McNeills Exterminator Doppelbock

Brewed by McNeills Brewery
Style: Doppelbock
Brattleboro, Vermont USA

Exterminator indeed, as this will douse your flame in a hurry if you don’t watch. Immensely flavorful and very alcoholic but also had a nice malt profile as well. Different mouthfeel than a typical doppelbock but I loved it anyway.

Enjoyed a pint of this one on draught at the brewery in Brattleboro, VT. Nice to see a few lagers in the rotation of a brewery known for its ales. Pours to a slightly hazy, deep caramel to brown color, with a slight, tan head that fades, and a moderate to soft carbonation. Aromas of sweet malt, caramel, light toast, nuts, and hints of peppery alcohol flood the nose. The palate is soft and chewy on the tongue, with good sweet malt, toast, and nutty flavors. Finishes with more good sweet malt and toasty flavor up front, then ends with a soothing, alcohol heat, and some cloying malt flavor that lingers. Not quite as clean and round as classic examples of the style, but a good effort, and a nice, warming winter brew.

Extreme Beer Fest '04: Darkish brown with an orange tint. Aroma is of chocolate and a little smoke. The taste has smoke and chocolate with a nutty finish. It's not bad but it's certainly not my favorite. Does not represent this great style of beer.

Extreme beer fest '04,Deep copper in color,no head. Roasted malt and chocolate aroma.Malty and sweet.

draft @ extreme beer fest'04: Light nose, chocolate/rootbeer. Brownish orange color. Red wine and chocolate flavors. Thin and a little chalky on the finish. Good, but i'll need to revisit someday. Don't think it was at its best.

July 2001. Root beer is the first thing that came to mind when sampling this unusual doppelbock. STRONG root beer; this beer is much more vinous and alcoholic tasting than most of its type; I can only guess at the abv. Served in 1/2 pint glasses (for $2-what a deal!) at the pub; this and a pint of the wheat were enough as I had to drive a bit, but I wish I could've had more! Anyway, this was also higher on the caronation than usual, and just sensational on the mouth and down the hatch. Very complex and difficult; a beer that must be had more than once.7/4/9/5/17=4.2

February 2004. Served way too cold, this was virtually undrinable for almost half an hour. After that time, it warmed up into something decent, but in no way the match of what I tasted 2 1/2 years ago. The nose is nice, powerfully malty, oaky and with a touch of maple; but the flavor is way too grapy and sour, though some nice chocolate-port comes through at the end. Not very bock-like, not bad when warm but basically a big "huh?"

Extreme Beer Fest Boston 2004: Has a dark brown color with a sweet smell. Taste is sweet/chocolate/malt and finishes with a good bit of alcohol. Overall not a bad beer, but not a good doppelbock. I was kind of disappointed...

Bottle 6/14/04: Pours to this beautiful deep, dark, ruby with a small beige head. Aroma: bitter chocolate, smoke, roasted malt. Tastes very acidic, with some chocolate, fruit, dark malt, and great carbonation once again for McNeill’s, however this is not well balanced. Way too acidic for a doppelbock. My least favorite beer so far.