Ettaler Curator Doppelbock

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,

Bottled. Poured dark dark brown. Raisiny nutty aroma, smallish head. Nice, dark and delicious. Alcohol wasn’t overpowering.

Malty aroma of rich molasses with walnuts also present. Brown with a medium tan head, no lacing. Appropriate body. It tastes mainly of sweet molasses with walnut and wood notes preventing it from becoming too sweet. Alcohol is noticeable but downplayed a bit. A faint light woodiness lingers. Works well with a Virginia ham or a well seasoned tenderloin.

Pours a light tan head with an amber body. Smells of molasses and malt. Flavor is molasses, bready, toast, some hops, and clove.

I am surprised that I haven’t rated this yet. 500 mL bottle from Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville, VA. Pours a deep ruby red color with a thin head. Fair head retention and lacing. Aroma is sweet malts, toffee, raisins, light anise. Taste is anise, alcohol, toffee, dark fruits including primarily raisin. Full bodied with significant alcohol warmth. Very tasty. Good doppelbock.