Christian Moerlein Dopplebock

Formerly brewed at Lion Brewery, Inc.
Style: Doppelbock
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania USA

Bottle. Dark clear brown hue with an average frothy light brown head. Moderate toasted malt aroma. Light to medium body with soft carbonation. Moderate sweet toasted malt flavor with a light bitter alcohol tone finish of average duration.

Poured a clear dark amber color with a small beige head. The aroma was sweet and fruity with apples and raisins. Light chocolate and a touch of spice. Malty sweet flavor with some dark fruit and chocolate. Semi-dry finish. Light warmth and light bitterness.

Dark, murky brown in color, but not so dark that you cannot see through it. A white lacey head. Aroma is of a dull hop profile. Taste has more malt characteristics than hops. Small hops give it a slight bite. Not nearly as thick as a doppelbock should be. Actually quite watery. Very average, if that.

This is the first I’ve seen the Christian Moerlein beers since the mid 90’s. I see that it’s contract brewed for them by the Lion brewery. The beer has a good full dark caramel malt aroma. A deep mahogony brown color with a good cream colored head. A nice malt flavor with a good dark caramel malt taste that isn’t too sweet. Has a lighter body than a lot of doppelbocks with just a hint of the alcohol content coming through. Beer has a little dryness in the finsh which rounds out a well made doppelbock. A very good example of the style. Drank 2 of these again on Apr 21 and had to up more rating a little. This is a very good doppelbock!

Transparent brown pour that touches amber as it thins. Nose is sticky sweet with malt tones of cinammon, pecan, toffee, and chocolate. Mouthfeel is a bit disappointing as it is thin, cloying, and uneven. Flavor is very nice and a full display of doppelock malt sweetness and dark accents. Virtually nonexistant hop presence. This is a well-done doppel that is a tad overrated. I am partaking in this rating enthusiasm out of civic beer pride.

Semi-syrupy pour, settling in as dark, translucent and ruby-accented midnight brown in color. Spittle wisps comprise the head and leave an etchy off-white wrung. Somewhat traditional aroma consists of maple, pecans, pralines, caramel-drizzled prunes, toasted vanilla wafers and chocolate grahams. Moderate assertion of liquefied Rolos comes to fruition in the flavor. S’mores held altogether and too close to the flame. Mildly toasted, chocolate-covered, unsalted pecans. Chocolate mocha in a pudding-like form, served out of an espresso tin. Margarine caked bottoms of Tollhouse caramel cookies, just moments after pulling them out of the oven two minutes too early. Palate smacking, caramel cushioned and an oily whole-chocolate milk mouth glide. Simple complexity and honorable carbonation, but scant noble hop activity. Finish is summarized by a dense, new form of tiramisu, principally pulling like a concrete fork load from the top most layers. Definitely a doppelbock on its own terms. Thanks so much for the bottle, Styles!

A very nice domestic Dopple, with quite a kick, this one pours a a dark brown brew , with a thin, fine-bubbled tan head of foam and sweet, molassesy aroma. I like this one (too bad it’s not made in Cincinnati anymore).

Bottle courtesy of JCW. Brown, transparent ruby when held to light. No head to speak of. Aroma has some caramel, chocolate and lots of toasted/roasted malt. Flavor is dominated by the roasted grain up front, fades to sweet malt through finish. Has a slight fruity character in finish, that I can’t place.