Showing posts with label dopple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dopple. Show all posts

Friday, December 17, 2010

Capitvator Doppelbock (Tree Brewing)

I love a good dopplebock. Please be good, please be good, please be good

Capitvator Doppelbock (Tree Brewing) = 8/10

Ratebeer 3.39 77th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

This brew is through the uprights; it's good. The nose scores big with ubermalts, candied sugar, vineous toffee and alcohol. Ditto for the full mouthfeel with ample alcohol warmth/burn. It has all the right stuff: dark sugar, hits of chocolate, breads, toffee, cherries and more. It just keeps lasting with more dark sugar and slight bitter chocolate.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 8%
Value +1 (worth recommending)
Appearance 0 (boring label)



Paulaner Salvator and beer and wine are equally as good and bad for you
Doppel-Hirsch
Spaten Optimator

Sunday, December 5, 2010

A Tale of Two Cities' Doppelbocks


It is rare that I get a head to head comparison of similar beer styles in Victoria. The exception is the IPA. This week both Phillips and Lighthouse released their yearly limited release doppelbocks. For Lighthouse it is only their second limited run brew. So how did these malty beers compare? Let's find out.







Instigator 2010 (Phillips)

This year's Instigator had an aroma that was oddly faint: sherry, toast, caramel and dark fruits. I would describe the mouthfeel as medium-full with low carbonation. There was just a hint of alcohol warmth from this strong brew (8.5% ABV). It was a very malty brew; lots of toasted sherry/port flavours. There was also a dash of caramel and white grapes in the mix. The aftertaste faded too quickly but left a pleasant sherry like warmth. This was a good doppelbock; my wife preferred this one.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 8.5%
Value +1
Ingame Enhancement +1

Total 7/10



Lighthouse Navigator


Lighthouse's version was just like Phillip's - only it was supercharged. The nose was boozier, richer with more malt, more sherry, more dark fruit and more of everything. With a darker coloured pour you knew it would yield more flavours. The alcohol warmth was more pronounced and the dark fruits were bigger. Ditto for caramel/toffee and port-like tastes. I have had many doppelbocks; this was among the best. Bonus points for a beautiful bottle.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 8.5%
Value +1
Ingame Enhacnement +1

Total 9/10

Drinking these brews brought me great happiness. No it was not because of the big alcohol content; it was because of the great flavours. Both were excellent doppelbocks, but Lighthouse's was better. The Navigator was richer, maltier, with a bigger nose and a longer linger. It fills my beer belly with joy to know that another brewery in Victoria can produce delicious limited edition beers. And that's just what Lighthouse's Navigator was: delicious. I plan to throw a few Navigators in my beer cellar to experiment with aging.

Paulaner Salvator plus beer and wine are equally and healthful and harmful
Winterbier Dopplebock and hops can save my prostate
Doppel-Hirsch

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Samuel Adams Imperial Double Bock


Samuel Adams Imperial Double Bock
Ratebeer 3.33 85th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

This one is going to be good; the nose is sweet with cherries, caramel and faint alcohol. It's mouthfeel is medium-full, with light carbonation and a creamy texture. The alcohol warms the soul and burns like syphilis in July. On the plus side, it carries the toffee, cherries and mild oak flavours very well.

Aftertaste +1

The sweet alcohol and cherries burns, but it only lasts a few seconds.

Alcohol Content +1 9.5%
That explains the creamy and the burn.

Value +1
If you like'em strong, grab a four pack of this one.Please read the small print, it mentions that this beer will age well. Into the back of the cellar you go.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This was a Seattle beer sampler. My notes got a little messy after this one.

Overall 7/10

Yum, this is what every beer lover must have at least once. A good dopplebock that is rich, creamy, lightly fruity with a good alcohol burn.

Phillips Instigator Dopplebock
Doppel-Hirsch
Phillips Springbock

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Paulaner Salvator plus Wine and Beer are equally as healthy and harmful

This is a first for beer drinkers. Wine drinkers have always claimed that their drink is healthier. It is true that wine contains more anti-oxidants by volume than beer. This study that appeared in the journal Nonlinearity in Biology, Toxicology, Medicine found that wine and beer were equally effective at increasing the amount of antioxidants in the body. The surprise finding was that they were equally as harmful if you drank too much.

All subjects in this study were to drink either red wine (Piat D’Or), 5% lager (Labatts), Guinness (5% Labatts), spirits or alcohol-free stout. After the first drink, all subjects had equivalent increased levels of antioxidants in their blood, except for the spirit drinkers. Then came the bad part. After 3 drinks, subjects actually had fewer antioxidants in their blood than at the start of the experiment. The researchers felt this was caused from byproducts of ethanol metabolism.

Why is this a big deal? A high intake of antioxidants is associated with a lower risk of developing many diseases. These include cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and various eye diseases. And fewer antioxidants in the blood may adversely affect your health. So the same advice still holds; everything in moderation plus eat your fruits and veggies.

Paulaner Salvator
Doppel Bock

Ratebeer 3.59 92nd percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +4

Ah.. yet another great doppel bock. Let us go through the checklist. Is there a sweet caramel , fruit sherry nose - Check. Pronounced alcohol tingle with every sip - Check. Sweet sipping beer with slippery caramel, sherry and cherries - Check.

Aftertaste +1

The slowly fading taste leaves memories of alcohol and sweet vermouth.

Alcohol Content +1 7.9%

Ouch.

Value +1

I am so glad that I can find this one in BC.

Ingame Enhancement +1

There was no L4D2 action tonight, but I did finish up typing all my backlogged beer tasting notes.

