Madtree Guten Bock Doppelbock Lager celebrates Cincinnati’s German brewing heritage.
Madtree Guten Bock Doppelbock Lager
By Bill Lau | Potable Pastime
Doppelbock lager, 7.4% ABV, 21 IBUs, specialty malts: Munich, Vienna, caramel, chocolate rye and carapils
Madtree Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH
Today’s celebration of the doppelbock style hails from one of my favorite local Cincinnati craft brewers, Madtree. They brew a lot of ales, but also delve into some specific lager styles from time to time (and season to season).
One of the tings I enjoy about the doppelbock style is the range of beers that fall within it. While most are a bit on the darker side, they still cover a spectrum from brown and amber all the way to black. Of course, the character of these beers vary as well.
One thing I note about them? While they deliver a healthy dose of malty flavors, they don’t tend to be especially sweet. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s definitely a good thing!
Check out these reviews of similar beers:
“An untraditional Oktoberfest bier”; 5.4% ABV, 20 IBU
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock is a multiple award-winning lager from Bavaria in Germany.
Paulaner Salvator Double Bock is the originator of the style over 375 years ago.
Madtree Guten Bock Doppelbock Lager
Impressions:
Pours out a clear, deep amber like the color of good maple syrup. I got a decent head of pale beige foam initially, but sadly this didn’t last long.
That’s one of my criticisms of many craft beers – they don’t get the long-lasting, luxurious head like many of the old-world brewers do. Say on a good German lager or wheat beer or any number of Belgian and Trappist ales.
That said, there’s a lovely aroma of toasty, nutty malt with some deeply caramelized notes. So points there.
Medium body, fairly smooth with moderately light carbonation. Not quite as much substance as I was expecting.
There’s certainly some tasty malt flavor in this doppel, though. That signature character of Munich malt – toasty, caramelization verging on molasses, and a nuttiness to boot. This is all accompanied by a genty bittersweet edge, leading into a tangy finish.
The malt persists for some time with the toasted, nutty notes hanging on as well. Overall a pretty decent doppel.
This one would pare well with a Reuben sandwich with beer-battered onion rings.
Disclosure: The author has received no reimbursement or compensation for this article. All opinions and remarks are those of the author alone.
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