Maui Brewing 'Doppel Shot' Double Bock. 8.2% abv. 40 IBU. Amber-orange color. Finger of white foamy head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of bright coffee, herbal spice. Front taste of fresh light roast coffee, bitter herb, sweet malt. Aftertaste of ground coffee, bitter botanical resin, grassy grain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, clingy.

This is a very good coffee beer, one that stands out in its golden color and fresh herbal taste. The spice is bright to the point that it brings pepper beers to mind. There is a sweet mellow malt taste underneath the ever-present tall coffee and mild herb. I wouldn't classify this as a doppelbock, rather as a specialty beer that merges bock and coffee. It's a refreshing and satisfying beer, particularly if you love coffee brew. Well recommended.

From the company:

"Not your everyday Doppelbock! This unique Doppelbock was brewed to showcase the fresh roasted Yellow Caturra MauiGrown coffee from Ka’anapali, Maui. This beer is rich in pale malt character and brings slight sweetness to compliment the smooth character of the coffee. The darker color comes from the heavy coffee addition."

[source: mauibrewingco.com]

The glass was not "beer clean" as noted by the bubbles along the side. Fortunately, it didn't seem to hinder the abundant head and retention, a good sign of the craftsmanship of the beer.

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]

Full Sail Brewing '25' Pale Doppelbock Lager. 9% abv. 70 IBU. Hazy orange color. Half-finger of tan head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of malt, sweet citrus. Front taste of bittersweet malt, light fruit, round citrus. Aftertaste of sweet orange, mild bitter fruity hops, bitter earthy sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, small-bead carb, tangy back end.

This is a fine beer that crosses category lines. "Pale" and "Doppelbock" seem contradictory, but it works here, with flavors of sweet mellow citrus over a solid malt backbone. Wonderful. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Brewed to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, '25' is a complex, luxurious beer brewed with Vienna Malt and Saaz hops, extended lagering produces full bodied flavors of caramel and honey with a hoppy backbone of white pepper and lemon spice. A beer made for celebration, Full Sail 25 is an elegant Northwest Style Pale Doppelbock."

[source: fullsailbrewing.com]

"So here we are 25 years later. Very humbled, grateful, and amazed that we got here in one piece. Still a mix of beer geeks and boardheads. Still independent. Still trying to find that perfect balance between art and commerce, work and play, inspiration and perspiration. Thanks for supporting us for all these years. And next time you’re in Hood River, stop by for a beer."

[source: bottle]

Nestor Miranda 'Doppelbök' Robusto. 5x50. Superb construction with straight lines, smoothed veins and leaf ends. Dark chestnut color. Cut and lit perfectly. First half tastes of almond, cedar, scorched oak, notes of allspice. Second half tastes of walnut, roasted tobacco, bittersweet herbal on the exhale.

Ash is clean with some light gray striping. Easy drop at an inch. Burn was mostly even, with some correction needed shortly after flame. Once the minor correction was made, the burn was perfectly even to the end.

This is a great mild smoke with plenty of woodsy, nutty flavors mingling about. Roasty taste, background spice, and herbal notes make this a well-rounded, solid cigar. Well recommended.

From the company:

"The Nestor Miranda Collection is comprised of four great brands all manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua and one special edition cigar, the Grand Reserve."

[source: miamicigarandcompany.com]

"After a slew of highly rated releases, Nestor Miranda transitions to something a little easier on the wallet. But that’s the only difference – the flavor and construction are still on par with its counterparts. The Doppelbok is hand-crafted with a dark, leathery Habano wrapper that’s loaded with oils cloaking a unique blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers, making it a flavorful and interesting smoke throughout. Look for notes of nuts, cedar, and earth overlaying a rich tobacco core. This medium-bodied smoke is smooth, creamy, and mellow. Panelists were most impressed by its burn and draw. One characterized them as “amazing,” another said, “This cigar burned better than many cigars four to five times the price point.” So look for it to burn relatively straight, at an ideal rate and temperature and to require few touch-ups. As Goldilocks would say, the draw is just right, not too loose and not too tight. Enjoy this one with the Sunday paper and your favorite cup of java."

[source: cigarofthemonthclub.com]

Full Circle Brewing 'DD' Doppelbock. 8.4% abv. Amber-ruby color. Thin ivory head. Low retention, no lace. Nose of sweet malt, honey, faint cloves on the back end. Front taste of sweet malt, orange rind, bittersweet light fruit. Aftertaste of bitter citrus, brown sugar, light fruit. Medium body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, sticky, alcoholic.

This is a fine Doppelbock. The taste is malty-fruity with notes of citrus from nose to bottom. The body is balanced well, with the astringent flavor rising to the edge. I would like more head presence but that is nitpicking for a high gravity brew like this. Very good stuff. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"Our version of a doppelbock that is red in color with a sweet apricot front end and a smokey finish. big and hearty (he-he). Award winning, second place 'Sudz In The City' 2012."
[source: pub menu]

Low head retention and zero lace are the only flaws in this otherwise excellent doppelbock.

Ayinger 'Celebrator' Doppelbock. 6.7% abv. Black in color, with a finger of tan head that falls fast. Low retention. Low-moderate lace. Nose of dark fruit, dark roasted malt. Front taste of dark malt, roasted chocolate, raisin, plum wine. Aftertaste is dark chocolate, figs, prunes. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, rich, slightly thick.

This is an excellent beer, one of those old classics from a legendary master brewery. Though not as malty or hoppy as modern doubles, Celebrator serves as a yardstick that all Doppelbocks are measured against. It's rich and malty, with flavors of dark fruit throughout. I've had this beer many times, and it's always incredible. Other than today's head issues - which may be due to an old bottle - it is a perfect beer and always a reliable old favorite. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"A beer that has a dominant malty taste. This beer’s origins in a monk’s recipe are reflected in its heartiness. The Pope of Beers, Conrad Seidl, describes it as: “Almost black with a very slight red tone, a sensational, festive foam and truly extraordinary fragrance that at first summons up visions of greaves lard. The first taste is of mild fullness with an accompanying coffee tone, which becomes more dominant with the aftertaste. There is very little of the sweetness that is frequently to be tasted with doppelbock beer.” The Ayinger Celebrator has been ranked among the best beers of the world by the Chicago Testing Institute several times and has won numerous platinum medals."

[source: en.ayinger-bier.de]

"Rich, classic Bavarian specialty lager often consumed as a celebration beer. Originally brewed at a monastery in northern Italy, "double bock" was quickly introduced by Bavarian brewers to compete with bock. Doppelbock names end with the suffix "-ator." A rich, dark elixir with cascading layers of malt complexity balanced by elegant hops. Notes of toffee, caramel, elegant dark-malt roastiness, and pure malt. Pinpoint conditioning and semi-dry finish."

[source: merchantduvin.com]