Beer of the Week

The beer: Maximilian

Brewed by: Hofbräuhaus Traunstein, Traunstein, Bavaria, Germany

Description (from the Brauhaus Schmitz website): "Dark fiery color, velvety soft to drink. An unforgettable intense malty flavor of toasty aromas, caramel and a delicate hint of chocolate. Dark – strong – powerful. Already a beer legend."

Would I buy it again? This is the second doppelbock I had at Brauhaus Schmitz, and this one is much more traditional than Aventinus. Very dark, very malty, very good. Everything you could ever hope for in a doppelbock and more. If I ever see it out in the world and not at one specific restaurant, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Aventinus

Brewed by: G. Schneider & Sohn, Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany

Description (from the Brauhaus Schmitz website): "For golden moments by the fireplace: 'Mein Aventinus' - the wholehearted, dark ruby coloured wheat beer, intensive and fiery, warming, well-balanced and tender. Bavaria's oldest wheat 'Doppelbock' - brewed since 1907! Its sturdy body in combination with its sweet malty aroma is an invitation to profound indulgence - an ingenious blend with a strong body. Perfectly matches rustic dishes, dark roasts and sweet desserts."

Would I buy it again? One of the benefits of living in a large city is access to a wide variety of excellent cuisine. One particular restaurant that happened to catch my eye is Brauhaus Schmitz, a German restaurant that boasts (according to them, anyway) the largest German beer list in the country. I don't know if that's true, but they have 30-plus German beers on tap. And that's quite a few.

Best of all, they have several different doppelbocks, including Aventinus, which is actually classified as a weizendoppelbock. What this means is that, while it has the heft and maltiness of a doppelbock, it also possesses a sort of mild fruity spiciness, similar to a hefeweizen. The result is quite simply one of the best beers I've ever had. It is pricy ($10 for 0.5 liters), but as an occasional treat during return trips to the restaurant? I don't think it could be beat.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Doppel Gorgon

The brewery: Mully's Brewery, Prince Frederick, Maryland 

Description (from Untappd): "Our crisp and full-bodied version of the classic German doppelbock. Toasty and malty, this "liquid bread" will satisfy even the demogorgon!"

Would I buy it again? I can never resist a doppelbock. And this one is even Stranger Things themed, though if the name of this beer is supposed to be a pun on "demogorgon," it's stretched to the point where I don't even know if it's a pun or not. Anyway, the beer is thankfully very good. This particular doppelbock is a bit lighter and crisper than the standard, making it a little easier to drink, but it's still got plenty of that maltiness to it. I'd happily buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Live Deliciously

Brewed by: Forward Brewing, Annapolis, Maryland

Description (from the website): "Dopplebock, a strong German-style dark lager brewed with Dark Munich malt and smoked Beechwood malt. Notes of toffee and subtle smoke with a warming finish."

Would I buy it again? I don't want to say I liked this better than a Troegenator, but it's very, very close. It was an extremely good doppelbock, and I'd buy it again in a second. It's too bad this particular brewery doesn't distribute locally. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Doppelganging

The brewery: Rough Edges Brewing, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "German style strong lager originally brewed by monks to get them through a lengthy fast. Known as liquid bread."

Would I buy it again? This really is the dream. The local brewery, just a 10-minute walk away, making my favorite style of beer. It sounds like a recipe for success, but have they managed to stick the landing?

I'm happy to report that, yes, they did. This beer is clean, tasty, and malty, exactly like a doppelbock should be. I might have preferred it to be a little denser with a touch more flavor, but that's nitpicking. No, it's not quite as good as a Troegenator, but 90% as good is still very, very tasty. I really hope this one sticks around for a while, because I'm definitely planning on buying some more of these.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Chesapeake Bay Doppelbock

The brewery: Oliver Brewing Company, Baltimore, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "This German style dark lager is smooth and flavorful with notes of chocolate, dark fruits and light toast."

