It’s Still Winter

Everywhere I look, folks are in denial; citrus rind brews, tropical fruit ales, spiced saisons. C’mon kids. It’s not yet spring! I check my weather app to find a real feel of 32 degrees. As my gaze turns to the window the dying rays of a faint lemon sun are dropping behind the trees, leaving behind grey and chilly skies. My part of the world is expecting snow and ice this weekend. Maybe you’re on a beach somewhere, but it’s cold here.
This is malt season. The big beers that keep you warm and satisfied are predominately malty affairs. The bulk of winter beers I review are ales, but a select few strong lagers do exist. The most accessible yet still powerful of these cold brewed beers is a German winter favorite.
So, if it’s a strong lager you’re looking for, Germany’s doppelbock is your best choice. These lagers will contain a huge amount of malt, noticeable in all aspects of the beer. Hops are rarely perceptible, with sweetness being obvious. Colors are frequently thick and deep ruby or brown. Dopplebocks will have a definite alcohol presence.
These hearty and powerful brews were considered a ‘liquid bread’ of sorts, and were an even bigger version of the bock lagers that were served during the spring. The style first brewed by the monks of St. Francis of Paula would come to be known as the style of beer we today call doppelbock. Most examples fall into the range of 7 to 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), so they are rich in flavor and warming potential.
The German versions are the standards, and there are several that are outstanding. Weihenstephaner offers Korbinian, a 7.4 percent ABV malt bomb. This amazing beer is as complex as it is luscious. However, the gold standard for doppelbock and one of the world’s great beers is Ayinger’s Celebrator from Brauerei Aying in Germany. Slightly less alcoholic (6.7 percent ABV), this beer will not let you down as a velvet smooth mouthfeel plies one with molasses flavors over dark fruits, spice and a touch of earthy smoke.
American breweries brew doppelbocks too. But, the use of indigenous ingredients will give a different spin on the traditional tastes and aromas of the German classics. Smuttynose Brewing Company out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire offers a delicious line of high gravity brews in their ‘Big Beer Series,’ including their S’Muttonator, a tasty American take on the classic German Doppelbock.
The brewery describes their take: “S’muttonator is a tasty mixture of German ingredients & good ol’ fashioned New England tenaciousness.” At 8.5 percent ABV, this is a strong beer, but nowhere near the strongest lager available in this or any other category.
This lager is more akin to American styles, having more carbonation and a stronger hop presence than its German cousins. However, with rich malts, caramel and bread dominating the smell, and a sweet molasses and a caramel and roasted flavor, you know this is a doppelbock. Still, with a generous dose of noble hops, you will know this is an American brewed beer. Here’s to Smuttynose for doing their own thing. Enjoy the brews…Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. While they don’t have every beer the Beer Snob writes about, they probably have most. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.