Leinenkugels Big Butt Doppelbock

Brewed by Leinenkugel Brewing Company (MillerCoors)
Style: Doppelbock
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin USA

Admittedly, I am a Leinie’s fan. It comes from growing up and going to school within a stones throw (not literally) of the Leinenkugel brewery. That being said, I consider this to be one of their better brews. I particularly enjoy how drinkable it is. I’m not a fan of heavy hops and this one doesn’t over do it. It pours a nice dark brown and with a tanish head. It goes down with a light sweetness followed by a roasty malt and molasses profile. I find this to be very drinkable even though it may not be an award winner. Tap me another one, will you?

This brew had the highest overall rating among 12 beers featured in a beer tasting party I hosted in April 2002. The other beers included were Lefthand Deep Cover Brown, Victory Hop Devil, Goose Island Kilgubbin Red, Moosedrool, North Coast Old Rasputin, Northwoods Red Cedar Ale, Samuel Adams IPA, Schell Doppelbock, North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner, Pilsner Urquell, and Mendocino Black Hawk Stout. Obviously, the bulk of the attendees were not exactly aficionados. Nevertheless, Big Butt was a solid beer that held its own. Boy has that changed. This year's version is a one-dimensional maltfest that almost bores you to sleep. It has a rich, sweet roasted malt, molasses aroma and smells like it has a healthy alcohol presence. Small, light tan head with reddish brown body. Reasonably good lace. Malty and on the thin side. Has a hint of bourbon cask. Doesn't have a pervasive hop profile. Doesn't make the taste buds sing. Decent but nothing overly special. It is still probably Leinie's best. No, I take that back. The Creamy Dark is more enjoyable now.

This left a lot to be desired. It did not have any strong taste of hops or any bitter taste. There was very little head on the pour. Easy to drink and goes well with a burger.

To me, this is a standout beer in Leinenkugels lineup. I'm not a fan of any other of their beers, but the Big Butt is very good. It has a smooth finish with just a hint of sweetness.

Nice solid darker amber color, solid thick based head of ivory colored thick puffyness that fades slow and leaves some patchy lace. Smell is mostly malts, sweetish in a toffee-like sense with caramel and a very light dark fruit of oranges and star fruit, but its quite faint and takes some good swirling and sniffing to even get anything out of it. Taste is more of the same but thinned out and not to strong, small amounts of sweet dark malts hinting of toffee and caramel with a whisp of the dark fruits noted from the smell. Feel is thinner then expected, quite empty and no real body then just a very slight syrupyness caused from the malts, I'm guessing there, it may be watered down and some use of corn to keeping it way to simple for a dobblebock. Really no different then the regular bock? Drinkable, but a definate miss for the style, so its passable.

Very sweet, malty and smooth. Not nearly as strong as it should be flavor-wise, but a very drinkable brew.

strong malty aroma, dark dark red, light bodied, light sweetness, medium nuttiness, pretty watered down on all fronts.

Initial head was dense and rich, but it was quickly gone. With deep inhalation I could pick up what seemed to me some coffee aromas amid the caramel. But this is Sanka to a Turkish Espresso, because despite the slighty syrupy mouthfeel and the injection of sweetness that it provides, only a hint of alcohol in the flavor and some vague caramel notes can rescue this from being a bottom-barrel doppelbock. It is better than bottom-barrel, but it still has the make-up of an inexpensive wannabe.