One of my favorite styles from a brewery that I have a checkered history with (some things I absolutely LOVE, some I hate, and I absolutely feel that they have lost their way of late). Anyway, happy to report that this is a lovely experience. Excellent pour with all the attributes I am looking for; deep, chestnut/red brown pour with a great head, some (not great) lace and decent retention. Nose has lots of lightly cheesy malt, and a slightly acidic "tang". On warmer that nose gets BIG - all...
Notes on beers in the style
Doppelbock
Low and Slow
Arcobräu Coronator
Doppelbock
Lovely, clear deep chestnut brown pour as hoped for. Off-white head is good, but retention not great with only a little lace. Nose and tastes offer requisite, sweet malts with again plenty of depth. Brown sugar and toasted malt. There's nothing unexpected here, and just about everything that you would want. Pretty light in the mouth with easy drinking, but in turn I like a bit more oomph in the mouth in the style. Finish and aftertaste are sweet, but there's an unusual thread running through...
Asam Bock
Dunkler Doppelbock
Purchased on a whim from Kahn's in Indianapolis. Wasn't seeking bocks or even Germans at the time, but didn't recognize this so gave it a whirl. Standard 16.9 oz presentation. Pour is as expected. Dark chocolate body, mocha head. Pitted head, lace is average. Nose gives up some sweetness, as do the initial tastes. The beer seems above average in terms of the sweetness, even considering the style. The sweet nature overpowers some of the underlying malts a little There's a LOT of brown sugar...
Collaboration 2016
One of those absolutely random bottle store finds that keeps me going into just about every beer store that I ever see. I think that I’ve had this before, but I find no notes. A dirty, dubbel-like pour, but the pop on opening is encouraging. The first concern of a beer of any age is always carbonation. We can move on to all of the other problems, but that’s the first port of call and a test that this beer passes. After a little time in the glass it clears to give a much more attractive, dark...
Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche
The usual Schlenkerla bottle shape, purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta, GA, USA. The pour is a particularly attractive, gold color with a moderate, white head. It looks really nice in terms of the color, but I would much prefer a bigger and better retained head. It lacks a little in that department, but the color is really superb. Very nice carbonation. The nose delivers the usual Schlenkerla bacon smoke, but it seems more complex and layered than some of the other Schlenkerla beers....
Oaked Butt Head Bock
12 oz single, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a muddy, Dubbel-like mid brown with a disappointing lack of clarity. Musty aroma with some blue cheese notes and a mild acidity - slight lactose aroma. Strange. Tastes reflect the nose and offer a weird combination of light acidity (unexpected) amongst the more predictable smoke/oak notes and the malty, alcohol strong, Doppelbock flavors. Not sure that there is any point in oaking a Doppelbock I think that there is precious little to be gained....
Gordon Biersch Winter Bock
I think that in general, GB beers receive less than a fair shake, and I find many of their German based lagers tasty, brewed close to style and generally worthy. 12 oz single from Total Wine at Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. A great depth of garnet color on the pour, coupled with super clarity and a decent head, the beer looks really nice in the glass. Nose gives some really good, alcohol soaked malts with a brief promise of some toasty warmth. The beer delivers a taste that is a bit drier and...
Doppelbock Grande Cuvée Printemps
750 mL corked & caged from Hop City, Atlanta, Ga, USA. One of the three new LTM beers to reach Georgia relatively recently and I felt the Doppelbock would be the best place for me to start. Pop on opening is not great that concerns me slightly but ultimately there was no need to worry. The pour is a very deep, chocolate brown with a lovely, mocha head and a little lace. The depth of color is impressive. The nose is even more impressive. An incredibly deep, malt bomb with lots of alcohol and...
Primátor Double Bock Beer
500 mL bottle, different to the current presentation in the BA db and a $2.99 purchase at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Let me preface this sentence by saying that I am a fan of malty, sweet, non-hop forward brews, and I am VERY experienced in the Doppelbock style so I know what to expect, BUT...WOW, this SUPER, SUPER Sweet! I mean in a way that I don't remember encountering for a long, long time! Pour is the standard, deep brown almost black color with a small, coffee-like head that fades...
He’Brew Rejewvenator (Year Of The Grape) 2010
22oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2010 version, "The Year of the Grape". Very typical of the Rejewvenator series. Described on the label as half Doppelbock, half Dubbel! A difficult to beer to classify but delicious and rich in malt just like the rest of the Rejewvenator series. The Shmaltz beers all seem to have a deep, richness about them both in terms of the color and the depth of flavor and this beer is absolutely no exception. A nice, noisy pour with a very rich, reddish brown...
