Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock - Christian Moerlein Brewing Company

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.43/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

"Emancipation from the bondage of the soil is no freedom for the tree."

--Rabindranath Tagore

Dark nut brown was expected and dark pumpkin orange was delivered. The head barely reached one finger after a standard pour, which might mean less than ideal carbonation. Beer is seen from a bird's eye view in several minutes and no lace makes it to the glass.

The aroma is underpowered to say the least. To say the most, it's earthy and minimally medium-dark malty. It will take a major comeback for this CMBC brew to impress on the palate. Note: increased intensity with warming allows the score to be bumped.

Emancipator Doppelbock starts off behind the eightball because of its relatively low ABV for the style. That usually means a shortage of malt in what should be a malt-dominant style... and such is the case here. The flavor is okay, it just doesn't have much power.

Flavors include heartily toasted brown bread, carob, earthy tobacco leaves, bitter tea leaves and a small splash of cold coffee. Much more bitterness than is usual for the style probably has more to do with a lack of malt sugars than an abundance of hops. All that said, this really isn't bad beer in the end.

The mouthfeel is much too thin for the style. Taking ABV into account, however, it does deserve an average score. The bubbles are lightly fizzy on the tongue in the top half of the bottle, and are better buried in the bottom half.

Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock has nothing to do with trees or with Abraham Lincoln. It was brewed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. Although it's from great beer, that's something we can all raise a glass to.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 11:25:59 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

another nice extra that i recieved lately. i really always appreciate these new beers. poured into a pint glass and enjoyed by myself tonight.

Poured a deep dark russet brown with a small, maybe an inch or so of off white head grazing over the top of it. There was significant side glass lace throughout the session and the overall look of it was quite thick. The aroma was of slight smoked variety. A little bit of roasted malt with a touch of caramel to sweeten in up. The taste was remarkably smooth and delicious. Great full body on this one, definitely not thin. Nice and mellow smoky flavor with a huge earthy and bread like back. A nice caramel sugar sweet finish brought it all together. No taste of alcohol at all and overall it was a very easy drinker. I could have easily had another. The carbonation stayed very nice throughout the session

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 05:12:37 | More by mikesgroove

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This has been one of my favorite styles of beer for a very long time. And I'm proud to say that this semi-local beer fits the style nicely. The beer opens with a heavy ruby / chesnut hue and creamy head formation that laced well and retained until the end. Aromas are light but take on big bready, meaty, malty scents with hints of berries and dehydrated fruits. Flavors of strong, intense malts make the beer powerful and lightly chewy. The bready, toasty notes give a lot of character while stablizing the base. Dates, figs, berries, nuts,candied cherries, plumbs, and grapes round out some of the esters and character from the yeast. The body never waivers, but ligthens in the end to make the beer very drinkable and diverse. Graininess and astringency is low, alcohols are moderate... folks this is a nice beer.

Notes from '08 NHC.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2008 18:09:44 | More by BEERchitect

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A vigorous pour summons forth a three-finger thick, lightly browned, tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass. The beer is a very dark, concentrated amber / brown color that shows clear, deep red color when held up to the light. The aroma is suitably malt focused, but definitely hits some interesting notes that I haven't noticed in a Doppelbock before; almost rum-like raisin notes (without the alcohol heat), deeply caramelized toffee notes, slightly salty concentrated malt notes that are definitely rich in Maillard character and Umami like richness (some might describe this as soy, but this hasn't gotten to this point yet) as well as some light toasted malt notes in the finish.

Somewhat sweet tasting, though it is not nearly as lush or rich in mouthfeel as I was expecting (based on the aroma). Still this is rich tasting with lots of deeply caramelized, concentrated malt flavors that take on a prune / dried fig like character towards the finish. Appropriately lightly bittered in the finish with just a touch of herbal hop character up front. A touch of cocoa is noticeable in the flavor at times, but it is usually hidden by the sweeter, concentrated malt flavors. Almost has a smoky, peat like character to it; it definitely tastes a bit like the sea, in the same way a good Scotch Whisky can. Other flavors of dried currants, toffee and a light nuttiness. As it warms up a bit the beer becomes a bit more lush in mouthfeel and is actually just about spot on with a palate coating heft and viscousness that makes this a sipping brew.

Interesting and certainly a good example of a Doppelbock. This is actually better than I expected and once it starts to warm up a bit, from its initial serving temperature of 50°F / 10°C, the body starts to get a bit more rich and has a fullness which helps carry the rich malt flavors.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2008 03:19:01 | More by Gueuzedude

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cheers to pwoods for this one, Cheers Patrick!

