Sprecher Bourbon Barrel Dopple Bock

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

1 Liter bottle from the Sombeast tasting. One thing I’ll say about Sprecher’s attempt at barrel-aging is that they’re getting better. Now, they just need to work on that base beer a bit and they just might have something. Weak non-existent head, but with some decent notes of bourbon and vanilla in the aroma. Much less harsh than previous attempts. Palate is a bit weak as well as I would’ve like to have seen a stronger malt backbone on this one instead of the onus being placed on the barrel-aging.

Bottle: Poured a hazy dark brown with an off white head. Aroma, some dark fruits, oak and bourbon, caramel. Flavor, caramel, oaky, fruits, some roasted notes, brown sugar.

1L bottle. Poured a deep garnety-brown with a short yellowy-beige head. Aroma was of sweet toasted caramel with some bourbon sugars.. vanilla and oak provide pleasant aspects from the barrel. Flavor found a solid bourbon barrel influence in the form of vanilla, toasted oak, and light bourbon sugars.. smoky caramel, toffee, and brown sugar form the core.. quite tasty! Sweet and somewhat grainy on the palate.. medium-bodied. Good stuff.

Pours to a dark mahogany body with no head. The aroma is caramel and light bourbon aged with vanilla. The flavor is tart, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, bocky caramel, and nougat. The palate is syrupy and moderately bodied.

Pours a clear amber garnett color. Small off white head. Aroma is bourbon, meets cherries and muttled dark chocolate. Body is lacking, sweet, overly sweet. Not much body to it. The bourbon is almost dominating.

Purchased at Surdyck’s in Minneapolis. Good to see this and the barleywine there. Nose is walnut, vanilla, and toffee, which moves into hazelnut, nutmeg, and a touch of banana on the palate. It’s a bit boozy on the finish, and I’m wondering if it’s a tad "light-struck" from the shelves at the store, or maybe that’s simply the funkiness of the doppelbock. Finish is toasty and warm, although I would not have guessed 9 percent ABV. Well done. It’s good to see bourbon barrels being used on things other than Imp Stouts, IPAs, and barleywines.

I really enjoyed this one.....I am just starting to get into the Barrel aged catagory and this one was a nice surprise. a nice nutty colered head Great aroma of the Burbon, along with a creme brule-is scent, I also got some toffee and cocoa notes. I thought the flavor was fantastic....a nice toffee/bready/carmel flavor with some nice hints of the burbon and som hazlenut, as well as a hint of vanilla. Overall I woould say this one is a must try. I have a second bottle that I am cellering to see what happens in a year or so.

Slightly murky chestnut with a thin head that fades quickly. Thick aroma of cocoa, vanilla, and bourbon. Smooth and creamy palate with flavors of bourbon, cocoa, toffee, vanilla, graham crackers and a nutty almond hint. Long oaky, bittersweet finish. Man, this is good!