Josephs Brau Winterfest
In a word, impressed. You never quite know what you are going to get with these cheap, 12 oz singles from TJ's but to be honest more often than not I have been really pleased with what I've found. This was no exception. Really deep, garnet copper body with some lovely light coffee-colored head. Lace and retention are not the best, but the clarity and the depth of color are both very nice. Lovely sweetness in the taste - I suspect it will be too much fro some, but if you like a sweet, malt...
Cherry Oak Doppelbock (Brothers’ Reserve Series)
Cherry Oak Doppelbock? Not sure what to expect here, nor am I convinced that all of these elements are necessary but we'll see. Sep 09/09 on label, I guess that's the bottling date. First in the series. Boxed bottle from Hop City, Atlants, GA, USA. Pour is a murky brown, Dubbel-like body that lacks much head or lace, but does leave some spotty cream on the surface of the beer. Plenty of very sweet malts in the nose but not much else. The tastes are certainly malty but they lack much cherry...
Atwater Voodoovator
12 oz bottle from a recent Bruisin' Ales transaction - thanks guys! One of my favorite styles from a brewer that I know very little about (are these the guys with the exploding bottles??) Poured into the Ommegang chalice we get a nice, rich, dark brown body and some very nice creamy head and lace. The body has a certain density about it which is, of course, requisite for the style. It has a presence which is good. Nose delivers unmistakable sweet malts and a hint of alcohol. Tastes are pretty...
Doppelbock Dunkel
Somewhat surprising. Single from Total Wine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour yields a very dark brown body with some bubbly head that fades fairly quickly. Nothing much to report here. Nose gives a slight sherry note, with a sweet Old Ale aroma. It promises much. Upfront tastes are malt driven as expected and there are some fruits, a touch of alcohol (although not a smuch as the ABV would suggest) and some simple, DB like features (more sweetness). The beer is a little odd in as much as the mouthfeel...
St. Victorious
One of my favorite styles from a solid brewer. Despite Victory having been in GA for sometime now, we've never had any of this. 12 oz bottle as part of my Secret Bunny package, thanks mday. Best Before Dec 2 09 printed on the label. Poured into the DFH palm glass, the tan head is disappointing in terms of retention and lace, but at the same time not that surprising considering the ABV. The carbonation seems especially low on this one. Nice garnet pour with good clarity. Very simple malty notes...
Shiner 100 Commemorator
On tap, Taco-Mac, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Sat at the bar next to a Texas resident who tried to persuade me not to order this, but even though I listened carefully to his arguments I felt I had a duty to see for myself. As it turned out, his description of the beer as, "not bad, but not a very good Doppelbock" was pretty accurate. Pour was a standard dark, chestnut color but the head and lace are both WOREFULLY disappointing. This is at least in part to the pathetic way the beer was...
Coney Island Human Blockhead
Coney Island/Shmaltz makes some great beers so I am excited to try this one. I'm a touch skeptical of the need for a full 10% here, but we'll see. Poured this 650 mL into the Tucher Weizen glass to give a lovely copper colored body and a high, tight, dense and fluffy, off-white head. Lace is good as is the clarity. Looks good. Nose produces the nice alcohol and marzipan bread notes that one would expect. So far, so good, and then... ..the tastes simply do NOT deliver in the way they should....
Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel
Notes added: 07/14/21 Pictured added. Still as bold and constant as ever. Malt and alcohol dominate, and the craving for potatoes and sausage never lets up. As you were. Funny how this beer was once SO sought after, as a leader in the style, and as a beeradvocate top "X" beer back in the day. Frankly, that ranking was deserved (and still is), the problem being that now thoes lists are awash with a millions NEIPAs and such. Original Review: 03/09/09 Huge thanks (again) go out to the groovy one...
Sierra Nevada Double DeBockEl
11 oz pour, Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA. $5.50. Surprised to see this here - bonus! Golden body with excellent clarity. Surprisingly good carbonation considering ABV. Head is absent (possibly because of the crappy pour) but at this ABV unlikely to be very big anyway. Very light color for the style. Nose is malty alcohol but even on warming it reveals little. Certainly sugary sweet presence amongst the alcohol, but the beer manages to stay away from the viscous syrup that can plague this style...
