Thomas Hooker Liberator Doppelbock

Brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
Style: Doppelbock
Bloomfield, Connecticut USA

(Bottle) Pours a black body (almost opaque) with a small tan head. Aroma of roasted and sweet malts, caramel, and coffee. Rich malt backbone with cocoa and coffee. Bitter finish.

A light off-white head stands on a dark nut brown body. Aroma is initially light, hiding, but as it warms, it gains a lot of expression although it remains a bit straightforward. It’s highly malty, almost caramelic with a shadow roastiness, chocolate hints and a luscious earthy profile. Palate is also deeply earthy, like concentrated malt, but still very soft and smooth. Welcomed green hops joins in the finish, rather grassy. It finishes on mild chracoal and potent tobacco notes all around an oily presence, making me think of roasty mazola. Like the other troutbrooks I’ve had, this has this honest medium body which seems a bit dead, mostly from low carbonation and seems to take off from the flavor development and this is really too bad. It’s not close to celebrator and andechs in my mind, but looking at the other doppelbocks I’ve had, this fights weltenburger for #3.

Sparkling clear, mahogany lager with a small, creamy, beige head. Malty and fruity aroma with notes of raspberries and chocolate. The flavor is surprisingly well-hopped with good balance. Raspberries, chocolate and a touch of weak coffee. Full-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel and fizzy carbonation. Lengthy, moderately bitter finish. Thanks to springslicker for the bottle.

Pours a dark murky brown with a thick, dark, cream-colored head. Aroma is full of sweet caramel malt, a touch of tartness, and a smooth German lager yeast profile. Body starts full, thick and sweet hinting at acidity, but turning smoother, sticky and very malty with a touch of bitterness. Finishes with some dark chocolate, floral hints of hops, and hides its alcohol quite well. Definitely a malty brew with some adherance to style, but it doesn’t quite have the authentic flavor it could. Many thanks to both boto and SpringsLicker for the bottles of this fine brew!

Sentimental cherries and their subtle tartness waltz with the able roasty and earthy malt...Green hop bitterness lingers and dethrones the sedentary malt from its ruling position...A smidge of alcohol seduces the palate but is disconcerted by some cocoa sedimentation...Were the malt more spirited and less roasty, this would be a world-class doppelbock in my book...

Re-rate of the 2004 bottle: Pours brown with a generous lasting tannish head. Aromas of strawberries, bananas, and yogurt. Taste is very nutty in the best way possible with some great allspice notes. Slightly alcoholic on the finish. Damn, this is one hell of a brew!

2006 Bottle sampled 4/12/06:

Smells nutty and malty with some molasses. Tastes roasty with some nice chocolatey elements and some mellow bittering hops. Some coffee elements present. Finishes tingly but not quite as buttery as the 2004 and 2005 bottlings.

Bottled: Since I got my package from egajdzis, I’ve been looking forward to this. Thanks for trading, Eric. Pours a dark amber light dusty colour under a huge light chocolate brown head. Really nearly perfect to look at. Berries, fruit, light yeast and malt in the nose. Flavour is fruity, maltish and has light cocoanotes. Has a pleasant fruitbitterness in the end. Quite good beer, but not in the same class as the great german doppelbocks.

Tap at David Copperfields. Black beer with garnet highlights and a thick tan head. Very toasty brown sugar aroma. Very clean, malty, coffeeish with dark chocolate notes as well. Falvour is good and toasty, chocolate, coffee, light roastiness. Lingering dark malt sweetness. Slightly chewy and thick with a lingering sweet toast and chocolate flavour.