Tag Archives: doppelbock

Atwater Block Voodoo Vator

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Beer-a-Day #260atwater-block-voodovator

This one is black and sweet!  Its malty character is derived from two carmel malts along with Munich malt to create the smoothest high gravity beer this side of the “pond”.

I’ve never heard of these guys before. We don’t get much microbrew coming out of Detroit. This was the first I’d ever seen of their beer and it sounded interesting.

Deep brown with ruby highlight. Head looks like a chocolate shake. Big malty aroma. Big flavor to go along with it. Chocolate, of course, with a bit of vanilla. Watch yourself: it’s almost 10% ABV but quite drinkable.

Atwater Block Brewery

Heavy Seas Hang Ten Weizen Dopplebock

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Heavy Seas "Hang Ten" Weizen DopplebockBeer-a-Day #58

I generally like Clipper City‘s offerings. That they’re local appeals to me as well.

This is an odd one. Not just a weizenbock, but a weizen dopplebock. 10% ABV, but it’s a summer seasonal.

Deep amber to brown; little head. Lots of fruit in the aroma—melon, banana, bubblegum—and a whole lot of that malty goodness you find in a doppelbock. It’s thick, too, like liquid sourdough bread.

Seems too heavy for the summer, but it’s got something going for it. Very interesting.

Clipper City Heavy Seas


Samichlaus

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SamichlausBeer-a-Day #1

Bottled in 2006. This was part of the gift package I received from Ron in 2007. You have no idea how hard it has been to open the refrigerator all year to see this winking back at me.

“Samichlaus” beer is brewed once a year, in each case on December 6th, and stored and matured afterwards for over 10 months before it is bottled. “Samichlaus” beer can mature for many years in the bottle; older vintages obtain a complexity and receive their creamy warm aftertaste.

Brassy in color with a syrupy body. Head dissipates quickly, with no discernible lacing. Looks more like cognac than beer. Aroma has quite a bit of nuttiness with some fruit undertones. Mouthfeel is thick, as I expected. Flavor has essences of dried fruit but not overly sweet. More like brandy than beer. Definitely for sipping. Not something to have every day; definitely for special occasions. I like it.

Samichlaus

Wild Dog Collaborator

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The “Open Source Beer Project” is something that has fascinated us for some time. (For our previous coverage, read: Open Source Beer Project – Flying Dog Brewery, Open Source Beer Project – Now it has a name, and Open Source Beer Project – It’s out!)

The result of that project is a doppelbock named Collaborator, and is part of Flying Dog’s “Wild Dog” series.

Well, I finally got around to picking up a bottle. True to form, I’ve managed to do this just as the guys at Flying Dog are getting ready for another go ’round. They’re talking about Open Source Beer Project 2.0. (I always seem to get things just as the newer, better version is coming out.)


From Flying Dog’s website:

Collaborator has a full body with a sweet malt profile and a slight roast character. The complete recipe and printable labels are available for download at http://www.opensourcebeerproject.com/. We want to thank everyone who contributed to creating this beer, it truly was a collaboration.

ABV: 8.3%
Plato: 19.5
IBU’s: 24
Specialty Malts: Munich “Type I” 2240 75, Munich “Type II” 550 19, Cara-Munich 55 2, Cara-Amber 55 2, Melanoidin 55 2
Hops: Warrior, Mt. Hood

Had a bit of trouble with the cork since, well, it’s not made of cork, but I manage to get it out without incident. Pours a nice, deep amber with very little head. The aroma is very reminiscent of brandy and/or wine. Body is heavy (as it should be) with a bit of sweetness around the edges and a little bite from the alcohol, but mostly warmth. That’s pretty good and will be a pleasant way to wile away a crisp autumn evening. Most shocking of all, however, is that my wife likes it. Just when I thought I knew the styles of beer she liked…

Session #11: Ayinger Celebrator

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Earlier this week, my wife was reminding me that she would have to be at her store later than usual on Friday night. The Main Street association sponsors a night every month with different kinds of events like bands, the Christmas tree lighting, barbecues, and so on. It’s a great way to draw people to the downtown who would otherwise not go. Of course, local retail business owners take part in the festivities, in no small part because of the extra foot traffic. These events are called “First Friday” and take place on the first Friday of the month.

Session logoHoly crap! It’s the first Friday!

I’ve been really busy lately, and now the Session has snuck up on me again! I missed it last month; I’ll be darned if I’m going to miss two in a row.

