The beer pours a clear brown color that shows deep ruby highlights when held up to light. The head is well-formed, tan and long-lasting compared to most dopplebocks I’ve had in the past.
The aroma is tremendous; I get a lot of rich, toasty malt aroma with a little bit of chocolate and some low caramel in the background. As it warms, the aroma yields more dark plum notes as well, and the malt is rich in that typical melanoidin character you want in a great dopplebock. There is a very low, spicy hop nose followed closely by a hint of alcohol presence.
The flavor is decadent. There is a lot of rich toasty malt, and I mean a lot of it. Just like the aroma I get some dark chocolate and caramel in the middle, but I’m in love with the malt profile of this dopplebock – so rich and so well-balanced. It’s not overly sweet, which really helps, but it is a decidedly malty beer, though not cloying or “worty" at all. There is no hop flavor to speak of, which is OK for the style.
A solid medium bitterness couples well with the dark malts to help cut the sweetness a bit, but there is still a lingering, pleasant, dark malty sweetness in the finish – mostly a combination of toast with hints of dark chocolate. There is a noticeable alcohol presence, but it’s not hot at all. I get the impression of a very clean fermentation, with no esters or other off flavors. The beer is full-bodied and has a nice creamy texture that's silky smooth and velvety.
This beer is not only a treat flavor-wise, but it’s also one of the best Doppelbocks I've had. The only qualm I have is that it could stand to be a touch more dry. Still, I think this beer could stand with the best Doppelbocks on the planet and not waver one bit.