Dark Horse Perkulator Coffee Dopplebock

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Doppelbock
Marshall, Michigan USA

Bottle from Acknud. Like where does he get this stuff? Looks like a miracle from California perspective. Pours a clear dark ruby color with a temporary beige head. Aromas of coffee over dark caramel. Full bodied with fizzy carbonation. Flavor is coffee and chocolate - but it doesn’t seem mocha. Seems well balanced. It’s neither sweet nor dry. Kind of astringent. Rather mouth smacking.

Dark brown with no head. Aroma is dark fruit with coffee and chocolate. Flavor is exactly the same as the aroma with the chocolate providing a deep resonance. A hop based zing lights up the mouth is assisted by alcohol. A nice and flavorful beer..

Sample at the Eurostash II tasting on 12/12/09: This brew pours a murky brownish-amber color with a thin off-white head that recedes steadily. Rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted coffee and caramel malt. Medium, dry body with flavors of fresh and moderately bitter coffee, plus some roasted malt and raisin. The finish is roasty with a bitter coffee aftertaste. Overall the beer is pretty one-sided with the coffee flavor and could benefit from some more balance, but it is a decent brew nonetheless.

On tap at Radio Maria, Champaign, IL. Deep translucent red-brown body, thin buff head. Coffee nose. Coffee makes the first impression on the palate, and lingers before giving way to sweet brown sugars and burnt caramels. Earthy finish. Lacks the heavy, dull breads and toffee of most doppelbocks. In fact, nothing about this beer really screams "doppelbock." That said, I found Perkulator tasty, but it will probably be a disappointment for those looking for something true to style.

12 oz bottle. Poured clear dark orange-red-brown color. Head was thin, off white, and dissipated quickly. Aroma was coffee dominated with hints of brown sugar and alcohol. The brown sugar was more noticeable before pouring the beer into a glass. Sweet on the tongue throughout and a little sticky. The sugars were accompanied by some acidity at the end. Carbonation was on the low end of the spectrum. Tasted mostly of coffee and brown sugar with a splash of alcohol. The alcohol flavor reminded me a bit of bourbon, particularly as the beer warmed up a bit. There was also a touch of sour fruit flavor, especially at the end. Interesting beer.

This one poured a murky light brown color with an off white head. Aroma was lightly roasted malts, and light coffee. Flavor was smooth not burnt coffee upfront and then a sweet dark fruit finish. This one tasted more like a coffe abbey double than a dopplebock to me. Interesting tho.

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this one. What a kickass label with a two-headed goat version of Lucifer(reminiscent of Slayer’s Reign in Blood & Show No Mercy album covers...but with gnarly bat wings - actually Baphomet as the designer, frankenkitty, pointed out to me.) sitting in a flame thrown with the extended two fingers and thumb signifying the anti-trilogy. On the forearm is tattood, "Ferment". An obvious showing that this Doppelbock is not the typical nod to Jesus, as the original Salvator was when the monks brewed it. No friends, this is something wicked with darkness brooding...and brewing for that matter. A coffee infused Doppelbock. I give these guys a lot of credit for trying something other than a coffee stout, or porter. Appears a dark amber with a light tan head that slowly fades into a a mild cap of fluff. Scattered lacing is left all around the glass. Smell is of smokey java, nuts, caramel, and vanilla with a mild raisin aroma buried behind the other goodness. Taste is of the same aromas with some smokey java pulling ahead of the typical doppelbock toffee flavors that are hidden way in the background. Mouthfeel is medium boded, semi-sweet up front, with a dry, roasty java finish.

tap at the Dark Horse 4 Elf festival - It is hard to get past my prior experience that a coffee beer should be a stout or a porter, but this dark amber beer works. The aroma is heavy on the coffee with some rich malt lurking underneath. The coffee flavor is assertive without completely overwhelming the malty dopplebock goodness. It is full bodied, lightly carbonated, and rather interesting. Granted I have to say that I still would prefer a good coffee stout/porter.