Viking Brewing Invader Doppelbock

Brewed by Viking Brewing Company
Style: Doppelbock
Dallas, Wisconsin USA

Pours a hazy mahogany color, with a sudsy lace - quite a nutty aroma, with some dough, faint diacetyl, fig, raisin - smooth, creamy, medium-bodied - quite nutty, with notes of brown sugar, a lot of raisin, toffee, caramel - finishes with loads of chocolate and a spicy/peppery character, which is a nice twist - aside from the mild diacetyl in the nose, this is a pretty solid brew - quite underrated - maybe they just have poor quality control.

Pour was dark copper with a roasted caramel and sweet malt aroma. Dark fruit character came out in the flavor with more sweet malt. Well blended brew.

Bottle. Poured a clear orange brown color with a khaki head. Smelled of glazed donut, hay, and nonspecific spices. Medium bodied with low-ish carbonation and a bit of sweetness. tasted of toffee, ice tea, and a bit of grassy hop. Fresh cereal grain aftertaste. So so.

Pours reddish brown with large head. Earthy aroma with some nuttiness. Flavor is fruity yet bland and sour.

12oz bottle. Not sure who traded me this one as I just found it when I was cleaning up some old boxes (so who knows how long its been in there). Poured a medium and cloudy reddish / brownish color with a huge sized off white head. Aromas of dirt / earthy, roasted nuts, and some card board. Tastes of dark fruits (raisins with some plums and cherries), caramel, and nuts. A little off and a little sour finish that I actually kind of liked.

Aroma is slightly vinegary and sweet. Dark brown body with a quickly diminishing head. Flavor is light roasted malt, some chocolate, slight dirt/earthen flavor. Palate is weak and lacks carbonation. This bottle may be past prime. Flavor was pretty good nonetheless.

(12oz bottle) Small tan head atop hazy dark brown body. Aroma is sweet, chocolate, confectionery sugar, light hazelnut. Taste is sweet, chocolate, some caramel, icing, faint alcohol. Watery medium body, undercarbonated.

Dark amber color, small foamy head. This beer doesn’t get the ratings of the best doppelbocks, but the taste is right there. Soft malts, a bit of bittering hops. This is one of the better brews that Viking makes, and the soft water that they use works well to complete it.