A Meal in a Glass, and others.

Bocks and doppelbocks are some of my favorite lager styles. Doppelbocks are particularly nice, with their complex and hearty aromas/flavors. They also provide the pleasant warming sensation that I look for on colder days. Traditionally, breweries have given their doppelbocks names that end in “ator”. Ayinger has Celebrator, Bell’s does a Consecrator, and Troeg’s brews Troegenator. If I had my own brewery, I’d name my doppelbock Sylvanator. I know that would make a few beings (human and not) happy.

Prost!

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock – Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG/Brauerei Aying; Aying, Germany
6.70%ABV
Serving: 11.2 oz bottle to tulip

A: About a finger of light tan head that’s active and bubbly. The body is very dark, revealing mahogany at the edges. There’s a ring of retention and nice spider web lacing.
S: Very ripe citrus and sour fruits on the nose right away. Then it’s bready and sweet malts with an extra twirl of the glass. There are some toasted notes, ripening berries, yeast, and sugar residuals.
T/M: Just what I expected from the aromas. Very nice flavor profile starting with the toasted bread which moves on to sweet berries. The alcohol is presented in the middle of almost every sip. A medium body with higher carbonation. There’s a slight tang at the back to end each sip from the tulip. 
D: I felt like I was drinking a fine Belgian-style ale here (which is only to say that the flavor profile is tremendous and even reminiscent of some of the stronger Belgian beers I’ve had). The flavors were really enjoyable. A really wonderful doppelbock that doesn’t let you down.
Celebrator – A-

And a couple other singles I picked up recently.

WEIHENSTEPHANER ORIGINAL – Brauerei Weihenstephan
5.10%ABV
Serving: 12oz to pint

A: Clear yellow and light golden straw. 3+ fingers of frothy white head that retains well and leaves a good deal of lacing.
S: Crisp, clean, musty grains. Grassy, and a bit of a cooked aroma.
T: Honey malt, very grainy and musty from the aroma. Semi-cooked. A crisp and refreshing grassy taste is minor, but it’s there. The emphasis is on the malts, not a ton of hops can hold up to their barley counterpart! There is bitterness left behind.
M: Medium, syrupy body with medium carbonation.
D: I’d have another, but it’s hard to choose this one over other Weihenstephaner beers!
Original – B+

And finally:

RARE VOS – Brewery Ommegang
6.50%ABV
Serving: 12oz to tulip

A: About 3 fingers frothy light beige head over a dark amber (red in the light) body. Good retention and nice webbed lacing.
S: Big fruits at the pour. Very ripe and sweet. Pleasant on the nose. A bit of earth I would expect in an Ommegang brew, and the clove spice and wheat I expect in a Belgian ale. Spices are wonderful, and the aroma is almost perfumey.
T: Emphasis on the clove and other dark spices. Wheat-like and earthy, all of which I expected from the aroma. Grassy. Delicious.
M: Medium body with high, crisp carbonation.
D: I am a big fan of this brew. To me, it seems like a less horse blanket version of Hennepin; and while horse blanket is nice sometimes, I’m not always craving it. Refreshing and drinkable.
Rare Vos – A+

unibroue

This week, I enjoyed a couple of Belgian style brews from Unibroue. You can pick either of these up at the co-op in single 12oz bottles, which is a size I highly recommend for these big beers (unless you’re sharing, in which case I would head to Cost Plus and pick up 750mL bottles). 

hell much?

LA FIN DU MONDE - Unibroue; Chambly, Quebec, CAN
9.00%ABV
Serving: 12oz to tulip
A: A massive off-white head almost explodes out of the tulip. Body is a cloudy golden, amber and orange with floating yeast particles. Head retains like creamy foam and sticks around for 2+ hours (yes, I nursed the beer for that long).
S: Dark spices on the nose; sweet malty backdrop that’s very faint as a slight fruitiness slips through.
T: Very spicy dominance on the palate at first. Wheat flavors similar to Maudite, but not as present. Wonderful balance of malts and hops, which hides the 9% alcohol and the excess of bitterness characteristic of tripels. Sip ends in a bitter-to-sweet-and-back-to-bitter exhange, reminiscent of a bitter piece of grapefruit.
M: Light to medium-bodied with generous carbonation, which helps to pull the spices through. Creamy mouthfeel, leaving the palate coated in spices.
D: This is definitely a sipper. The alcohol is hidden really well and the ABV really sneaks up on you. 
La Fin - A 

MAUDITE - Unibroue
8.00%ABV
Serving: 12oz to tulip
A: Two to three fingers of an active/bubbly off-white head; body is a deep mahogany with amber hues along the bottom edge of the glass. Head retains as a small ring, and yeast from bottle fermentation settles along the bottom of the tulip. 
S: Spicy, and citrus. Reminiscent of a spicy witbier. 
T: Heavy wheat flavors with a touch of dark spice; malty character is balanced by a touch of hops; residuals of spices left gracefully on the tongue.
M: Medium-bodied with appropriate carbonation. 
D: Very smooth, with the alcohol completely unnoticed. Easy and pleasant to drink, meanwhile maintaining a heap of complexity. Most drinkable Belgian Strong I’ve had.
Maudite - A+ 

New Belgium brews

Someday, I’ll work for New Belgium Brewing Co. And I will ride my bike to work. And I will brag about my brewery being solar powered.

Reviewed on Dec. 11th
1554 ENLIGHTENED BLACK ALE - NBBCo.; Fort Collins, CO
5.50%ABV
Serving: 12oz bottle to pint 

Small head that disappears quickly; deep brown and red hues with limited lace down sides of glass. Smells of sweet malts, particularly chocolate. Hops apparent in moments, enough to call this beer well-balanced. Tastes of coffee, caramel and dark chocolate. Light mouthfeel with enough carbonation and memorable malts makes this beer easy and pleasant to drink, though I’m a little disappointed that this brew lacks a bigger flavor and body considering the name. It wouldn’t stop me from having another or recommending it to folks. I’d just change some things on the label.
1554 - B

 

Reviewed Dec. 28th
TRIPPEL BELGIAN STYLE ALE - NBBCo.
 7.80%ABV
Serving: 12oz to pint 

Transparent golden with a finger of white, creamy head that retains and leaves beautiful lace in the glass. Balance between deep malts and fruits in the aroma gives me an impression that the taste will be balanced as well. And indeed, it is. Roasty malt flavors that finish with florals, fruits and bitter left on the palate. Crisp carbonation, while medium to heavy-bodied in moments. This beer is great to sip on after dinner. 
TRIPPEL - B+