Pours auburn with a finger of tan head. Average head retention

S: Faint breadyness & fruittyness up front, a touch of booze once warm

T: Breadyness, dryness & a touch of rye?? up front. A touch of fruittyness (pear & apricot), more dryness & a bit of molasses as this warms. Finishes fruitty with some herbal & leafy hops, breadyness fades at the end, but nice crispness (not totally in style )

MF: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, great balance, finished a touch wet

Drinks easy for the style & ABV, not as much guts as I hoped, but still a darn good effort from a brewery I haven't had in a while...Would buy again & tell my self I'm drinking a Bock....

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 03:24:56 | More by russpowell

Gavage

New Jersey

3.64/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: pours a dark brown color with some softer brown highlights along the edge of the glass. A short wispy head fades quickly.

Smell: malt sweetness and some bread tones come through to the nose.

Taste: decent grainy malt base with some darker fruit sweetness, bread, a bit of chocolate, and a mild bitterness. Alcohol is barely noticeable here.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied and a bit thinner than other doppelbocks. Lightly crisp throughout. Long lasting aftertaste as the flavors softly linger on the tongue.

Overall: a decent doppelbock that is malt centric and easy to consume.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 23:44:11 | More by Gavage

Dogbrick

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Party Source. Not sure if this is similar to the original Christian Moerlein Doppelbock as I never tried that one. This beer pours a mostly clear dark mahogany color with a medium and frothy beige head that diminishes slowly. Patches of lacing on the glass. Toasted malt, caramel and hops in the nose. Medium-bodied and smooth with sweet malt, caramel and hops flavors along with a touch of chocolate. The finish is moderately sweet with notes of burnt malt and hops lingering. Pretty enjoyable from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2008 15:12:19 | More by Dogbrick

largadeer

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: A dark but perfectly clear auburn color. A bit of tan foam forms, but doesn't last too long.

Smell: Dates and caramel-covered fruit, a little bit of milk chocolate and bread pudding. Pretty nice.

Taste & mouthfeel: Sweet and fruity initially, a bit of rye bread and toffee beneath that along with the slightest alcohol warmth. Medium-light in body, amply carbonated. Pretty hard to fault this stuff - it's full-flavored but not too rich or heavy and has a very clean finish.

Notes: An extra from moose3285 - thanks Mike! Very enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2008 23:34:25 | More by largadeer

ZAP

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Auburn colored...good but not great clarity..

S-Bready....some caramel....grapes....plums...black cherries...smells good...

T-A little thinner on the flavor than some but as it warms it gets better...bready with a good dose of the plums/black cherries...a little caramel sweetness too..

M-A little light in the shorts..could probably fit as a regular bock...firm carbonation...not as big as some of my favorites..

D-This is a nice, unassuming drinker with some redeeming qualities. Doesn't compare to the top doppels. My suggestion would be to label this just a "bock". It's a decent beer but just not really a doppel in my eyes...

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 04:12:13 | More by ZAP

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this in a trade with zapata. Thanks Ben!

It pours a fairly dark brown with lots of reddish highlights. A small head of foam after the pour and it was mostly gone shortly after. There is a bit of lacing.

The smell has a nice sweet malt-roasted malt nose with some fruitiness on the side and some chocolate more up front. Good nose.

The taste is a tad less sweet than the nose suggested but dang, it's tasty. There's toasted malt with some chocolate sweetness, some toffee, some chocolate bitterness, just a touch of caramel, in a niced medium bodied liquid that finishes slightly bready, lightly bitter. A very nice flavour complexity here and prety darned drinkable for the style.

Well, so far, I've been pretty impressed with what Christian Moerlein is brewing and I'm kind of surprised that there aren't more reviews for their beers. People, you're missing out on some good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2008 22:18:26 | More by Bitterbill

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. Served in a pilsner glass, the beer pours an amber/ruby red color with an inch off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both decent. It smells like toasted malt, caramel, and some bready malt. Aroma is nice, but seems a bit weak to me. Luckily the flavor is stronger than the aroma is. It tastes like bready malt and caramel, along with some toffee and prunes/figs. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and has good carbonation. Drinkability is OK, it could be better. Overall I think it's a decent enough brew, however if I was in the mood for a dopplebock this wouldn't be close to being my first choice. With that being said, it's not a bad brew at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 22:59:29 | More by bluejacket74

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - pours a dark caramel color with some red tint to it. A good finger of creamy head throws a few nice swaths of lace around the glass.

Aroma - an essence of baked bread out of the bottle. Thick aroma of malt with a light toast to it. Fades out after setup but retains some of the nice aroma.

