Ettaler Curator Doppelbock

Brewed by Klosterbrauerei Ettal
Style: Doppelbock
Ettal, Germany

Shared by turdferguson. Pours a dark brown with some ruby highlights. The head was one to two fingers thick creamy and light tan. The nose is sweet, lightly boozy, some astringency, strange noodle aroma, and as Sam said some vegetal notes. The flavor was very tricky, it starts off very unassuming and not necessarily unpleasant (not pleasant either). Then it gradually builds to become intolerable. Notes of alcohol, grain, sweetness, astringency. The mouthfeel was astringent and harsh. Finishes awful. Not sure if this was a bad bottle or what but me no likey.

Bottle sent by lithy. Thanks Justin. Pours a deep, layered, reddish brown with a small tan lace. Nose is sticky buns, caramel, yeast, dough, and slightly vegetal. Flavor seems a bit off, perhaps this is a bad bottle, more vegetal flavors and aggressive alcohol that leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Meh.

Bottle. Slightly cloudy brown pour with a thin coffee head. Aroma of raisins, caramel and cherry. Taste is somewhat thin but enjoyable with bread, caramel and sugar present with some underlaying molasses. Smooth finish.

Bottle into Corsendonk tulip, purchased at West Lakeview Liquors. I always jump at the chance to have a doppelbock I haven’t seen, in the hopes that there will be a challenger to Celebrator. Alas, the search continues (although this got the closest of any). Murky brown in the glass looks a little watery, the head is thin and barely lasting, but produces some nice "racing." Smell doesn’t fill the sinuses like the best of them, but it’s pretty strong, and is kind of wonderful: dark bread, toffee, caramel, and underneath is a wonderful winey fruitiness. Fairly light bodied, definitely as thin as it looked, but the flavor buoys the feel to keep this from being watery: initial mouthful of bready, toffee malts that coat the whole mouth, pretty strightforward but delicious; then, they fade and you are about to ask, "Is that it?" when a second layer surges forward with darker, almost woody malt flavor that is reminiscent of the winey notes in the aroma with overripe fruits, fruitcake, and twigs. It’s not dry, but I can’t seem to get any spittle on top of my tongue; maybe that’s the alcohol, but there isn’t any other indication of it. Damn nice doppelbock. Glad I bought it.

Draught. Pours dark brown with reddish highlights, medium off-white head with no real lacing. Aroma is sweet - molasses and a bit of a dark fruit quality, hint of alcohol. Taste is hugely sweet malt up front- molasses, caramelized brown sugar, rum-soaked dark fruit quality, with no detectable roasty notes. Just a hint of smoke in there to, that emerges a bit more in the finish. Finish is rich, a bit dry, with a faint earthy bitterness that balances the sweetness without ever really emerging from it. Body is rich and full, not quite syrupy, with subdued carbonation. Really a decadent dessert treat. Fantastic.

on draft, beachwood bbq reddish brown pour, flavor is sweet with notes of cherries and raisins. THere were other ccomplexities I couldn’t make out. both my wife & I liked it

RB DE#1000: 50 cL bottle. Pours clear and golden deep amber with a lacing tan head. Spiced and roasted malt aroma, mild fruity touch. Sweet and solid caramel malt in the first sip, followed by a more roasted malt and breadish note. Lingering dark fruity and breadish finish.

Pours a red brown with a medium beige foamy head. Sweet raisin, toasty biscuit, jam on english muffin and wonderful german yeast aroma. Flavor is very vinous, sherry, port, not as much roast as I was expecting, some banana esters, a little bit burnt, some molasses, chocolate syrup, quite rich. Fluffy body, not syrupy like a lot of doppelbocks. Odd bitter tobacco, fig finish.