Paulaner Salvator

Brewed by Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber)
Style: Doppelbock
Munich, Germany

Serve in Dimpled mug, Stein, Stem glass

Another one from my Montana beer run. Pours light orange with yellow highlights. The aroma is malty with roasted malt, honey, and spicy hops. The flavor has caramel, violets, spice, and chocolate malt. Would drink again in a heartbeat.

There are certain types of beers that only the most discriminating of connoisseurs geek out over and German-style “doppelbock” is one of them. Having only had one beer of this type which was American (and past its expiration date) I never understood the appeal, so I decided to try the “original” beer of the style – Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock. Now that I drink it I can definitely understand what all the hubbub is about, but I’m not going to join in on it.

POUR, COLOR AND AROMA

This beer pours smoothly to form a clear body that is dark amber/ruby red. There is very little carbonation noticeable. It also does not form much of a head, either. About a 1-finger, almost yellow, fizzy head which dissolves quickly and doesn’t leave much lacing on the glass. The aroma is slightly skunky, but I’ve smelled much worse. A strong malty presence can be detected from the nose alone.

TASTE

I didn’t know what to expect out of Paulaner Salvator since my last experience with a beer of this type was unpleasant – what would the “real deal” be like? Fortunately, it was surprisingly sweet with caramel, toffee and butterscotch being the most prominent flavors.

However, as richly-flavored as this beer is, I would describe the overall taste as quite mild. The flavors are a little subdued because of the strong alcohol content.

FINISH

I had no trouble at all finishing this beer, but I did notice a warming effect as the beer went down. There’s also a distinct dryness to the palate and the beer leaves a strong dry aftertaste, similar to a dry red wine. Easy to swallow, but not necessarily enjoyable.

BODY

At 7.9% ABV, Paulaner Salvator is a very heavy beer. At times I thought I could detect the alcohol in the taste, but other times I found it was rather sweet and delectable. It didn’t seem to overwhelm me, but for a beer that is much more malty than it is bitter, I’m not sure I understand the reason behind the high potency.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was hoping Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock would be the beer of this niche type to win me over, and although I found it to be a good beer, I know I’m not going to become a doppelbock geek anytime soon. Regardless, it’s a tasty beer that’s fairly easy to drink, but is much more likely appreciated by those who have acquired the taste for it.

NOTE: watch the video version of this review at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVinnWFmNZc

Finally! Bottle from KaDeWe, Berlin. Thick, lightly tanned head, slowly fading to a thin layer of foam. Lively, amber-shaded, red body, with good clarity. Smells nice; Fresh bakery, barley grains and nuts, and a whiff of honey. Surprisingly light-bodied. Medium strong, sweetish malt foundation, light peppery/herbal, with a caramel note, and suggestions of dried dark fruits. Evident bitterness, earthy, only for balancing. Soft and easy on the palate, healthy body. As good as I expected. I like!

Very good german beer, which is quite rare to be noticed. Ruby clour and mellow attack. Predominance of caramel, thick creamy. Could have been proposed in a smaller format because it is a bit sickening in the end. As many german beers a bit shallowness, but despite this lack of subtlety, efficient and tasty beer. Good compromise between "thirst beer" and "Tasty Beer"

Hazy amber-brown in the glass. Fruity, malty aromas. Predominantly malt flavors on the palate with some dried fruit notes.

(12oz bottle) Clear medium brown, taste and nose of dark dried fruits and cream. Smells phenomenal, wish it tasted just like it smelled. Still a good solid German Doppelbock.

0.5 l-es palack. Színe vörösesbarna/mahagóni, tetején egy szépen telt vanília színű habkoronával, mely viszonylag hosszú ideig - és egy vékony fátyolt maga után hagyva - megmarad, szénsavassága élénk. Illata karamellás, melaszos, alkoholos. Enyhe csípősséggel indul, utána válik érezhetővé édes, cukorkát idéző, gyümölcsös, karamellás íze., mely selymesen terül szét a szájban. Aromája karamell malátás, füves, a befejezése fűszeres, alkoholosan melengető és száraz. Teste azt nyújtja, amit egy duplabak-tól elvár az ember, textúrája enyhén ragacsos. Ez bizony finom volt!

Beer poors a dark foggy amber with a slight white head. Aroma is of raisin, fig, and alchol. No hop aroma. Aroma translates in to the flavor presenting the palate with dryed fruits, and a sligth sweetness. Roasty notes are present on pour and bitterness balances the beer but not in hop aroma or flavor. Malts are the star of this beer. Palate is dry with and alchol presence is apparent in the mouthfeel. Overall, this dopplebock is very nice.