A Double Celebration
Written: Jul 15 '03 (Updated Aug 13 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Doubly dark and delicious
Cons: Expensive, hard to find
The Bottom Line: Mmmmm......
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| proxam's Full Review: Celebrator Doppelbock |
The Bavarian village of Aying, and it's namesake brewery, lies just south of Munich. In actual fact the village consists of not much more than a church, the brewery (with restaurant and inn) and a maypole!
This region grows some of the world's best malting barley and, combined with the soft water from the Alps, is rightfully acclaimed as home to some of the finest beers in the world.
The Ayinger brewery was established in 1878 and has always been a family brewery. Indeed, it is presently in the capable hands of the founder's great grandson.
They concentrate on beers which cater to the local market and therefore can be hard to come by outside of Bavaria. Hard, but fortunately, not impossible.
They brew a range of mostly lagers and wheat beers, including this one: Celebrator Dopplebock
• The Style •
Dopplebocks usually have names ending with an -ator suffix. This derives from the first such beers, made by Paulaner monks as a Lenten (liquid bread) and called Salvator (Saviour).
They are very full-bodied, light to dark brown in colour, and often have a roasted-malt flavour. Bitterness levels are similar to or slightly higher than those of dunkel and there can be a quite intense malty sweetness in both aroma and flavor.
The label on this bottle shows two goats rising up on their hind legs and holding a huge, foaming glass of beer which towers above them. It also comes with a white plastic, goat trinket tied around the neck.
All this isn't quite as strange as it seems. The goats don't have any bestialic inferences but are there because Bock means goat in the Bavarian dialect, and the goat is a symbol of potency and strength. Dopplebock - double goat.
---------------------------INTERLUDE------------------------
Standing at the edge of the lake, a man saw his wife flailing about in the water. Unable to swim, the man started to scream for help. A fisherman ran up.
The man said, "My wife is drowning and I can't swim. Please save her. I'll give you a hundred dollars."
The fisherman dove into the water. In ten powerful strokes, he reached the woman, put his arm around her, and swam back to shore. Depositing her at the feet of the man, the fisherman said, "Okay, where's my hundred?"
The man said, "Look, when I saw her going down for the third time, I thought it was my wife. But this is my mother-in-law."
The fisherman reached into his pocket and said, "Just my luck. How much do I owe you?"
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Back to the beer....
THEY SAY:
"Celebrator has a wonderful and complex balance between the various malts, the alcohol and the subtle hops. It has a complex fruitiness of roasted malt and whole hop flowers, and a faintly smoky dryness in the finish."
• The Pour •
Pours to a deep mahogany, almost black colour with some vague reddish tints, and crowned by a glorious head of light brown foam that is slow to fade and deposits sheets of sticky lace all the way down the glass. The aroma is slightly oily, with a lingering malt fruitiness comprising mainly of prunes, raisins and sultanas. There are traces of molasses, some roasted caramel, and a quite strong, toasty flavour. There's also a little herbal hop aroma in the background and some faint traces of spice.
• The Taste •
It's medium to full bodied, with a smooth and silky, but slightly chewy mouthfeel, and moderate carbonation. It's fairly sweet, and very rich, with caramel malt up front, followed by dark fruit flavours (raisins, prunes, figs) and a light nuttiness. There's quite a sharp, hop twang and even a little leafiness with a spicy, alcohol kick. There are some truly complex flavour combinations in here with toffee and molasses making an appearance, along with toasted bread and candy sugar. It finishes dry-ish and spicy with a long, lingering, fruity aftertaste and a nice alcohol glow.
• The Verdict •
At 7.2% ABV, this beer is an absolute delight to drink - as near perfect as you're likely to get. It's mellow yet powerful and bewilderingly complex yet easy to drink. It's an attractive looking beer that doesn't disappoint in aroma and flavour either. Flippin' marvellous!
A little bratwurst, or similar, would go best with this beer but who cares....with beer of this quality you really don't need any food - 'liquid bread', remember?
It's not the easiest beer to find, or the least expensive - I paid nearly £4 for a 330ml bottle in a specialist beer shop - but quality doesn't come cheap.
Would I drink it again? - I'd like to see you try and stop me!
Thanks for reading,
Sláinte
©proxam2003
Recommended:
Yes
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proxam
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Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Don't drink & derive
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