Doppelbock
Thanks go out to russpowell for this. WOW! I've had this one for a long time in the back of the DBF and I had very low expectations for it on a number of levels. Firstly I've had a couple of FC brews before and I was less than impressed. Secondly I've had this for quite a while and I thought that time would not have been all that kind to it. Thirdly, although I like the doppelbock style, there is a fine line between good and poor. So, I open this up not expecting much, and then... ...a nice...
Bell’s Consecrator Doppelbock
12oz bottle from Sam's Blue Light, Durham, NC, USA. Typical dark amber, clear body with a large initial head that fades quickly. No lace. Typical for the style, at least a solid American example. The toasty, liquor based notes; the prominent alcohol; the creamy, sherry like flavor; and the warming, Old Ale feel are all there. Nice, oily, slightly slick mouthfeel. Finishes with an appropriate dry, bitterness. Tasty.
Augustiner Bräu
Maximator
Additional notes 04/26/23 (pictured) Honestly I thought that this beer was long gone in terms of availability in the USA since I haven't seen it much since the original notes from 2008 below. In 2023 it cost $3.40 for 12oz, Notes similar to those below. This is nowhere near my favorite example of the style, and it still feels a bit sweet, a bit thin, and just not deeply malty enough for the style. Happy to go back to it after 15 years, but this is not a great example for me. Original notes...
Doppelbock
500 mL screw-top single from Tower, Piedmont, Atlanta, GA, USA. I think it was $3.69. Amber color that lacks depth. Some impressive head, but this leaves very little lace ultimately. It's more froth than anything else. Some alcohol in the nose, but I don't pick up much else. Some sugary sweetness too. Strange metallic bitterness accompanies the expected Bock characteristics. The bitter twang lingers on through the finish. Mouthfeel lacks the creamy luxury that you might expect from the style,...
Smoked Goosinator Doppelbock
750 mL corked and caged affair - silk screened bottle. 2007 vintage, bottle conditioned. Nice looking, brownish-red body in keeping with the style. Head is large and smoke colored (yellowish tinge). Head is a bit light and airy so it disappears very quickly. Very little lace. Aroma is DISTINCTLY NOT smoked, which I suppose is a bit of a disappointment (hence the low score for aroma). Mouthfeel is a little thin for me. Mild smoke is the overwhelming taste. Not much Doppelbock flavor, but at the...
Samichlaus Bier Helles
12oz single from Green's, Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. $4.99. OK, I think that you need to be in the mood for this. Obviously this is a VERY high alcohol brew and with that comes some syrupy body and excessive (relative) sweetness. Having said that, all things considered it drinks OK, and it is tasty. I am very surprised at the color because it is so golden orange. Not a great deal of head and not much retention (but I wasn't expecting much). Obviously with a Doppelbock I was expectig a darker...
Left Hand Rye Bock Lager
75mL corked & caged. The Wine Shop, Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA, USA. 2007 (bottle conditioned) vintage. Took a long time to remove the cage, and when I finally did, this one had a lot of carbonation. Poured into the 20oz pint glass. Plenty of large ivory, bubbly head, but not a huge amount of lace. Very nice reddish brown hue. Very malty nose with some alcohol; very nice, reminiscent of the best, alcohol ridden doppelbocks. The initial tastes are quite sweet and with some alcohol...
Wild Dog Collaborator Doppelbock
Purchased on recent trip to SC, at Green's. $13.99, 750 mL corked & caged. Great looking, clear, red pour with a small head and some lace. Looks liek an Imperial Red Ale. Fruity nose with plenty of apples. Smooth with a little alcohol in the dry finish. Alcohol is not as pronounced as I was expecting, and this drinks pretty easily. Malty (obviously), but with a small bitterness in there to balance the whole package. A little more reserved than I was expecting, especially in the recent wake of...
Leinenkugel’s Big Butt Doppelbock
12 oz single from Mac's downtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Now also available in GA in six packs. Good carbonation (lots of fine bubbles) and some small head; a little lacing. Good deep brown color with a slight tawny-red hue. A little alcohol in the nose. Obviously malty, obvious sweetness but an alcohol taste that is bigger than the ABV would suggest. A tiny alcohol bitterness in the cleanish finish. Not a bad offering, and the kind of beer I could enjoy a few of in a session. Decent, simple,...