Taste - big and malty as it should be. Nice roasted element there with a hint of roasted coffee on the swallow and continuing into the aftertaste. A quick flash of hops follows, briefly providing a moment of parity. Finishes with a tingling of alcohol and a reprise of the breadiness that makes the style what it is. Smooth alcohol and some mellow flavors of dark chocolate come out with warming and create a rather long finish. Quite a nice array of flavors.

Mouthfeel - appropriately heavy, low to mid carbonation level.

Drinkability - very tasty. I really am impressed with what CM has put out in the past 12 months, this is a finely crafted brew. I need a blind head-to-head against some of the better rated DB's to see how it fares against its peers.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2008 04:20:35 | More by brewdlyhooked13

srandycarter

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pretty amber/garnet. Ring only for head, some lace.

S - Very light toasted malt, eartly.

T - Toffee, caramel, light toasted malt, light hop bittering.

M - Creamy, good balance and carb. Ends on the sweet side.

D - Kind of simple... would get boring.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 07:51:31 | More by srandycarter

wagenvolks

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from Marchi's Carry-out in Gallipolis, OH.

Pours into the pint glass with a translucent, rustic amber body. A fleeting cap of tan foam quickly recedes, but is retained as a ring of bubbles thanks to a lively carbonation level. The nose has a soft, muted nuttiness with sweet toffee malts. A light balance of floral German hops becomes apparent, as do some ripe fig, plum, and red grape notes.

The flavor brings caramel & toffee with some bread dough and cracker maltiness. A healthy dose of bittering hops balances the sweetness well. Mouthfeel is crisp, yet creamy with a vigorous carbonation level that thankfully doesn't wear at the palate. All in all, Emancipator is a solid American-brewed doppel. Goes down easily, packs just the right amount of flavor, and I'm headed back to the fridge for another one right now.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 00:18:50 | More by wagenvolks

armock

New York

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle received as a gift from someone

A - Poured a mahogany color with a tan head that leaves lacing behind

S - Has a sweet caramel malt and dark fruit nose

T - Follows the nose with with sweet caramel malt with some dark fruit in the background

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

O - I enjoyed this beer overall its well made and easy to drink with a good flavor profile worth getting sometime to try

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 21:04:06 | More by armock

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle. Pours a clear chestnut color. Fizzy, off-white head disappears rather quickly.

Toffee and caramel in the aroma. Slightly earthy hop finish in the nose. A bit of toasty malt in the nose as well.

A bit of a roasty flavor, with some caramel thrown in. A bit bready, with some soft fruit notes near the end. A bit sweet. Finishes slightly earthy, but still remains pretty clean.

Almost medium body, with ample carbonation. Alcohol well hidden. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2008 10:34:04 | More by Bierguy5

Brenden

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is lighter than the big boys, clear and just into a good amber/red ale territory. The head fails to do much of anything, even when I pour harder upon seeing that nothing's forming. It manages about average appearance in size, retention and lacing left behind.
A strong malt offers breads, caramel and dark fruits with a twang of hops and an underlying barley-like grains note. There's not much missing in the aroma.
The flavor brings forward the malt backbone and subsequent caramel, bread and dark fruits while a note of tobacco also pulls through. Sweetness is moderate and pleasant, creamier than it is fruity as though supported just as much by the caramel note as the fruits and supported by a chocolate note that's not dark or bittersweet, but very much a mild chocolate (but not too sugary) sweetness. While malt-forward, hops offer very little here and even the malts miss the mark of the better examples of the style.
The mouthfeel is where the big doppelbocks really dominate this one. I like it because it's rich, downright lush, filling the mouth with creamy smoothness, but it's a notch below doppelbock thickness or body. For an amber, brown, IPA, etc., this is a great mouthfeel; but it seems lacking for a doppelbock.
no doubt, this is a tasty beer. It's shy of the greats, but certainly one to try.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 20:49:43 | More by Brenden

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.08/5  rDev -45.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Re-review:

Poured into a snifter on 2/17/12

Medium brown settles up as almost murky with rust and copper highlights. A thin layer of bubbles moves to thin ring retention. No lace.

The aroma is bready with tangy grain and a toasted notion. Syrupy ghost note. Perhaps some dark fruit overtones. Dusty yeast and some near burnt sugars as it warms.

Flavor-wise, this leans much further into fruit territory, dark and tangy. Moderate bread middle leads to a curt, dry finish. Eh, I want to say it's borderline tart. Room temperature finds more bread.

The feel is a thin, timid light-medium sort of thing. Carbonation is fizzy but stops short of over-agitating.

Overall, this is underwhelming. While there are some ok aspects, it is too tangy and fruity. It wants for most of what I seek in a dopplebock.

