3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
On tap at the brewpub. Poured a deep ruby-brown color with a thin off-white head that faded to a layer and left a little spotty lacing. Aroma of caramel, vanilla, oak, spice, and some lightly oxidized hops imparting a light fruitiness (orange and tangerine). Smooth, moderately sweet entry with some light caramel and a soft fruitiness including the same orange and tangerine that appear in the nose that are overtaken by a moderately spicy hoppiness paired with some oak that finishes moderately bitter with some sweet lingering vanilla. Low carbonation and moderate mouthfeel. Overall, it seems like more of an ASA or BW to me, and the oak seems to be a bit overdone, muddling the hop flavor. Still, I am glad to see them experimenting.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
Pours a copper color with white head. Aroma is the most pungent grapefruit hop aroma I have ever smelled. Flavor is caramel and a nice full citrus grapefruit finish.
3.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Served a 10 oz sample at the brewpub. Faint and unexciting nose of resiny hops, booze, malt. Flavors of sticky hops, toffee and caramel malts...faint wood, oak, and vanilla. Malt forward for sure as the hops are pretty mellow. This had an oily, sticky mouthfeel - velvety slick...this is really a big fat, but easy drinking barleywine. What it lacks in the nose, it makes up for in flavor and overall appeal. The oak doesn’t do too much else besides mellow the guy out. Pretty damn tasty if you feel like a bruiser.
2.8 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Dark golden. Another case of oak killing a beers aroma rather than improving it. Slight fruit, slight hops in the nose but not much to be spoken of overall. The flavor brings forth notes of cocunut, vanilla, big alcohol (bourbon), rich malts (caramel and toffee) and spicy hops, which bring notes of lemon. The only good thing about this beer was its silky and full malt presence, but the hops were a bit tame and the oak aging was a hindrance.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Thin head, golden color, lots of bubbles. Very light fruity aroma, typical of Coopersmith’s ales but this one is somewhat lacking. Very soft, velvety mouthfeel. Slightly sticky texture. Big fruity taste, but needs more hops to be a double IPA. Alcohol burn in finish with sweetness, needs to be masked more.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
The Doppel Jabi poured a ruby red with a thick and creamy tan head that had good retention and left some lacing.
The aroma was fruits (figs), malts, and oak with some alcohol notes.
The taste was pretty complex and reminiscent of the Black Powder barley wine. Lots of sweet malt up front with figs, cloves, caramel, and some smokey wood. I was kind of surprised by the subltety of the hops - I was expecting a much bigger hop presence from a Double IPA. The Doppel Jabi definitely warmed as it went down.
The mouthfeel was velvety and creamy...definitely full-bodied.
Overall, the Doppel Jabi was an excellent brew. I think I like the Black Powder a little better though. The alcohol was not very noticeable on the first glass, but definitely started coming out stronger on the second.
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