Sprecher Bourbon Barrel Dopple Bock

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

Dark brown and holds a nice head when closer to 45 degrees. When poured cold the head disappears quickly. Aroma of chocolate bread and coconut. Tastes of typical dopplebock with vanilla, banana and oak. The dopplebock does not have the after bite like bourbon, but the bourbon taste is there. Very well done Milwaukee. Local store (Cellars Wine & Spirits in Twin Cities) had 12 bottles for sale. In less than three hours, there they were; gone!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Pours a nice burnt mahogony with a nice creamy tan head that lasts quite some time. Nice smokey toasty nose with a very alcohol srong aroma. there is hints ripe fruits, salted meats, citrus & banana. Nice light to medium carbonation with a huge punch of vanilla, roasted nuts, some dried fruit, and a nice light bourbon tinge. There is a nice underlying hoppiness that doesn’t overwhelm, but instead carries the nice subtle alcohol and sweet bourbon to a long finish. I was a little apprehesive and excited by the idea of a BA dopple, but this is fantastic. The bourbon is not overly intense, but noticeably present. My favorite Sprecher to date.

Nice mellow bourbon color. Lots of bourbon in the nose with some vanilla. subtle bourbon and vanilla in the body as well.

750ml bottle: This one pours a fairly clear, reddish brown color. There was a "pop" when I opened the bottle, but hardly any head on the pour and what was there went away almost immediately. I was surprised that the aroma was a bit light. It was still good, however with notes of bourbon, malt and fruit. The bourbon and the malt compete to be on top, but the bourbon is the main flavor in the finish. Some dark fruits also. I really like this, but I like bourbon also. If bourbon isn’t your thing, this won’t be your beer.