Online Doppelbock Tasting - February 4th

After years of trying different beers out on my eighty year old plus father in law, we finally hit upon the doppelbock as something he truly enjoyed, a couple of years ago.

Thereafter, we enjoyed going out for beers at the local biergarten in Charleston. Sadly, he passed last October...

This one's for "Epa":



Dark brown with thinner brown edges; dark beige head; good cap retention; moderately heavy lacing.

Prunes, sweet caramel nose.

Prunes, figs, brown bread, semi sweet caramel, and molasses notes.

Medium full mouthfeel, moderate carbonation, with some dryness in the finish.

Overall, not overly sweet, with a fruity/malty linger. So easy drinking for the style. Outstanding.

 

Had my first Urbock ever near the end of last year, after warming up with a couple of Edelstoff which didn´t put my anxiety down in the slightest. My first Eiche came a few minutes after that and then i had another Urbock, just "to check". A total rookie disaster, which i´ve managed to fix during January...

I´ve had a weissbier right now to be honest, and might have that lasting Urbock alone in the dark.

 

Im with you. Only bought the two. On to a SN barleywine ..

 

I will consider if you bring your Barock Hell fresh on a consistent basis.

 

I just finished a Duck-Rabbit Duck-Rabbator, the first of three I'm planning tonight. I gave it a quick rating of 3.83, a bit below the 4 average rating. It's okay, but a bit higher alc than most, and I'm getting a very sweet/caramel flavor. Next up will be Celebrator, followed by Troegenator. Wishing I had picked up a Korbinian since that's a popular one tonight.

 

Thanks for setting up this event! Great idea to do a style tasting so that everyone has an opportunity to pick up beers that are available to them instead of being confined to one beer... and this style is one of my favorites. My all-time favorite doppelbock is Ayinger Celebrator (if you couldn't tell from my avatar) but Andechs isn't very far behind. For domestic versions, I had Two Roads Henry's Farm a little while back that I really enjoyed.

Rather than stick to my favorites, I decided to mix it up a bit tonight. I bought this a few weeks ago but held on to it when this tasting was announced. I've never had a Heller Doppelbock before so this is a first for me.

Brauerei Zoller-Hof Donator Heller Doppelbock



Some notes from the bottle:
"Tripple hopped doppelbock beer"
"This beer is unfiltered and lagered at least for 50 weeks" (Oh, only 50 weeks?! You couldn't wait two more weeks and just say it was lagered for a full year?)
Best before 7/26/2018.

Pours a beautiful deep gold color with great clarity and a tall, white, creamy head. Rich toasted malt aroma with some faint noble hops in the background. Heavy malt flavor that comes across as sweet in the beginning but actually finishes pretty dry. A slight kiss of warming alcohol at the end, but it's not hot at all. Full bodied, smooth, rich, and clean.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this beer but it turned out to be a really well-made beer and a nice change of pace from your typical dark doppelbock. The best thing I can compare it to is a Maibock on steroids. Prost!

 

So I have at least a Korbinian, Andechs Doppelbock, a Troegenator, Celebrator, and a newly bought local doppelbock from Night Shift. As much as I would like to try all of them tonight, I hate to waste so the Korbinian and Andechs will have to wait for another night, as well as the Troegenator which I had last year and liked.

First up for me and my only traditional German take on the style thus far is the almighty Ayinger Celebrator. What a really great brew this is. As soon as I opened the bottle I got big whiffs of red and black grapes flowing at me with rich toffee and caramel notes. Some molasses, brown bread and dark fruit notes lay underneath with some mild grassy hop notes.



After pouring the beer the aroma really opens up. Big grape notes, black, red and green, with some moderate apple/pear, dried fig, raisin, rich caramel, toffee, molasses, toasty brown bread, with some earthy herbal grassy pine. The taste is quite dark and malty with rich caramel toffee, molasses, toasted brown bread, raisins, dried fig, grapes, apple, pear, slight chocolate, and definitely some coffee notes that @bonns42 was mentioning. For me the feel was a bit lighter than expected given the rich malt notes. Slightly medium-light bodied, creamy and smooth with moderate-low carbonation. Overall this is a really satisfying brew, and I'm loving this traditional German doppelbock style. It is less fruity than a Belgian Quad with those same rich toasted dark malty notes.

I'm really glad we did this tasting and focused on a style like this that is great but doesn't always get the praise and attention it deserves. This tasting opened me up more to the style and created some awareness about the doppelbock and the differences that can occur between beers, like how dark or fruity it may be, how rich and intense, hoppy, etc. It's good to see all of the notes, and some different (and same) beers. I'll be back with the Night Shift Coburg soon. Cheers all!

