Old Hat Tominator Dopplebock

Draft taster, Rating #988! Pale ale color, again with a slight haze. Taste starts with a slightly puckery bitterness, then a little milk sugar, and then a slight brandy nose. Good alcohol burn, with some appreciated hop background. Pretty complex for the small sample I had!

On tap at Old Hat. Ruddy deep red-brown body topped by a clumping cream/tan head. Murky and unfiltered (a real rarity among doppelbocks). Flavor was nicely authentic, starting with deep, dense caramels and toast with hints of prune and other fruit, fairly rough in the edges, finishing with slight alcohol warmth. Sweet brown sugars became more notable as the beer warmed. Even though this isn’t the smoothest example of the style, all of the key components are here, and I rarely come across an American version of the style that is so complete. Good job.