Would I buy it again? It's time for the newest installment of my recurring series: "Nitpicking perfectly good doppelbocks because they're not Troegenator." So, what's wrong with this one? The initial taste is promising, but once you get past that, the aftertaste is somewhat lacking. It's missing the same malty sweet punch that Troegenators offer. It's fine, but just not in the same league. I wouldn't pass one of those up for this.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Griswold's Doppelbock

The brewery: Solace Brewing Company, Sterling, Virginia 

Description (from the website): "Rich, sweet, malty German style beer with flavors of chocolate and dark stone fruits."

Would I buy it again? I can't resist a doppelbock, it is my favorite style of beer. Unfortunately, while it's genuinely extremely good and I can't really criticize it in terms of taste (at least not in a way that isn't nitpicking), the unfortunate truth is that Troegenators are significantly cheaper (this was $12 for a four pack, while you can get six Troegenators for that price) and the taste is ever so slightly better. Nothing against this beer, I would absolutely never say no to one, but I can't justify buying it over my literal favorite beer. 

Sorry Griswold, it was never a fair fight.

Beer of the Week

The beer: That Shiz Slaps

Brewed by: Aslin Beer Company, Alexandria, Virginia

Description (from Untappd): "That Shiz Slaps! This is our new Doppelbock that’s giving us flavors of toasted bread with toasty, light malt. Dark fruit flavors of raisin and prune give a sweetness to this one, and the texture is satisfyingly full-bodied. With no hint of bitterness, this goes down easy & goes excellently with a hearty meal."

Would I buy it again? I'm usually a huge doppelbock fan, so I was excited to try a new one out. Unfortunately, this isn't a good example of the style. There is absolutely a hint of bitterness and it's not nearly malty or bready enough. If you're looking for a good doppelbock, this isn't it. I wouldn't buy it again.

Three Cheers For The Craft Lager Boom

When it comes to craft beer, it's still an IPA world, and probably always will be. Microbreweries will probably always favor IPAs, with a minority going hard into sours, with a few heavy stouts mixed in. We're talking big, bold beers with equally bold flavors. Traditionally, there hasn't been a place for the relatively humble lager, but in the past couple of years, that is actually changing. Pretty much any brewery you go to nowadays has a lager on tap, if not multiple. And while I'm sure they're not best sellers, they are often cheaper than their IPA brethren (and always cheaper than a stout or sour). 

There will always be the kind of beer people who stick their noses up at a lager, preferring their IPAs and sours. But for many of us, sometimes all we want is a beer that tastes like beer, and the market (finally) seems to be realizing that. Maybe now we can see some lager experimentation; I know I would personally love to see more doppelbocks floating around. It's too fun a style to have so few examples out there. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Andygator Helles Doppelbock

Brewed by: Abita Brewing Company, Covington, Louisiana

Description (from the website): "Abita Andygator, a creature of the swamp, is a unique, high-gravity brew made with pilsner malt, German lager yeast, and German Perle hops. Unlike other high-gravity brews, Andygator is fermented to a dry finish with a slightly sweet flavor and subtle fruit aroma. Reaching an alcohol strength of 8% by volume, it is a Helles Doppelbock. You might find it goes well with fried foods. It pairs well with just about anything made with crawfish. Some like it with a robust sandwich. Andygator is also a good aperitif and easily pairs with Gorgonzola and creamy blue cheeses. Because of the high alcohol content, be cautious — sip it for the most enjoyment."

Would I buy it again?: I love a good doppelbock, and I'm happy to report that this is a very good one. It's nothing like any other doppelbock I've had before, which you can tell right away from the color. Doppelbocks are very dark and heavy beers, and while I can certainly down Troegenators quickly, they don't really lend themselves to the same sort of drinking that something like a pale ale does. But Andygator is golden and fairly transparent, and that translates to the taste as well. It is, strangely enough, a very drinkable doppelbock. You could absolutely relax with one on a summer evening. So not only would I buy it again, I'd recommend you try it too. It is that interesting.

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.