De Molen Donder & Bliksem (Thunder & Lightning) USA version

Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen
Style: Doppelbock
Bodegraven, Netherlands

Bottled. Hazy red brown coloured with a medium sized off white head. Yeasty and hoppy fruity aroma. Very fruity nose. The flavor is sweet and fruity hoppy. Hoppy and warming alcoholic finish.

750mL bottle. Poured medium-deep coppery-amber with a surprisingly well-retained cap of dense tan head.. fine lacing and fine sediment as well if you look lower. The aroma picked up soft and sweet redder fruits, aged caramel, and a hint of maple topped by floral and earthy hoppage.. a little on the sweet side, but quite enticing. The flavor found dry molasses, caramel, and a pinch of dark chocolate at the core.. grainy earth joined herbal and medicinal notes on the edges.. finished sharp and slightly warmer than it should’ve been. Medium-plus bodied with mouth-filling carbonation on the palate.. the sweetness was decadent and almost candied, but the transitions between that and the hops weren’t great. I’d gladly drink this again.

Bottled. A hazy dark red beer with a medium tan head. The aroma has notes of over ripe fruit - leaning on sweetly rotten, fresh red currant, alcohol, and wet late harvested hops. The flavor is sweet with notes of over ripe fruits, wood, alcohol, medicin, and some herbs, leading to a dry and sweet finish where the herbal note lingers.

Chestnut color with a hue of garnet when held to the light. Two fingers worth of tiny, soft creamy, beige bubbles. Big malty aromas, with dark caramel, touches of fruit (dates and plums) and some noble hops. No doubt this is a doppelbock. After the first sip this is one that I know that I will enjoy. Toffee and toasted malt explode in the front. Middle is full of floral and lightly herbal hops. LIght nuttiness and touch of bitterness in the finish along with a bit of roasted malt. Soft feel with just a bit of carbonation. A little more hops in the flavor for a doppel, but very nicely put together. THe finial pour adds some yeast qualities that distract a bit and leave this less clean and doppel-like, but still enjoyable.

750ml, corked and caged bottle. Poured a deep and dark amber color (almost brown), with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of some earthiness, roast, caramel, some woodiness, and light smoke. Tastes of the same earthiness, roasty, some dark fruits, and caramel. Had a lighter tart cherry finish.

The color is a dark yet clear dark brown. Has a small head but its resilient and lasts around for a while. The aroma is very enticing with thick caramel and plum maltiness. A meaty, slightly sweet, earthy deep classical doppelbock aroma. De Molen nailed it along with my other favorites. I loved the aroma but my first sip of the beer was very disappointing, I was almost fearful of infection. The beer was highly carbonated and that took over the beer. But thankfully this just needed to breathe, that did wonders. Once the carbonation calmed down all the flavors came out. Bark-like sweet and earthy caramel with a faint burnt aspect at the end of the flavor. Well lagered and attenuated, sweetness coming from the malts and not just sugars. It’s like a lagered Scotch Ale but still a doppelbock. Once the carbonation settles its a nice easy feeling carbonation, light body yet felt with some residual bubbling on the tongue. Very good stuff, highly enjoyable. The beer is definitely bottle conditioned, last pour is thick as hell, turns it muddy as hell. This thickens up the body just a little bit.
750mL cork and wire, corked stamped 2007, so this may be 2 years old by now, La Fin Du Monde tulip glass.

This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a large sized head of cascading foamy light brown colored bubbles that were mostly lasting and left behind a slightly hazy typically carbonated dark orange brown colored body. The mild aroma was brown malt. The crisp mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish. The flavor contained notes of mild hops mildly vinous and brown malt. Delicious and one I would certainly buy again.