Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

I first tried Celebrator with Beershine a few months back, and the little white goat trinket still cheers me when I see it hanging above my sink. So when my sister was in labor early this morning, I thought of popping a Celebrator, only to realize that I did not have one. So tonight Beershine texts to say she’s going to open one in honor of my sister’s 24-hour natural childbirth and the new baby, Nathaniel Ezra Cote, whose father-in-law Pierrre, is a beerlover himself. I had to come over and pop open one (see picture) on my nephew’s real first birthday. And it was as tasty and festive as I had remembered!

Pours a dark ruby color that is quite nice to look at with a good tan head that reduces to a nuce layer of small bubbles. Smell is caramel, and malt. Taste is very malty with a good breadiness that lingers nicely. I might even be detecting some chocolate caramel notes that are really interesting.

I knew this was going to be something special when the bottle came to the table. It’s aroma is powerful, malts, alchohol, and perhaps some rye. It’s appearance is great w/ a dark brown body, with reddish carbonated head. It’s flavor is masterful, w/ liquour, malt, perhaps chocolate, and coffee. It’s smooth. It’s a bit filling, but not to stuffing. It’s a great brew. Deserving of it’s place.

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock ABV: 6.7% RateBeer rating: 100 Calories: estimated at 150C Volume: 11.2 fl oz Glass: stem glass Purchased at: Circle Liquors Super Saver, Pennington, NJ Price: $3.00 Consumed at: home First Impression: A nice ruby drinkable beer. Aroma smells just like a nice lager, but taste is much different. Lots of grain and herbs in the aroma. Visuals are all about the ruby -- deep dark ruby body with explosively carbonated head to start, but dies down very quickly. Tastes much like a brown ale, but has nice raisin, licorice, and nut signatures. Palate is dark, and activates the entire mouth. Subtle and layered. Second Impression: This reminds very much of what a great grain inspired beer might achieve. I’m not that familiar with the style, and so I can’t speak unto its accuracy, but it is a very nicely done beer. Personally, I prefer a stronger style than this, like an imperial stout, double IPA, or a barleywine style ale, but as it is, it’s very good. Aroma: 8 out of 10 Visuals: 5 out of 5 Taste: 8 out of 10 Palate: 4 out of 5 Overall: 17 out of 20

Pours dark mahogany with a foamy tan head that will do the deed to the bottom, leaving lovely lace in the glass. A knockout of an aroma: candied figs and prunes, toffee, pumpernickel bread, white grapes and earth. First sip gave flavor of dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Everything after that was all over the place! Dark belgian chocolate, Antiguan coffee, caramel, molasses and butterscotch ala Werther’s original. This is the crazy part: my grandma has always had these little strawberry hard candies at Christmas that have strawberry goo in the center. They are wrapped in a cellophane and foil wrapper that looks like a strawberry on the outside. If you were to cook these candies in a pot on the stove and ever so slightly burn the syrup, the resulting flavor and aroma would be what I picked up in this beer. Whew! Every time I take a drink I enjoy the FINISH more than the initial flavors. This finish is second in length only to, from what I have experienced, the North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, but the first place trophy overall goes to the Celebrator. The finish is long and dirty with loads of flavor and not too chalky or bitter like one would expect. The next time I am in good company after a large meal i.e. Thanksgiving, I will make sure I have enough Celebrator on hand for everyone to raise a glass.