Church Brew Non-Denominator Doppel Bock

Brewed by Church Brew Works
Style: Doppelbock
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

Hand bottled by Jeff (aka TAR), thanks buddy! The brew has a deep brown hue with a creamy tan head, very good lace, and an oily film. The aroma has notes of roasted dark malts, caramel, licorice, prune, plum, light walnut, aromatic hops, and earthy yeast esters. The taste starts with a crisp and sharp bitterness. This is quickly followed by a roasty and chocolate malt tone which lingers forever. There is a fruity (prune mostly) , hint of coffee, and mild hop bitterness on the finish. Wonderfully complex flavors. The feel is medium to full-bodied with a oily and sticky nature. Crisp and mildly biting on the finish (mostly from the alcohol). A classy brew from a unique brewery. I like it and would say it is a must find.

Dates, caramelized nuts and molasses. Buttery, raisin flavor >> not diacetyl. Rich rotten walnut color. Soft, malty maple syrup finish.

Draft: Blackened plum. Thick, dense, creamy, light tan head. Leathery malts, black cherries, shoe polish, and black licorice in the aroma. Subtle iron with more bready lushness, caramelized sugar, and roast underneath. Soft, creamy carbonation. Thick, full mouthfeel. Rich bready malts strike first alongside chocolate, spicy licorice and a late, but tasty surge of coffee and roasted hazelnuts. Somewhat Imperial Stoutish with its underlying tar richness. Clean alcohol deepens the flavors and reduces some of the sweetness, but the body remains oh so thick. Lurking interplay between chocolate-covered dried plums and toasted malts. Slight tannins penetrate the richness and tingle the palate. Retains its malt girth on into the finish with a thick, sensuous melted raisin texture and notes of dark chocolate, mineral, and medium roast. Delectably intense and gutsy, Doppelbock, which, amazingly, never becomes cloying.

Very dark brown with a nice khaki head. Sweet scuppernong grape fruitiness is almost like a normal doppelbock aroma, but still odd. The alcohol shows itself.

Great dark brown, diminishing head. Most opague of any domestic doppel I’ve seen. Aroma of raisin, toffee, and red grape. Thick, full mouthfeel with loads of malt, some roastiess yet still very sweet in a caramelized fruit sort of way. Vanilla overtones. Sticky caramel/black licorice finish. Very unusual and complex for a domestic doppel. Despite the licorice overtones I really enjoyed it. Too bad it was last call and I couldn’t finish the glass without chugging it.

Deep black color with a creamy head on it. A little sweet and a little malty. It cleared the palate surprisingly quickly considering its alcohol content.

POurs with a dark brown to black body topped by a medium thick head with good lace. Slightly sweet and slighlty smokey malt aroma with fruity notes. Not as strong a nose as expected for a dopplebock. Slightly sweet malt flavor with some fruity and licorice notes and a very slight smokiness. Medium to full bodied with a slight tingle.

Dark dark dark. Sharp and prickly up front. Lots of roast and licorice accompanied by slight dark fruits. The sharp roastyness made it seem more than 25 IBU's.