Allgäuer Cambonator Doppelbock

Got this at Sam’s in Chicago this past summer. Poured with a medium light tan head which mostly dissipated and no lace. Color is nice dark, clear mahoganey. Aroma is fairly simple of dark, sweet malts, fresh, and little hop. Flavor’s about the same. Body seems a bit thin for a dopplebock, but does have good carbonation. A little warming in the short finish. Ok beer; nothing special. Could do a whole lot worse. Could be a session if you didn’t have any other choices.

Bottle and served in snifter, next to Kaufbeuren Buronator Doppelbock, Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock and Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock (the baseline bier):

App: All three had a mahogany hue with the Buroator and Asam bocks displaying a bit more reddish highlights as well as a darker more tannish creamy head and better lacing. Cambonator gets the lowest score of 3, the others 4 each.

Aroma: Buronator, heavy caramel malt, bready and alcohol, some prune and fig along with a touch of peaty like smoke, brilliant. The Cambonator displays a walnut tone long with caramel, brown sugar and grape juice, interesting. The Asam bock has the weakest nose of the three with notes of caramel, wood, tobacco, grains, and a hint of raisin.

Taste: Rich and sweet caramel malt is front and center as expected in all three biers as is a hint of molasses. The differences are found with the undertones: Buronator has a figgy and roasty tone along with a dash of mineral water. It seems despite the heavy malt to be the most balanced of the three. The Cambonator has a very slight acidity (again grape juice) and some ashy notes. The Asam has more of a bakers chocolate tone and is more earthy and tobacco like, the most complex of the three.

Mouthfeel: Buronator, creamy and lively, Cambonator, lively and oily, a bit thinner, Asam lush and heavy, dry mineral finish.

Overall: While all three are well done and similar in the basics, the difference of enjoyment and complexity gives Buronator a slight advantage over Asam Bock with the Allgauer Cambonator my least favorite. This is interesting since the Buronator has the lowest ratebeer score of the three. Now when compared to the standard bearer of the style, and Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock ( 4.2), I found both the Buronator and Asam close companions but still a second cousin, The Cambonator was not even in the same zip code. Ahhh, the wonders of the horizontal tasting.

Bottle from Market of Choice. Poured out a nice copper color with a thick white head. Aroma was full of brown sugar, raisins, molasses and caramel. Flavor of caramel, plum, raisins, brandy. Pretty damn tasty.

.5liter bottle. dark, reddish brown color, not quite transparent. Minimal head leaving no lace. Strong, sweet aroma carrying lots of fruit. Flavor is strongly plum/raisin on a float of brown sugar/molasses. Slightly lacking on the back end for flavor, although the aftertaste is pleasingly sweet. I’d buy it again. It’s possible I started this one out a little too chilled.

Bottle 500 ml
Appearance: clear lager, dark deep brown with hint of copper. Medium bright contrasting top. 4-
Nose: Sweet malty aroma , fruity with light plum feel. Slight hint of berry and alcohol.7+
Flavor/Palate : Full bodied. Mature feel. Brown malts felt heavy on palate. Thick, malted feel. Alcohol felt quiet for style. Good doppel but it was missing something that would make you wanting more.13+/20

Bottle from Keg Liquor, IN. Poured dark brown color with an average frothy light brown head that was lasting and produced good lacing. Moderate complex sweet malt aroma. Medium body with a smooth sticky texture and soft carbonation. Moderate sweet flavor with with a moderate sweet finish of average duration. Good drinkable beer.

Bottle. Pours an amber brown body with a tan head. Sweet roasty coffee notes, caramel and a light smokiness. Dark fruit raisins in particular with a thin lagered yeast flavor. good brew.

Bottled. Poured translucent coppery brown with a short cap of off-white head. The aroma picked up toasty aged caramel with overtones of earthy and brown sugary notes.. warm alcohol presence, but entirely complementary. The flavor had warm, aged caramel on the core with lesser notes of brown sugar and baker’s chocolate.. bitterness was light and earthy.. warmed up the throat and belly on the finish. Medium-bodied and a touch tangy on the palate with lower carbonation.. no complaints at all about this one.