Ettaler Curator Doppelbock

Brewed by Klosterbrauerei Ettal
Style: Doppelbock
Ettal, Germany

Chocolate malts and fruit really shine through in this dopple compared to most. Very smooth body, though somewhat boozy. Toffee notes. Certainly a step above the crowd, but not overly so.

A small off-white head quickly departs from the clear, darkish mahogany beverage. Whew! Rich nose, heady and warming just from the smell. Mostly focused on fruitiness. There’s obviously a fair toasted munich base, but your attention resides on fruity alcohol. I would not call it vinous, but the vapors are strong enough that it reminded of Cognac. Nutty and lightly roasty upon the finish. Neglectable hops. I was a bit surprised at the lightness of the palate, light-medium bodied at most, but the texture is silky. It flows and rolls on the tongue. Comfortable indeed, but the effervescent bite removes a bit from the enjoyable fruitiness. It’s dark grapes, cherries and blackberries, with enough dark, almost roasted malts to avoid any juicy impression. Sweet, but certainly under control in that department, never cloying and more warming than anything, the body is light enough to avoid any stickiness. A serious and rich example that does not quite strike the sensible never with me. I prefer a very focused toastiness and less alcohol. Complex lager though.

First off, its a tad thin on the palate and the aroma is weak but everything else works extremely well. highly malty, strong taste of cola, caramel and a little licorice. A great beer.

Very nice. Celebrator has long been my favorite doppelbock and one without peer. This comes close. Pours a deep chestnut with an impressive tan head. The aroma is rich caramel malts, some pine hops, a hint of smoke, some chocolate, and bread dough. The aroma is rich without being overpowering. It entices rather than kidnaps. The flavor is a nice balance of the sweet and the bitter with the hint of smoke. Well done.

Pours deep mahogany into a stem glass. Fluffy off-white head with little retention pancakes as it recedes without lacing. Plum and molasses aromas. Upfront figs with a lasting hop and cherry fruitcake finish.

500 ml bottle. Dark pour with little head. Aromas are all dark fruit and caramel. Raisin, anise, malty. Flavor is very similar with just a touch of alcohol in the finish. Very very good.

Poured from bottle into Sam Adam’s tasting glass. Essentially zero head. The aroma is very malty with hints of caramel, and perhaps bananas or bubble gum. The flavor is huge, rich, and sweet. The tasty is very malty and chocolatey. The flavor is big on sweetness with very little bittering. The mouthfeel is great. The finish is fast, with very little aftertaste. For some reason the beer strikes me as too sweet for a session beer, but then again I could easily imagine myself drinking many of these in a short amount of time.

Draught at Chef Paul’s in Lisle. Pours dark brown, mahogany with a very thing head that laces the glass delicately. A deep aroma reminiscent of tawny port and chocolate. Very good beer, rich sweetness, molasses, roast nutty flavor and not overly sweet or cloying. Rich creamy palate. I’m impressed!