Overall 8/10

This was not an overly sweet Doppel, but it was flavourful.

Widmer Bros Cherry Oak Doppel

Spaten Optimator

Monday, December 14, 2009

Phillips Instigator Doppelbock 2009


Phillips Instigator Doppelbock 2009

Ratebeer 3.06 45th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

When you pop the top nothing happens. The pour also reveals little; the nose is faint of sherry and cherry juice. The taste improves the situation. It is full and creamy, but oddly watery for a big doppel. All the standard things are there: sherry, caramel, vanilla and alcohol. It is just not grabbing me. I was not sure if it was the alcohol or hops that bit me at the end.
Aftertaste +1

The caramel malt sweetness and ethanol fade fast leaving a slight cola glycerin coating on the tongue.

Alcohol Content +1 8.5%

It does warm the soul.

Value 0

I was a little let down by this one. Perhaps it is because the last few beers I have tried were really good doppelbocks.

Ingame Enhancement +1

It was Monday night which means only on thing... L4D2 night in Canada. I bet you were thinking football.

Overall 6/10

This is a good, solid doppelbock. Just ignore my comments; I think that I am becoming more finicky these days. It was good, strong and malty.

Doppel-Hirsch

Widmer Bros Cherry Dopplebock
Winterbier Dopple and how beer saved my prostate

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Winterbier Doppelbock and Hops Can Save my Prostate

Preliminary evidence suggests that compounds in hops can help prevent prostate cancer. Sadly this only works if your nads are in a test tube. German researchers found that xanthohumol, a bitter flavonoid in hops, can prevent testosterone from binding to receptors in prostate cells. This binding was shown to prevent the secretion of prostate specific antigen (PSA), an early indicator of prostate cancer in men.

Not everyone is convinced. Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancer at the American Cancer Society, said that if beer could prevent prostate cancer, we would already see lower rates of it.

I can be easily convinced; serve me up another ultra hoppy IPA please!


Winterbier Doppelbock (Altenmunster)

Ratebeer 3.22 65th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +4

It must be winter, the sweet earthy smell of doppelbocks are everywhere. This one added a little caramel and sherry into the aroma mix. The alcohol warmth only enhanced the sweet raisins, caramel, earth and woody flavours.

Aftertaste +1

The residue was slightly vineous with herbal and caramel additions.

Alcohol Content +1 7.2%

It is everywhere with every sip.

Value +1

I love a good doppelbock and this certainly qualifies. It also gets bonus points for beautiful artwork on the label and a cool bottle.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I shared this brew with one of the Dad's that came to my little one's Tickerbell movie party. It is reassuring to know that I am not the only one that thinks Tink is hot.

Overall 8/10

A good doppelback should be strong, syrupy sweet with a good alcohol tingle. This one fits that description well.

Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock
Kozlak Amber and Re-Branding the Beer Belly
Amber Bock (Michelob)

Widmer Bros Cherry Oak Doppelbock


Widmer Bros Cherry Oak Doppelbock

Lately it is all about special edition wood aged beers. I like these trends, it produces unique flavours.

Ratebeer 3.55 87th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +4

The name gave away the nose. Yes, it was woody with cherry syrup that was similar to a mild port. This is a thick, slippery and boozy brew. It is very Trappist like with a good mix of cherry, dry wood and caramel malty syrup.

Aftertaste +2

The slightly glycerin-like coating left a sweet cherry/sherry residue.

Alcohol Content +1 9%

Yup, you can notice it. You also don't really care because it is so delicious.

Value +1

If I could get it again I would.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This is the best brew for sitting on the floor watching your little girl decorate a Christmas tree.

Overall 9/10

This was a stellar brew. It was the syrupy sweetness of a doppelbock with enhanced flavours from wood aging and the added cherries.

Doppel-Hirsch
Spaten Optimator
Yankee Jim Ice Bock

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Spaten Optimator


Spaten Optimator
Dopplebock

Ratebeer 3.65 94th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

It emits a vague earthy/roasted malt and caramel nose. There was a quick splash of roasted caramel which was quickly followed by an astringent/herbal coating of hops. As the beer warms up you get a slight bitter cherry sourness and tartness.

Aftertaste 0

Clean, fast and slightly tart.
Alcohol Content +1 7.2%

Value +1

A lovely malty dopplebock.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Pre-load for L4D2 completed. Is is so wrong that I had a long conversation with Meterman about the excellent quality spatters in the new version?
Overall 6/10

Sweet, malty with earthly caramel and lots of alcohol. It was almost perfect.

Boss Kozlak Bock
Amber Bock (Michelob)
Elysian Ambrosia Maibock

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Doppel-Hirsch


Doppel-Hirsch
Doppelbock

Ratebeer 3.33 76th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +4

Now this is a beer! The syrupy nose carried balanced amounts of toffee, vanilla, bourbon and wood. Every sip was the same as the nose, creamy and malty. Think of every dark flavour you can and it was there; cherries, vanilla syrup, roasted chocolate. There is barely enough hops to hold the sweetness in check.
Aftertaste +1

It doesn't last long enough. The alcohol burns and leaves a lingering bourbon and wood.

Alcohol Content +1 7.2%

This is a sharing beer for sure.
Value +1

I love a strong, sweet doppelbock and so should you.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This was tasted at a beer sampling party. Many, many beers were raided from the ARC beer fridge.

Overall 8/10

This is good, strong beer. That is all I have to say.

Hermannator Ice Bock
Amber Bock
Kozlak Amber and re-branding