Sprecher Bourbon Barrel Dopple Bock

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Doppelbock
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

Yikes yikes Poured was watery brown color. Aroma was very bourbon and woody. Flavor well that is where this beer fell off the wagon. This might be a good dopplebock but had a nasty acidic flavor with the bourbon in there.

This pours a nice shade of dark brown and settles a lowly inky black with a slight plummy/eggplant cast in certain light. Dawning the top is a large bubbly foam of tannish hue which slips away after a few minutes to a bubbled collar ring and a very light whisp of film. Big globular lacing drips down like chunks of wax. Aroma is fabulously deep and deceptive with a tender sweet tang of oaky soaked vanilla pods, full dark cherry skins, raisin, molasses, and light figgyness. The darker malt base is evident and quite lovely to behold on the nose and that addition of oak aging has done its magic. Taste is smooth and ever dark with a well-balanced malty tang and ping, and/or pang on the palate of dark fruity notions that tend to bring out a bit more raisin then the aroma eluded too. Good amounts of raisin paste, duly noted vanilla and molasses hit an even scale of length as its soft, smooth, and easy nature glides down with an immediate girth of dark fruity maltyness. Oaky sweetness and twinged-in red wine-like hints are intertwined among the raisin, dark cherry, and fig. Dark and grapey in a sense, covered quickly in a soft delicate dark blanket of raisin and figified molassesness. Finish is soft and feathery dry, a bit light with a brief but building growth of ever changing notes of chocolate mixing with some of the dark malt sweetness. This has nice flavors that meld well together, however, it comes up a bit low key and under bodied for what it’s offering. Seems like it could be a tad bolder and bigger. That said though, I can’t complain about it too much, as it is meticuluosly subtle and lovingly smooth. I like the chocolate notes alot in this one. Helps even out the tang a bit in the finish, and more so as it warms. Overall loftily easy and smooth to the feel, nearly creamy, slight touch of carbonation, if not just the oaky bite and titch of soured wine-ish drying that only lasts a moment before its covered up by its subtle layers of dark malt tang and chocolatey featheryness. A fun, fun treat by Sprecher! One to share; or hoard. Alot more to like about it then to dislike no doubt, and unholy, if not down right easy to drink. Smooth, soft, subtle and dark (sorry no "s"in that one) and an enlightment of complexity and marksmanship that begs for more...but the big bottle will do ya just fine...seek out and enjoy.

Bottle (1L) courtesy of brewfiend. Pour was brownish semi-clear looking appearance with a nice off-white to tannish looking head, thinning to a ring around the edges. The aroma was bourbon, light oak, some chocolate. The flavor followed the aroma, caramel mixed in as well, not much of a clean finish, a little bit astringent. More balanced than the new glarus bourbon bock I’ve had before (ie. not way overdone on the bourbon), but I think I’m about to throw in the towel on bourbon aged bock/doppelbocks, just doesn’t seem to work? Mouthfeel a bit acidic. Much thanks to Brad for this opportunity!

It’s mahogany. It’s got caramel malts. It’s got oak and vanilla. It’s been sitting in a stinking bourbon barrel. It’s better than expected. But don’t do it again.

Date: 06/21/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Pre-RBSG

clear dark brown, wispy beige head, sweet dark caramel malt and bourbon aroma with oak and vanilla, rich dark caramel malt flavor, lots of vanilla sweetness, bourbon flavor is present but blends well with the caramel malts to add character

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Boy, I have to disagree with the ratings on this one. The bottle I had was quite flat. It had a bit of a carbonated soda flavor, just without any carbonation or pep and was mostly just uninspiring. Faintly sweet, and with a bourbon nose but no flavor of the bourbon present. Just boring. And way overpriced.

1 liter flip top bottle and served in my NB worthy glass; A deep brown hue with a small ring of lasting foam and good lace, oily tears as well. The aroma has notes of vanilla beans, nougat and caramel, hint of smoke and oak, candied blueberry, and just a touch of bourbon vapours. This is an incredible aroma for the genre and I don’t want to even ruin the experience by tasting it but alas I must find out if the flavours live up to the nose.

Well still a tasty treat the palate is not quite the equal of the aroma. Big dark fruits and malt dominate but there is plenty of bourbon barrel characteristics to cut through the sweetness. The finish is a lovely woody dryness with a dash of smoke. The mouth feel is quite smooth really with just a finish of warming from the alcohol. A tad thin due to the barrel aging but not a flaw, just a comment. Without a doubt this is among the finest Doppelbocks I have ever enjoyed. Vastly underrated if you ask me. I was lucky to find this at Discount Liquor in Milwaukee. If they still have some, grab it ASAP.

Bottle... RBSG 07... Lightly hazed, mahogany ale with no real head. Caramel, bourbon, vanilla and spent mash dominate the nose. Sweet, dark malt flavor up front, followed by sourmash acidity and bourbon heat with additional notes of caramel, toasted nuts and delicate, creamy vanilla. Medium to full-bodied with a sticky mouthfeel and light carbonation. Boozy, bourbony, caramel finish.