 eve (240), Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 4/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Feb 4, 2005 Tried this 1996 vintage at a beer tasting at the Heorot in Muncie, IN, pulled from the cellar. Rich, syrupy smooth, port and dried fruit, could only sip this, but sipped it all. Long rich deep dramatic finish.
JohnC (2286), Mission Viejo, California, USA
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Jan 22, 2005 vintage 1996. Thanks to whomever left it at my house during the RB party of 2003.
pours dark brown with a thin yellow head. the flavor is sticky sweet, but not cloying. The aroma has the sweetness of liquers. A great sipping beer.
arjoseph (594), Chicago, Illinois, USA
| 4.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 20/20 |
Jan 20, 2005 Updated: Aug 22, 2008GABF 2004, in somebody’s hotel room. 1991 bottle. First of all, a big shout out to my main man Chris Q. for bringing this to the festival. At the time of this review, this was the best single beer I had ever had. Sure, this will inflate the beer’s rating a bit, since not all of them are aged 13 years, but it’s still this beer, and it should get credit for its fortitude and the greatness that too few will ever be patient enough to experience. The aroma wafts up like the best damn Raisinettes you could imagine, marinated in port. The taste keeps the port associations going, but it’s soooo smooth, with deep dark prune that was intense but completely without an edge of acridity or even acidity. Full mouthfeel and dark chocolate through the finish, but not roasty. Finish was long. Damn, I wish I could have this every night; too bad I’ll never have it ever again.
Re-Rate: I did have it again, a couple of times, each due to the courtesy of cquiroga, who has a great stash of these aged wonders. I’ve had an ’88, a ’91, a ’93, and one that was a bit later some time in the 90s. While some vintages are better than others (or were just aged better), they are all dope. Dope!
cb (809), Wheat Ridge, Colorado, USA
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Dec 12, 2004 1996. Rich dark chocolate, a lot of port, honeyed figs and a touch of burnt wood in aroma. Started out very sweet, with a lot of vinous aspects and caramel, softens down with vanilla. Thanks to Shag for providing this bottle...I want to have some 1991..to relive the memories of being 10 whilst enjoying the best this beer has to offer.
Hildigöltur (5109), København, Denmark
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 5/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
Nov 3, 2004 [1996 vintage] Powerful aroma of raisins, prunes and chocolate. Very sweet and mature flavour. Complex with dark fruits, caramel, malts and chocolate. Thick and oily mouthfeel.
beerslayer (753), New Jersey, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Oct 30, 2004 Vinyage ’96. This is a good doppelbock. Sweet malt, plum, and chocolate flavors. Finishes clean, smooth, and rich.
whaleman (2171), North Wales, Pennsylvania, USA
| 4.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 19/20 |
Oct 12, 2004 Updated: Sep 11, 20051991 vintage. Thanks to cquiroga for sharing this at the RateBeer GABF 2004 gathering in Denver. Intriguing murky chestnut-brown body that refused to produce any head even with agitation. Contains some ominous, dark sunken particles. Open, malty aroma of dark fruits with just a hint of apparent oxidization. Unbelievably rounded flavor of plump raisins, prunes, fat ripe homegrown figs, and caramelized nuts sweetened with touches of molasses and brown sugar, although the overall character seems well-attenuated. Ultra mature, smooth, and velvety. A truly amazing beer experience. I vow to spend the rest of my days in search of old vintages of this godly nectar.
cquiroga (370), Sylmar, California, USA
| 4.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 10/10 | 4/5 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 20/20 |
Oct 4, 2004 10/2/04. Poured out of 330 mL bottle, bought at Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel CA 12/12/03. 1991 Vintage. RateBeer GABF tasting. This is possibly my favorite beer of all time. And this bottle was exquisite. Dark brown sugary brown, no head but nice legs and thick syrupy coating on the glass. Hazy and chunky-- there are dark black flecks stirring around in the beer, almost like coffee grounds in appearance (but with no apparent flavor-- at least not one I can detect apart from what else is going on in the beer). Phenomenal aroma. Huge dark caramel and chocolatey fruit-- dates and fig. Mouth-watering and amazing. I’m glad I passed on the dessert. Flavor doesn’t disappoint a bit. Huge butter toffee, caramel, and more dark dried fruits. Nice warming alcohol but supremely elegant and refined. Velvety smooth, very full mouthfeel. Superb, long-lasting and decadent finish like an almond roca dessert sauce. Layer upon layer of rich candy depth. I know I’m in the minority who actually finds this beer even enjoyable when it’s young (even the Castle Eggenberg stuff), but I’ll tell you just like everyone else-- if you can get this stuff with at least a decade of wisdom under its belt (the older, the better), you’re in for a damn fine treat! It’s ridiculous to call it a doppelbock, and even more ridiculous to think of it as a lager, but it doesn’t really matter anyway. It’s a different kind of beer from anything else I’ve ever had, and I think it’s probably my favorite beverage of any kind. Simply stunning.
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