Samichlaus Bier
2005 bottling, sampled in November 2006. Pours still, as expeced, to reveal a lovely, simple light amber body. Alcohol in the nose is huge - also as expected. Very strong, almost medicinal or chemical. Tastes are better and smoother than the aroma would suggest. No real burn which is amazing considering everything. Drinkability is good when taken in terms of the beer and the fruit character comes through more than I expected.
EKU 28
12 oz single at Liquor Barn, Lexington, KY, USA. $1.70. Initially a nice head with the aggressive pour, but of course this is quickly lost to absolutely nothing because of the ABV. Good legs come with the alcohol. Color is a beautiful, roasted tawny, deep color. Massive alcohol sherry notes in the nose - delicious. Tastes are obviously huge alcoholic caramalized malts and not much else. Having said that it is very drinkable and easy to consume despite the fact that sipping at the end of the...
Autumnal Fire
From BigLove as part of BMB 48 BIF. Mid-copper pour with a lighter color than I would expect for a DB. Prettylow carbonation. Samll head and only a tiny amount of lace and film on the surface. Nice, sweet alcohol malt nose that carries through to the taste. A bit of a peppery alcohol burn in the finish. A little too bitter in the finish for me for the DB style, but nevertheless a nice beer. Enjoyable.
New Holland Blue Goat
Thanks to Beerinator for the opportunity to try this as part of XBIF 39. In the end this was a somewhat disappointing Doppelbock. All the important charcteristics were there, but it left me feeling unsatisfied. Good looking dark mahogany pour, but the beer was a bit lifeless. Not much in the way of lasting head and no lacing. Good malt aromas, but too much alcohol in the taste and in the smell for me. The body lacked the substance that a big Doppelbock should posess, and was simply too thin....
Thomas Hooker Liberator Doppelbock
Bottled 2006, huge 1.0 L flip top. Deep brown with a large head initially, but this soon fades to leave very little head or laing. Aroma is deep alcohol and burned and roasted malts. The roasted bitterness was surprising to me. I expected much greater smoothness. Alcohol is a bit strong too. Not as mellow as I usually like my Doppelbocks to be. Strangely, desite the lack of smoothness it is still very drinkable.. Roasted malts, chocolate and smoky undertones. Quite complex.
Smuttynose S’muttonator (Big Beer Series)
Super, slightly viscous red/brown pour with a small head and some sticky lacing. A threatening toffee alcohol nose that sets the table for the tastes. Big and bold up front, with caramel, toffee and sugary sweetness dominating. However, there is a modicum of "extra" experience in there with alcohol being prominent (but still under control - just) and some spice character. I get some ginger too. Finishes sweet, long and strong. Lovely example of the style, slightly atypical with the spice...
Deep Water Dopplebock
Not good. Thomas Creek have been in GA for sometime now, and I have only got around to trying this one now. Not a very nice experience at all. Pour is decent looking with a brown body and decent head that leaves some lacing. The aroma seems to be stout like, but is also acidic. There is a thought of chocolate malt in there somewhere too. The acid feeling is taken into the taste. The body is woefully thin for a beer of this style and the whole experience is insipidly acid like. This doesn't...
Butthead Doppelbock
Nice dark mahogany pour, with a small head due to the higher ABV. Some bubbles in the head and a little bit of lacing. Quite a bit of alcohol in the nose along with the obvious and strong malts. Taste is very malty, but the alcohol is pretty large too. If anything, it drinks much, much bigger than the ABV would initially suggest. Nice sweet malt upfront, but balanced by the alcohol and the hops in the finish. Warming on the way down. Some bitterness at the end as well. Mouthfeel is good and...
Tucher Bajuvator Doppelbock
Delicious. Super, dark-brown, garnet body. Aggressive pour produces a magnificent thick frothy head. Some nice lacing into the bargain. Looks great. Caramel malts are completely and magnificently present. It's all malt but it has an unexpected, and wonderfully balance-effecting, peppery ending. The finish adds a real unexpected bitterness that is unusual for the style but makes it a great beer. The balance makes this amazingly drinkable. Brown sugar malts with some burned chocolate in there...
Urbock 23°
Golden pour with a nice white head. Aroma and taste are all liquor based alcohol with some sweetness. Not as cloyingly sweet as I was expecting, but still very sugary and the alcohol can creep up on you. Lots of alcoholic strength and a bitterish finish to compliment the malty sugar. Overall, very sweet and very alcoholic. I still prefer my Doppelbocks dark, and malt based rather than golden and alcohol based. These lighter bocks feel very potent to me without the calming influence of the...
