Spaten Optimator

Brewed by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu (InBev)
Style: Doppelbock
Munich, Germany

Dark brown/black color; Medium slightly creamy body; Aroma of malt & subtle spice; Flavor of roasted malt, caramel, and coffee; Slight alcohol at the finish; Though the aroma was lacking, the flavor was good. This is a respectable macro doublebock.

I am not a fan of Spaten; most of their beers are mediocre and I am standing by my opinion as such. The only beer of theirs I have supped so far that was respectable was their Premium Lager. Up to bat today is their Optimator, a German Doppelbock which I hope will also be respectable seeing as I enjoy doppelbocks in general.

He poured a deep dark mix of burgundies, browns, and mahogany while a thin khaki head quickly retreats into oblivion; a thin collar is all that remains. Lifting the glass to my nose, a thick and syrupy assault of molasses and maple syrup weighs upon my senses. This isn’t the finest of the finest; this is the artificially saturated syrup which comes in gallon jugs at a sleek price to appease all the non-discerning general public. Floating in that tub of sickenly thick and artificially sweet maple and molasses are raisins, prunes, cinnamon sticks, and sliced apples. At the back of his nose is a painful hit of alcohol heat. Already I feel my rather limited respect for Spaten in general and their Optimator specifically quickly spiraling into the usual pit of disappointment. My first quaff is sweet and surprisingly a touch dry, a fact his nose certainly didn’t reveal. Dry cinnamon powder and brown sugar ground super-fine are most evident atop my tongue while his body is thick and heavy with artificially sweetened molasses and maple syrup. The further I quaff, a growing sense of staleness works its fingers into his palate much like a poison slowly spreading through the body of its victim. Stale breads such as rye and pumpernickel unfortunately linger in the background, growing ever more apparent as the maple and molasses also starts to go sour. It could also be that the sweetness is just so overwhelming, so heavy, so thick, and so dominating that I can only handle so much before my body starts to reject what I am apparently trying to torture it with. I’ve tasted enough and I would rather the Spaten Optimator not come back later to haunt me. There are no fond farewells here, just an immediate exit strategy expertly executed.

What can I say but yet another disappointment from a brewery which I have very low expectations for anyway. If you come across any Spaten other than the lager, avoid it like the plague. No more need be said. (i would like to add an add that Spaten comes in green bottles so there is always that question of freshness...)

Poured a dark brown with a small white brown head. Aroma is all roasted malts. Big caramel malt flavors up front, a touch of chocolate and with a slight hop bitterness on the finish. Medium bodied and fairly drinkable ( don’t notice much of the 7.2%). Overall a pretty decent dobbelbock.

Bought because of the rave reviews it gets on RateBeer - Not a big fan of German beers in green bottles. Regardless, reddish amber color, small beige head, aroma of malt (a little too sweet for my liking) and needs more hops. Probably won’t buy again.

(gr-btl brz-lbl, 6 pack, 8¢/oz)

§lct-mhgy, med-body, med-co2.

dark-malt red-grape-juice earthy aroma.

T1 dark-malts minerality.
T2 dark-roasted-malt §earthy-hop.
T3 §coke §sambuca §earthy-hop iron/mnrls/tannins.
fairly drinkable and simple but too minerally/tannin.

Pours deep amber brown with fading tan head. Deep malty aroma with spice and alcohol. Flavor is toasted/roasted malt, baked bread, and light spice. Alcohol warmth. Crisp with medium to full body and slightly bitter aftertaste.

Bottle - What a classic. Pours deep brown with a tinge of red and a small cream head. Smells of sweet caramel malt with a bit of sourness and nuttiness. There’s just a bit of hops below the surface for balance. You’ve got to let it warm up a bit, but the taste is smooth and sweet, with a caramel burst of maltiness that transitions into some nice balancing hops. That bitterness stops it from being cloying or too syrupy. It’s just easy to drink which still keepign that sweetness. Feels great in the mouth -- smooth, thick, and a bit syrupy. It’s easy to forget how good this is.

i love this beer. its an amazing yet easy drinking and tasty beer, especially with its alcohol content. Dark in color, thick off white head. The flavor lasts too. It has tons of malt, toffee, a touch of chocolate and a good alcy kick. not too much carbonation. finishes slow.