Fish Tale Detonator Doppelbock

Brewed by Fish Brewing Company/Leavenworth Beers
Style: Doppelbock
Olympia, Washington USA

Courtesy of Andy at the monthly meeting of the Champaign-Urbana Beer Club. This was tasty stuff, perhaps the best doppelbock I’ve tasted. I have always wondered what some time on wood would do to bocks, but unfortunately the Germans don’t seem too keen on the idea. Enter the American craft brewers, and you get a well balanced malty beer with some strong notes of leather and spice, with the vanilla and molasses of a doppel. Banana esters come through as well as is typical for the style. Merlot came as a surprise to me, I thought I picked up some wine notes, but didn’t realize it had been aged in a Merlot barrel until just now. If one were rating according to style, a 4.9 in my book.

Bottle. Poured a deep ruby with a small layer of creamy caramel head. Some small floaties when held to light. Brilliant aroma of sweet caramel, molasses, vanilla, and Merlot. Earth and a vinous character first hit the tastebuds. Flavor also picked up a caramel backing, molasses, brown sugar, dark berries, and just a hint of smoke. Creamy smooth across the palate, moving the flavor through quite well. This was a pleasure to drink all around!

Great flavor all around: Caramel, molasses, and chocolate all show through in the malt profile. Almost overpoweringly sweet, it’s reined in by notes of alcohol and dry cloves in the finish. Aftertaste is a bit skunky, but still enjoyable.

big thanks to Eric ( Heemer77 ) for this one. a rich, thick ruby brown with a whipped cocoa color head. aroma of caramel malt, earthy wood and hints of smoke. more caramel, molasses, wood and smoke flavors. medium to full bodiedand slightly warming. a solid dopple all the way!

Dark brown appearance, modest head formation. Bold aroma, rich dark fruit, raisin bread, mildly woody. Sweet burnt toffee flavor, burnt fruit cake, milder almost creamy in the finish with alcohol, caramel and burnt fruit tones coming through in the aftertaste.

Deep red with a little tan bubbly head. Aroma of candy sugar and chocolate malts. Rich with nutty oils, chocolate fudge, burning leaves, and toasted coffee. Bolder in the start as the thick mouthfeel waters out in the caramel boozey finish.

Dark red and brown. Thin creamy head. Aroma is malty and earthy sweet. Lacing is nice. Flavor is a match for the malty aroma. Nice and different dopplebock.

deep brown, off white head. aroma of chocolate, honey, nuts anddried fruit with earth and caramel. soft carbo, smooth mouthfeel. big thick chewy malt flavours with nougat, toffee, earth, tootsie roll and pruney, figgy, fruit. very malty beer. well done.