But what to do? I don’t have a doppelbock in the house. Do you think if I recycled my tasting of Troegenator last summer anyone would notice? No, better get something new. So, I bundle up my two kids and leave the wife at her store and head over to my (current) favorite candy store.

Almost immediately my eyes land on the very last bottle of Ayinger Celebrator. Well, that seems appropriate; the holidays are finally over. Let’s celebrate. Besides, it’s got a little goat medallion around the neck.

Ayinger CelebratorThe kids are in bed. The house is quiet. It’s been an exhausting week. I deserve this beer.

That’s dark. Very dark. I can see ruby highlights under a well-formed, tan head. It has a thick, malty aroma, with a hint of some spice. I want to say nutmeg, but that’s not right.

It’s very smooth, with just a bit of a bite from the alcohol. (6.7% ABV) Hops are virtually non-existent, but it’s very full and malty, with a slight roasty flavor. Bread-like, even. Not as sweet as I expected.

Ayinger has this to say:

Ein Bier, bei dem der Malzgeschmack dominiert. Seine Ursprünge in einem mönchischen Rezept spiegeln sich in seiner Herzhaftigkeit wieder. Der Bierpapst Conrad Seidl beschreibt es wie folgt: „Fast schwarz, mit ganz leicht rötlichem Ton, ein sensationeller, fester Schaum und ein ganz ungewöhnlicher Duft, der zuerst an Grammelschmalz erinnert. Der Antrunk ist von milder Fülle mit einem begleitenden Kaffeeton, der im Nachtrunk dominierend ist. Von der bei Doppelböcken häufigen Süße ist kaum etwas zu spüren.“ Der Ayinger Celebrator wurde vom Chicago Testing Institute mehrfach in die Reihe der besten Biere der Welt eingereiht und gewann zahlreiche Platin-Medaillen.

(Sorry. Here it is in English.)

A beer that has a dominant malty taste. This beer’s origins in a monk’s recipe are reflected in its heartiness. The Pope of Beers, Conrad Seidl, describes it as: “Almost black with a very slight red tone, a sensational, festive foam and truly extraordinary fragrance that at first summons up visions of greaves lard. The first taste is of mild fullness with an accompanying coffee tone, which becomes more dominant with the aftertaste. There is very little of the sweetness that is frequently to be tasted with doppelbock beer.” The Ayinger Celebrator has been ranked among the best beers of the world by the Chicago Testing Institute several times and has won numerous platinum medallions.

Delicious.

Update: Session #11 recap

Session #11 Announced: Doppelbock

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The Session - Beer Blogging FridayThe Session is a monthly one-day event held by beer bloggers around the world, where they each post their thoughts on a unified theme.

That theme, for January, is “Illuminator”, hosted by Wilson of Brewvana.

I’ll be January’s host, hoping to be the instigator of beer excitement. Pollinator of beer enthusiasm. Elevator of beer appreciation. Detonator of beer discussion.

If you catch my drift, I’m thirsty for a doppelbock.

I want to learn about doppelbocks, and so the sky’s the limit: write about doppelbocks however you see fit. History, reviews, pairings, pictures, poetry and experiences. All of it.

This episode of the Session will take place on January 4, 2008. Details here: Announcing The Session #11–Illuminator

Troegenator Doublebock – Tröegs Brewing Company

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I don’t know if I’ve ever had a bock, much less a doppelbock.

A bock is a strong lager usually brewed in the winter for consumption in the spring. German monks were known to drink quite a bit of it during Lent. Since they were fasting without solid food they needed a beverage with a lot of food energy. The doppelbock, literally “double bock”, was often known as “liquid bread”. The doppel isn’t twice as strong as a bock, as the name implies, but it is stronger.

And, boy, I can see why. This is a hearty, robust beer. Probably not the kind of beer to drink on a hot July day. Since I’m relaxing in my air-conditioned abode, I guess it’s okay. Not very bitter. A pleasant, if light, aftertaste. A very nice, deep, caramel color.

Very, very malty. Some might consider it “chewy”. The initial flavor you get is quite sweet, almost as if it were malt syrup. Not overly hopped, which makes sense. The brewers recommend drinking it with steak or hearty stews. They also recommend it with sweet, non-chocolate desserts.

At 8.2% ABV it’s also got a bit of a kick to it. Don’t expect to drink a six-pack of this in one sitting.

There is a tradition of naming doppelbocks with an “-ator” suffix, in homage to the original doppel: Salvator by Paulaner.

I like it. I’ll give it a three out of four.