Spaten Optimator

Brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu (InBev)
Style: Doppelbock
Munich, Germany

I’ve had this beer plenty of times and just now noticed I’d never rated it...gave me an excuse to pick up another bottle (not that I really needed one). Pours a nice molasses with red highlites and a small tan head. Toasted malts, wood, molasses, raisins, and some other dark fruits. Body is creamy and full. Tasty with a finishing bite, too. Toasted, woody, sweet malts, molasses, and a little cocoa. The alcohol isn’t very noticeable. Finish is long and bitter/burnt malt. One of the first "real beers" that got me hooked on this obsession. Will always be one of my favorites. Excellent.

12 oz (green) bottle. Deep chestnut brown with a nice light beige head. Aroma is not too strong: roast malt, sweet/tart fruit (cherries?), and chocolate. Taste is sweet, with suggestions of roasted nuts, chocolate, alcohol, and lightly burnt caramel. Not too strong. Smooth and very drinkable. I kinda like it.

500 ml bottle. Pours a deep rich mahogany with a copious tan head. Plums and raisins in the nose. Medium-heavy body with a bold malt presence. Semi-sweet malty start with complex fruity lingering finish.

bottle. color is a heavy ruby brown shade that nearly looks black. a light tan head briefly forms on top. strong sweet raisin and plum aromas with a deep roasted smell and light hops showing up also. nice roasted flavor that is fairly light, a little sweeter than other dopples. spicy hops come into play on the finish. this has more molasses and plum than the bitter chocolate and coffee flavors that i go for in this style. but it is quite good and very quafable.

The pour is dark oily brown with a tan head. the aroma sparks molasses, chocolate, nuts, and roasted malt. It seems to me that there a slight hint of dough and yeast. Deep rich malty flavors with molasses and hint of nuts. A very heavy body beer with a slight bitter mouth feel The finish last a few minutes. A very good beer to enjoy

I am astonished, if not appalled, at the other reviewers high ratings. Admittedly, I don’t like doppelbocks, but this seemed particularly bad for a doppelbock. The aroma is weak, malty, as I would expect. Flavour: sweet, malty, rich, a tiny bit of sourness. I think it is too sweet, and too weak tasting. But this is not my main concern: as one drinks this more, an unpleasant character emerges, a sort of strong biting taste, a foul taste. The alcohol content is not well masked; one can taste the alcohol and it burns slightly. A poorly executed beer which I will avoid in the future.

The aroma is inviting, some chocolate, caramel, and very fruity. There is also a vegetable aroma I can’t quite place my finger on, but I rmember it from other dopplebocks and porters I have tried. Nice dark brown/ruby color, medium tan colored head. Flavor is sweet, malty, lots of molasses/brown sugar notes. The mouthfeel is medium/thick, true to the double bock style. Nice finish, malty sweetness left on the palate. Reminiscent of a porter as much as a dopplebock. Very enjoyable beer overall. This is one of the beers which started my craft beer odyssey.

It IS a great German beer. Very rich and deep. Malty flavored and strong. ++