Heater Allen 'Winter Bock' Handcrafted Lager. 6.3% abv. 31 IBU. Dark ruby, nearly black. Thin collar of tan head. Moderate retention, no lace. Nose is hard to discern cold. As the temp rises to room, aromas of red berries and port emerge. Front taste of sweet malt, dark berry, earthy hop background, mild roasty cocoa back end. Aftertaste of milder dark fruit, mellow bittersweet malt, bright red grapes. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, somewhat thick, tangy on the end.

This is a great winter brew, one that flies below the normal flavor profile of bright spices and thick malt. It tastes subdued by design, its flavors reigned in yet still complex and varied. Delicate.

If you like big bold spice in your winter/xmas beers like ample spoonfuls of nutmeg or cloves, you may find this beer too mild. However, if you normally dislike fall/winter spice blends and but still wish to try seasonal offerings, you may be delighted. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"In past years we called our Bock Hugo after Jan's (Rick's wife) grandfather, Hugo Effenberger. This year we decided to change the name and label due to consumer confusion over the old label, which had a picture of Hugo on it. Our Bock is big and malty with just a slight hop presence. Rich caramel notes are balanced with nice roasted flavors on the back palate. We plan on releasing the Winter Bock in January of each year."

[source: heaterallen.com]

This collar of head was all we got, but it stuck around just long enough.

Our beer being served to us by the friendly barkeep. Note the nearly absent head.

My friend Steve and I split this beer at the wonderful bottle shop Beer To The People.

Heater Allen Brewing 'Mediator' Handcrafted Dopplebock. 7.4% abv. 36.5 IBU. Black in color. Thin tan head. Moderate retention and excellent lace. Nose of dark fruit, sweet malt, raisins. Front taste of fruity hops, plum, stone fruit. Aftertaste of bittersweet dark fruit. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, tangy, semi thick.

This is an excellent beer, an a superb example of its category. The Doppelbock (Heater Allen spells theirs "dopplebock") was one of my first favorite styles of beer decades ago, and still holds a place in my heart and palate today. Mediator is a solid example, with malty tastes loaded with dried fruit, bittersweet, and some complementing hop presence. It feels big, but could be bigger, which is a small nitpick for an otherwise excellent brew. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Mediator is what we call our Dopplebock. Dopplebock started out as a Lenten beer for the monks in Germany.  During Lent they would forgo solid food and get all their sustenance from beer. Needless to say it was big beer with lots of unfermented dextrins. Once the public got a taste it became very popular. We call our beer Mediator because we think that a 22 ounce bottle is probably better shared than drunk alone.  It's rich, toasty and malty, with a few plum notes on the palate and the slightest roasted character in the finish."
[source: heaterallen.com]