Doppel-Hirsch
Slightly disappointing lack of "pop" to the swing top bottle, but pours to give a beautiful red brown body and a small tan head. Very little lacing. Big dark malts and some caramel make up the aroma. Definitely a more organic, earthy feel to this Doppelbock, with much less of the candied, sugared feel that often accompanies these beers. Slightly metallic in the mouth with a pronounced bitterness in the finish. I wouldn't go as far to describe this as thin in the mouth, but it is fairly light...
Blue Ridge Subliminator Dopplebock
Very nice Doppelbock, true to the style. Typical orange red/brown pour with that orangey/yellow dense and creamy head, so typical of a good DB. Aroma is obviously very malty with some fruit presence and a little alcohol. In terms of alcohol it drinks a lot bigger than the 7.3% listed. Malt dominates the taste (of course), good alcohol too and some ripe round fruits, mainly plums. Candied sugar is there too. Mouthfeel is slightly under-par for a Doppelbock (a little thin), but that did not...
Troegenator Double Bock
Image is taken from a newer bottle in the summer of 2021. Not as malty and full as I was expecting or had been led to believe. A simple Doublebock with a low profile character in many respects, and an easy drinker. This is most definitely NOT a Celebrator. Mid-brown pour with some reddish highlights and a nice head. I drank this one quickly which says something about its smoothness and its non-overpowering malt backbone. Hides the ABV well, another beer that you could use as a crossover. I...
Weihenstephaner
Korbinian
Dark, malty pour and aroma, the beer looks great and promises much. Not as sweet as some others in the style that I have tried and there was a very dinstict biscuit or cookie backbone. Almost like some crumbled shortbread had been put into the glass at some stage - very nice. Very well balanced. Classic full mouthfeel and smooth finish. Nice ABV level that matched well with the carbonation to provide a very satisfying drink. If anything this drinks a little bigger than the 7.40%...
Samuel Adams Double Bock (Imperial Series)
Thick looking, malty monster, with an amazing dense cascading bubble laden head. There is minimal lacing. Beautiful mahogany, amber crystal clear pour. Very round, full mouthfeel as the layered malts compete for your senses attention. Obviously bags of sweetness, malt, alcohol and toffee like caramel flavors. I like this a lot, because I am a huge fan of the style, but the whole beer still feels somewhat disjointed to me. In one mouthful there is a cacophony of competing flavors. It's all a...
Salvator Doppel Bock
Pictured from 12/21/22 on draft at Hoppy Gnome, Fort Wayne, IN. As is usual with the decent Doppelbocks, this is a complex beer with a lot of richness, fruit, sweetness, smokiness and caramel tastes and aromas. So often I find these beers rich and deep in layered tastes, in fact, often they can really be a little too complicated for my palate that often prefers a simplier beer. A really nice pour with a nice head and some lacing. I'm often surprised at the relative light-color for the style....
Spaten Optimator
A nice example of how to combine a decent alcohol content, a popular style and a sound beer in a macro type way. Pours dark brown with quite a lot of carbonation. A little too much in the bottle that I tried. It's a good looking beer that appears to have some substantial body. Very rich aromas and tastes initially hit you. It's all malt! Really quite sweet, in keeping with the style. A good mouthfeel (not as large as it looks) and a very smooth finish. Nice example of the style.
Moretti La Rossa Birra Doppio Malto
Oh yes, it's a malty monster alright, a real nice surprise and one of the most interesting beers I think that I've ever had. It's a spectacularly good looking beer, with a deep, deep, mahogany red color and a small, but perfectly formed head. It's one of the best combinations of hop backbone, alcohol and malty sweetness I can recall. This will not appeal to everyone, but it certainly does to me. Aroma is caramel and the taste follows. The alcoholic finish is magnificent with taste, strength...
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
$8.79 Four Pack, Green's Beverage, Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA. Dark brown, almost black pour with a large creamy head that receded very quickly. There was almost zero lacing with this beer. The aroma I get is all chocolate fruit cake - like a Christmas cake! There is a smashing, fully rounded mouthfeel to this, with flavors of raisins and sultanas coming through strong. Lovely, warm malts round the beer. This is an exceptionally smooth beer with no harsh edges which make it very drinkable. Add...