Castle Eggenberg Doppelbock Dunkel

B / 3.7
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 8.50%
Purchased: ~$2.50 at Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg, VA

Into a flute glass pours a dark yet mostly translucent mahogany ale with a beige head that shows promise before hanging around the edges and finally fading. Carbonation is ample, and head reappears with a swirl.

Aroma is stale when cold, then produces fig with some caramel notes with warmth. Faint herbal, even minty hops.

As with aroma, warmth induces the best flavors from this beer. Highlights are the dark fruit esters of figs and dates, slight butteriness, and a sugary caramel that comes to the forefront towards the end of the bottle.

Mouthfeel is excellent, a bite from the carbonation but otherwise balanced; full-bodied but not heavy.

Alcohol not pronounced at all despite the 8.5%. Highly drinkable, but might start sitting heavy if sessioned. Worth a try if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-07-2008 03:31:09