including myself) can have a hard time pinning down an exact description of this flavor(s).

You mention stouts and barleywines, but these often have obvious and easy to pick out bold flavors. In stouts, you have a roasted bitterness and chocolate/coffee flavors that are familiar to the average person. Then of course there's more direct versions of the stout, such as actual coffee and chocolate stouts. And American barleywines especially tend to be just as hoppy as the American double IPA. And we all know beer geeks can easily point out a variety of hop flavors. Add the fact that both of those styles are often barrel-aged, many times in whiskey or bourbon barrels, again, flavors that are easy to pick up on.

Doppelbocks are a stronger malt-forward style, much like say, a Belgian Dubbel. Again, another style that the malt profile is quite nuanced, with nothing bold or obvious going on. In the early 2000s both of these styles were much higher in the top 100 beers on Beeradvocate. But these have slowly fallen out of favor for the more obvious "bold" that is apparent in double IPAs and imperial stouts.

 

Right, but my point was agreeing with Grant that I don't see how Andechs Doppelbock can be compared with a Maibock -- as Urban Caveman suggested.

Been to Germany many times myself, once just to drink Maibock, but I was lucky enough to find some Starkbier (Doppelbock) left over from the previous season.

 

I love Dopplebocks, yet I have tried Paulaner Salvator (the OG Dopplebock) on several occasions and I just can't bring myself to like that one.

 

I just learned from the midwest rep for HB that the "Winter Spezial" is their Delicator Doppelbock (the "spezial" appears to be just that, a "special" offering):

I am officially on the hunt.

 

I love all the doppelbocks I've ever had. One of my favorite styles

 

Literally, just the hop content. Whatever they use or however they use it, for me, it drinks similarly to a Saengerfest - not quite to the same hop level, but not far off.

I also find most SN beers undrinkably hoppy (Kellerweis, Oktoberfest, Vienna) while others praise them, so I'm definitely an outlier.

 

Hey!!! Ironically enough I just happened to come across Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock today and.....WOW, this stuff is the BOMB!!! ...Honorable mentions go to Troege's Troeganater, but this shit is legit! BY FAR the best dopplebock I have EVER had!

 

I'm sorry, dude, but we're just going to fundamentally disagree on this one, as I find it positively insane that you'd describe dubbels or doppelbocks as "nothing bold or obvious going on". Cmon, man, you know that's poppycock. Crack open an Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel...that's huge caramel goodness right there, with big, obvious streaks of cocoa. St Bernardus Prior 8? Big, bold sweetness, unmistakeable Belgian yeast influence. Seriously, man, these beers have tons of obviousness. I know we're all afraid to admit that, lest we invoke comparisons to unsophisticated US craft nerds, but the reality is that Europe is just as capable of big, bold beer as the good, old US of A, and doppelbocks and dubbed most certainly fall into that category. Doesn't mean they're not delicious as heck. Doesn't mean they can't ALSO have nuance. But to deny they have any...that's dishonest.

(Shoot, read the description of HB's winter doppelbock steveh noted above. Tell me those aren't big, bold descriptors.)

(Or, from Andechs website, on their doppelbock. Acknowledging nuance while wholeheartedly affirming its strength and boldness...

"Also the aroma delights the connoisseur: soft roasted accents and a nuance of dried fruit carrying a vein of caramel. This Doppelbock Dunkel from Bavaria’s Holy Mountain presents a pleasant effervescence. And then there’s the unmistakable flavour: mouthcoating and velvety, strong and yet pleasantly malty – a powerful, robust body. At the same time, it develops an easily recognisable sweetness, embraced in roasted cocoa and a light, bitter hoppiness.

Concluding with a powerful punch, this Doppelbock departs with a lingering aftertaste of quality plain chocolate. A strong Doppelbock that embodies the centuries old Benedictine brewing tradition, sip by delicious sip (original extract: 18.5%, abv: over 7.0%)."

 

In defense of Alcaheute's response, I don't think he's saying that he doesn't think Doppelbocks aren't bold or in-your-face, I think he's saying that the average beer geek finds them less-than exciting without the high alpha acid, crazy citrus character, odd flavor additions, or charred-oak barrel aging. It's a matter of palate training and expectation of style, and most beer geeks don't want to try that hard.

 

I recently found a Bourbon Barrel Aged Dopplebock from New American Brewing, Ankeny, Iowa...it was outstanding! No clue where it is distributed to, but I was in Ankeny, IA and it was all over the Hy-Vee grocery store shelves...good stuff!

 

Yep, exactly this. Celebrator and Westvletern 12 both used to be number one on this site at one point in time. And you could find multiple versions of both styles ranked quite high on the list as well.

They're bigger and bolder styles, but not in the same way as today's most popular styles/beers.

 

Forgive me for somehow managing to read the following sentence as suggesting doppelbocks aren't bold or in-your-face...

"Doppelbocks are a stronger malt-forward style, much like say, a Belgian Dubbel. Again, another style that the malt profile is quite nuanced, with nothing bold or obvious going on."

I never said doppelbocks are the same as "today's most popular styles/beers", only that, if you like today's favored sons, there's a decent chance you might like doppelbocks.

"Really? I actually think Doppelbocks, of all the German styles, are probably more suited to being adopted by craft nerds than other styles (like Munich helles, weizens, etc.) They're bigger, stronger, and bolder than most German styles. If your contention is that US craft nerds only want extreme flavors, then, of the German styles, doppelbock is actually a decent fit. You like barleywines or stouts? I'd say there's a good chance you'll like a wellmade doppelbock."

Honestly, gents, your fear of being having any relation, or being compared in any way, with the US beer geek gets you a bit myopic.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a big, bold Celebrator to wrassle with...

 

If you're going to be in Wisconsin hunting for the HB, be on the lookout for Capital's Dark Doppelbock. They posted yesterday on their Facebook page that Dark Doppelbock is back: "Embrace your dark side this Black Friday with Capital Brewery as we celebrate the release of Dark Doppelbock! This rich, full flavored Doppelbock will only be around for a limited time!"

 

Again, I'm pretty sure he doesn't think that himself -- ask him. And I sure don't, but I'll stick by my original opinion on the typical, modern day beer geek.

C'mon man, just look around you (here at BA), if it isn't hopped to all hell or barrel-aged, it's swill -- thus the title of this thread.

 

Already have -- and didn't see the Capital. Either.

 

I think you know that's hyperbole. Swill? C'mon indeed.

Yes, indeed, the winds have changed. Westy 12 doesn't command the awe it used to. Celebrator isn't a rankings mainstay as it used to be. I'm just saying we ought not overplay our hand. We're in the middle of a 5-page thread on how great doppelbocks are. Sure, the ticking beer geek may have moved onto the BA stouts/IPAs/sour beer (see, the Belgians are still represented after all ), but there's no need for self-immolation -- Celebrator, Westy, and their compatriots are still well-regarded, not considered swill.