Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel

 

Review Date 5/24/2017  By John Staradumsky

There’s always got to be a troublemaker, doesn’t there? Such is the case with Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel. The reason I say this is because, well, where’s the -ator? Traditionally, German doppelbocks end with that suffix. Beers like Salvator, Optimator, Celebrator, Maximator. Not all of them have this, but many of them do. Anyway, I had heard great things about Kloster Andechs Doppelbock (and I love doppelbocks), and rightly so. They can trace their lineage back to 1455, a long time indeed to be brewing beer.

Problem for me was, I could never find Kloster Andechs Doppelbock. In early 2016 I found Kloster Andechs Weissbier Hell in a Total Wine in South Carolina. No doppelbock was to be found, however, and that was the beer I really wanted. Then one fine day a few months later I walked into Sherlocks in Kennesaw, Georgia, and they had a few bottles on the shelves. I bought them all, and when they re-supplied a few months later, I bought some more.

From the bottle label:

Located just outside of Munich, Bavaria, this famous brewery, part of equally famous Benedictine Monastery, is located right at the feet of the Holy Mountain of Andechs. A destination for Pilgrims since the 15th century, it is known for its spectacular beers and hospitality.

Kloster Andechs is not considered a trappist brewery since most of the 85,000 barrels of beer it produces each year are not brewed by monks in the brewery walls, but under their supervision in the newly constructed facility described above. Andechs exports several beers to the United States

Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel has an alcohol content of 7.1% by volume and I paid $3.49 per half liter bottle at Sherlocks. American brewers, I think, tend to over-strength many styles, doppelbock amongst them. German bocks are often around 6%, about percent or so higher than the average lager, and doppels add another percent to that.

Kloster Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel pours to a deep mahogany color with a light creamy head that is short lived and a lovely toasty nutty nose. Taking a sip, the beer is all malty, lush nutty, fresh malty, toasty deep seated melanoidin malty goodness hinting at molasses. There’s a warm alcohol finish, beautiful long toasted malt notes, and a subtle balancing kiss of grassy hops.

This is just a perfect example of the style, and it ranks right up there in my estimation with the aforementioned classics of the style, Optimator, Salvator, Maximator, and Celebrator. You know, those pesky beers with -ator at the end.

TAnd remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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