Ettaler Curator Doppelbock

Brewed by Klosterbrauerei Ettal
Style: Doppelbock
Ettal, Germany

Draft at redlight redlight. Caramel, roast and a touch of rye inthe aroma and flavor. Very good dopplebock with a finish that lingers.

draft @ redlight redlight. Rich caramel, toffee, and figs on the nose, raisins and molasses. Pours a rich reddish amber with a thin white head. Rich caramelly malts, figs, hints of smoke, toffee with traces of roastiness. Very good dopplebock!

Glass bottle
Picked up at Binny’s in downtown Chicago I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately I found it somewhat disappointing. Whether it was a bit past its prime or my palate was not in the mood something did not concur with the opinion of many previous raters. I think I may buy this again when I am in the mood for a run of doppelbocks and compare it to some others on the market.

Aroma / Appearance - Short lived and cascading downwards into the glass I observed a wonderful flow of reddish brown semi-opaque in character. Chocolate dipped cherry pits, figs, malts, and something stale give it life. Sourdough bread and red wine gave it a nice depth. The total experience was solid but somehow less than what I was expecting at the time.

Flavor / Palate - Raisin bread, bitter chocolate, and warm muffins kick the palate awake. Very dark and rich it might have been a bit too much at the time. The letdown was the dry finish which lacked anything complex. Ultimately this was not a terrible beer and revisiting it has me questioning my original feelings but unless this makes it to Ohio I will have to wait a while.

2009 Bottle - Pours clear dk brown with a small beige head...aroma is rich dark fruit and malt, caramel, toffee, dough, roast...flavour follows closely, raisin and fig, plum, yeast, roast grain...a bit of heat in the back, but pretty damn tasty...this was a nice surprise...

Location: .5 liter bottle from State Line, 10/25/09

Aroma: A complex aroma that includes berries, fig, toffee, caramel, coffee, raisin, bread, roasted malts, licorice, and more.
Appearance: A nice brown color with a slight red hue, a thin tan head, and no lace.
Flavor: Flavor is quite similar to the nose in both complexity and make-up; however, I do note an increase in licorice and less fruitiness. Still, the flavor is quite complex with an interesting mixture of sweet, malty flavors.
Palate: Medium in body and quite low in carbonation, this beer has a decent, though not outstanding mouthfeel
Overall Impression: Really quite an interesting beer. What a first impression it gives when you open it up and get a whiff. It’s hard to oversell the wonderful complexity of the nose on this one. I really thought it was quite interesting, almost reminded me of a nice Belgian quad in that you just don’t usually see a level of complexity like this one in many other styles. I would definitely recommend trying this one out.

Sample at Coles German Tasting 2009. Brown chestnut pour with reddish hues. Dark dried fruit aroma, raisins, sweet malts,burnt coffee in the aroma. Dried fruits, burnt coffee, some wierd maltiness up front. Fuller mouthfeel. decent

Clear ruby brown color with a fleeting tan head. Nice aromas of yeasty dark raison bread mild coffee and molasses. Smooth medium body. Hearty flavors of toasted heavy yeasty raison bread earthy molasses, fruit cake sweet spices. Great Bock.

Deep browned chestnut appearance with dense, off-white cream head. The initial whiff is redolent of a Baltic Porter with raisin and caramel at the forefront giving way to a see of melanoidin malt, molasses, toffee, and licorice--as advertised. Flavor is rich with melanoidin and raisin. Deep, dried, candied frutis penetrate the palate. The sweet, caramelized flavors never quite become cloying and there is a hint of nondescript bitterness at the back-end to balance it. Marsala notes waft off the glass as the beer warms and airates. Puissant alcohol plum and chocolate cherry raisin pack a final wallop. An exquisite dessert brew or fireside sipper for those frigid months,