Here's a link to my review: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39/131/?ba=StoutElk_92#review

 

Next up...Bell's Consecrator.

Second bottle from the six pack, which gives me one bottle's worth of experience with this beer. At least it's recent experience.

 

Okay, last doppelbock of the evening (but definitely not the last beer). My final contribution to this tasting, which is an awesome idea btw, is ACUTALLY from Germany!

Hofbrau Winter Spezial


This beer combines the best attributes of both my previous doppelbocks, and further proves why the Germans are held in such high regard for their respective styles. The aroma somehow combines both a bright, refreshing essence with a rich, malty presence. The flavoe does the same, as it starts with the plum/prune notes that turn to rich breadiness, and it finishes with a moderate crispness that allows the flavors to linger just enough. Perfect compliment to the pork chops, deceptive for the 8.4% ABV, and overall one of the best doppelbocks I have had.

Tonight has been a true pleasure. Now to take my drinks to WBAYDN, and hopefully finish this day of college b-ball with a #bigbluenation win, since the Maize and Blue took an L from their bitter (football) rivals.

Cheers, BA!

 

Damn. All I've got left is the Barock Dunkel and the Anno 1050. All well, nice knowing ya !

 

Bell's Consecrator cont'd:

A
1-2 SRM points lighter than Troegenator, but maybe that's just the different glasses. Conversely the head is a bit more ample and persistent, 1.5 fingers dropping to a skim. Some spotty lacing. 4

S
My olfactory sense, albeit never that sensitive, still seems a bit compromised and is only picking up a mild fruitiness and...could that be a touch of vanilla extract? 3.75

T
Mmmm, I do believe that is vanilla extract, but just a feathering across the tongue before it gets deftly swept aside by an insistent rye bread doughiness which in turn is laced with some candied fig or date. Nice. 4.25

M
Like Troegenator medium-light, with just enough tingling carbonation to keep the palate clean and ready for another sip. 4

O
This one gives Troegenator a run for it's money...and wins by a nose. At least tonight. 4

 

Tasty brew. Malty, sweet, toffee notes.

Augustiner Bräu Maximator | Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/820/2864/?ba=Wasatch#review

Cheers!


Emerson, Lake, & Palmer Emerson, Lake, & Palmer (Steve Wilson Re-Mix) (EU) (2 LPs) 1970 2012 Remaster Cotillion Records, Music On Vinyl NM

 

A beer advocate, ELP fan, and a vinyl-phile. You sir are to be commended.

 

Like @mschrei I had this one in the fridge and knew tonight would be the perfect opportunity to crack it. Pipeworks Goat Collector.



For their first beer of the style, they really did an excellent job. Deep brown in color, ample light brown head. Solid retention, little to no lacing. The aroma is rich malts, raisin, dark fruit, caramel. The flavor is similar, with all of those notes and a strong bready character. Rich, complex, and decadent. Medium-full body, moderate carbonation, and a smooth creaminess. A welcome addition to the style and I appreciate when younger breweries take shots into less hyped styles.

Cheers BAs!

 

2009 Samichlaus. So 8+ years since brewing, 7+ years since bottling

basically no head, but the carbonation is still fine. when held up to a bright light, it's crystal clear and a brilliant ruby color. complex aroma - toffee, caramel, figs, black cherry, some herbal spice. taste is both deep and flavorful yet smooth and mellow at the same time. None of the alcohol hotness or sweetness that this beer can have when fresh. dangerously drinkable. sticky mouthfeel, coats the tongue.

I still have about a dozen or so bottles from this case in the cellar, looking forward to continue enjoying them over the next decade! @dcotom if you have patience, you will be rewarded.

 

Urban Chestnut Mapleator 500mL bottle dated 11/14/16 served in an Ayinger pokal. This 8% doppelbock is included in the winter warmer variety pack in distribution now. Reddish amber color with tight khaki head. I’m not getting any aroma. Taste is full, a little bready, with a vague sweetness from the maple, but no actual maple flavor. Mouthfeel is right on. I was excited to get the variety pack and try this beer. It is good, but not as good as the traditional doppelbock (Oxnbrau) they put out last year. Overall, a good beer, but a let down from the world class lagers I have enjoyed from them over the last year. Sorry for no picture, I am just hoping to get the post in.

 

Does the hop character strike you as different from other beers in the style?

 

Is your dad a big beer fan?

 

Just poured the last of the Double Vision and I remain impressed how people in Idaho get the tropical banana like flavor out of malts .

This has always been my favorite lager style ,followed by Marzen, Mabock and then I'm not sure...