Plank Heller Doppelbock

Brewed by Brauerei Plank Laaber
Style: Doppelbock
Laaber, Oberpfalz/Bayern, Germany

Clouded, pale orange appearance...fizzy, off-white head. Warmness in the aroma, a rich malty feel...clean, and lovely...and sweet...mighty nice and sweet. Evenly-played, though... In the taste, a clean, malty, sweet, zesty doppelbock. My first Plank, so I’m not influenced by anything other than reputation. I must admit I’m as confused as to what a "heller doppelbock" is, or what the lion on the label has in it’s teeth, or why those rams seem to be hitting each other, yet are not touching. Sweetness of a doppelbock, yet turning dry...from the "heller"? Anyway...I like it, ...not love it, but do reccommend it.

Date: 05/03/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: cloudy dark yellow, fine off white head,
Aroma: sweet candy malt aroma with a nice fruity character,
Flavor: sweet candy flavor, lots of malty sweetness, touch of bready character, light bitterness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Appearance: Pours a hazy, pale gold-orange body with a small, bubbly white head. Smell: Meager aroma of tired, spent grains, cookies on clearance, raisins, and a odd hint of vegetables and sorrow. Taste: Toasted grain flavor with a light, short-lived sweetness. Light raisin fruit character. Medium, growing hop bitterness. Again, there’s that hint of steamed veggies. Dry, slightly bready finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Didn’t care for this one.

Pours a transparent deep golden bronze with a spotty-lacing froth of white head. Aroma of sweet toasty pale German malts, some floral hop notes and German yeast with some subtle bubble gum character. Body starts with good full sweetness and nice bitter balance before a slightly drier, earthy hop and bready finish. A nice heller doppelbock.

Pours a pale golden yellow color with a white head. Aroma is sweet malts, green apple, and some spicy hops. Flavor is malty, grainy, green apple, spicy hops, and some alcohol.

*liked it ok would not buy* aroma: neat! small fruits floral. lil candy malt. App: hazy gross pee. flavor: nice mild happy fruit candy malt flavors followed by a hint o hops. some straw. Palate: fine. OA: neat lil ole beer. would not guess the abv. its mild and kind. cute change of pace.

Pours light orange/yellow extremely cloudy with a slight 1/8 inch head and below average lacing. Lightly carbonated. Fairly strong sour smells with average hop smell and below average malts. Light to mild flavor slightly bitter with a without much backbone. This is very light and could use additional flavor especially the malts.

Golden orange pour with a quickly diminishing pure white head. Vegetal grain and fruit loop aroma. Some toffee comes through in the flavor. Not as enamored with this beer as with other Plank offerings. Still interesting flavor. A little more kick in the flavor department would improve this greatly.