Beer of the Week

The beer: Celebrator Doppelbock

Brewed by: Ayinger Brewery, Aying, Germany

Description (from the website): "A beer that has a dominant malty taste. This beer’s origins in a monk’s recipe are reflected in its heartiness. The Pope of Beers, Conrad Seidl, describes it as: 'Almost black with a very slight red tone, a sensational, festive foam and truly extraordinary fragrance that at first summons up visions of greaves lard. The first taste is of mild fullness with an accompanying coffee tone, which becomes more dominant with the aftertaste. There is very little of the sweetness that is frequently to be tasted with doppelbock beer.' The Ayinger Celebrator has been ranked among the best beers of the world by the Chicago Testing Institute several times and has won numerous medals.

Would I buy it again?: It's just a few days before Christmas, and this feels like as appropriate a choice as any for the season. I love double bocks, and this one is quite arguably the best in the world. And I won't argue with that. It is absolutely delicious, smooth and thick and tasty. I fully admit that this beer is better than a Troegenator, comparing bottle to bottle. But this is only available in the winter, and it is significantly more expensive for one four pack of this than a six pack of Troegenator. So yes, I'd get it again, but outside the Christmas season, Troegenator is still my favorite beer.