Sierra Nevada Double DeBOCKel Beer

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Doppelbock
Chico, California USA

Had some on draft at the Pony Bar in NYC. Good beer this. Pours a copper-red with a fine white head. Nice malty aroma with earthy notes. Flavor is crisp with notes of caramel and a nice malt backbone. Finishes clean and slightly warming from the ABV.

Draft @ Tiger. Dark copper color with a thin head. Body is a bit thin too. Aroma is earthy with some alcohol and grain. Flavor is sweet with a odd metallic bitterness. Not a good Dopplebock for me.

Pint – Eastside Club Tavern – Olympia, WA
Aroma: Malty with a light hops aroma.
Appearance: Brown in color, clear with a thin head.
Flavor: Very sweet with a nice malt and hops character. This was a nice brew.
Palate: Dry finish, with a Nice Mouthfeel.
Overall: A nice brew this was in the average range for me.

On tap at Taco Mac Metropolis. The appearance was just the beginning of the surprises with this one. It pours a light, clear orangish amber with a small tan head that recedes to a collar quickly, leaving no lacing. It certainly doesn’t look like a doppelbock. The aroma continued the trend with some roasted malts and lots of hops. The hops are on the earthy side of things but the aroma is fairly subtle overall. It doesn’t smell like a doppelbock. The taste is slightly better but still is dominated by roasted caramel malts and lots of earthy hops. It’s got a toasted character overall. It doesn’t really taste like a dobbelbock either. The mouthfeel is fairly light for a doppelbock, though I don’t think that comparing it to a doppelbock is relevant at this point. I’m still a little confused on this beer as I just can’t fathom how it can be considered a doppelbock. It’s a better-than-average IPA, but that’s about it. Weird.

Pours a light pale copper with a thin head. Aroma is vodka and boozy right form the start and continues as it warms grassy herbal and solvent as well- sharp dark crystal and charred malts, with lots of phenolics. Flavor is a sharp sweetness, tons of alcohol spicy phenolics and bubblegum mintyness and a herbal grass-like finish- harsh.

Tap @ Pacific Standard, served in a tulip glass. The color is clear copper. Aroma is overly clean and comes off as an empty lagered brew. Taste is a lightly earthy lager yeastiness with just a hint of bitterness. It very easy drinking but lacks anything to separate it. I was surprised it is this strong but it makes sense because it seems like they fermented all the sweetness out but unfortunately there weren’t too many other interesting parts to it.

Sampled at Big Pour Mesa, AZ. Fiery orange and gold with an eggshell head that reduces into a thin ring. Quite hoppy...bright citrus, pine, grassiness and caramel. Minimal malt profile challenges the style but its still enjoyable. Can taste the alcohol heat as well.

This brew was amazingly drinkable despite it’s fat malt kankle legs. True to SN style there was a defined hop profile yet still mild. It reminded me of a baby bigfoot. Excellent stuff and well made.