~~

Original review:

Poured into a pint glass on 8/26/10

The color is a blend of deep caramel & copper with a rusty bent. Poured over a finger of light brown foam. Said foam dissipates quickly to a skim. Minimal retention with no lacing. (3.0)

A solid malt base is intertwined with vibrant floral notes & hints of grassiness. Caramel, toasted bread & a spot of brown sugar are notable. The aroma also has a grainy edge. Intermittent medicinal wisps. (3.5)

A plethora of toasted sugars greet the tongue - caramel, brown sugar & toffee. Faint hints of raisins. Not particularly sweet, nor bitter; it's well-balanced in that respect. Subtle earth tones. The medicinal notion remains, though it isn't persistent. (4.0)

With a gritty, grainy feel & a general robustness, Emancipator is fairly full bodied. Carbonation is very low & makes for a languid beer which I enjoy, as I'm fond of a notable grittiness. Finishes with toasted sugar residuals lingering for a few moments. (4.5)

All told, Emancipator isn't bad; I actually find it fairly enjoyable. It just seems rough around the edges. I don't know the abv, but there isn't any alcohol heat. (4.0)

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 19:23:13 | More by Ryan011235

CHickman

New York

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Came with the Beer of the Month Club.

Pours reddish chestnut brown with a creamy beige head that fades quickly; basically no lacing.

Smells of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark fruits, raisin, bread/grains and caramel.

Tastes of sweet malt, rum, raisins, caramel, fruit like a date or fig, toffee, light roasted malt, very mild spices, a slight hint of citrus hops and some burnt sugar. Overall taste is dark and sweet like syrup, which lends to the style well. The aftertaste is a combo of sweet malt, caramel and toast that finishes on the dry side.

Mouthfeel is crisp with a little chewy-ness to it, and the body is medium to heavy with very light carbonation. This was easy drinking for a bock or dopplebock, and the alcohol was hidden very well.

IMO, Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock sets the standard, but this was a very good US version that did the job well and is quite enjoyable. Easy to drink, I recommend trying this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 03:45:40 | More by CHickman

jasonjlewis

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a 1/2 finger head with subpar retention but a nice full brown color. No freshness date.

Smell is of caramel malts and a tiny bit of apple.

The taste is somewhat oxidized. THere is a nice dark malt and caramel malt sweetness. The dark malts provide a sort of bitter chocolate flavor on the finish that mix with the hop bitterness to provide a balance to the sweetness. There is a little bit of astringency here from the alcohol. I like my bocks to be smooth. I think malt bombs should be smoother and more rounded than this.

The mouthfeel is too astringent for me. I like smoothness to my bocks as I think this provides for a better appreciation of the sweetness of the malts.

This is not bad, but I wonder about the freshness of the sample.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2008 01:13:50 | More by jasonjlewis

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a translucent brown in color that has ruby highlights around the edges. A head forms on the pour, but quickly is gone. Smell is all malt and toffee. Taste is much the same, but I'm getting a nutty, almond like flavor that I'm liking. Good, solid offering from CM. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2008 01:18:56 | More by FtownThrowDown

bonkers

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I got this as part of a BOTMC. I poured a 12 ounce bottle into my SA perfect pint glass. It pours a clear amber with a 2 finger white head, no lacing. The aroma is very sweet, molases, dark fruit, figs. The flavor is not as sweet as the aroma, but has the same notes. It finishes with a lingering sweetness. IMO it is thin for the style. A solid beer, yes there are better doppelbocks, but this is very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 22:22:46 | More by bonkers

bamadog

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Very much a ruby colored beer and it's a little coppery as well; even after a fairly hard pour there is really no head to speak of (nothing beyond 1/2 finger anyway); there is a faint skim that's attempting to survive on the top, but it doesn't look like it's going to last; body appears pretty clear and there is moderate carbonation bubbling up from the base; a slightly oily residue holds the lacing briefly, but it slides back down into the glass.

Smell: A firm malty smell that is a little sweet - a little figgy and a little caramel; a fair presence of alcohol is in the nose as well.

Taste: A very nice flavor that is actually pretty solid in the mouth. It's a little caramel-esque and a little bready; there is also a faint bitterness lurking in there from the hop presence but it is largely a very sweet and subtle beer. Not much of an aftertaste lingering at all.

Mouthfeel: The body is a little chewy; the carbonation leaves the mouth feeling pretty tingley and it also does it in the back of the throat; leaves the palate moist and my mouth is actually watering a little bit as I consider another big gulp of this beer. A pretty clean finish overall and just a wee-bit sticky on the roof. Very nice.

Drinkability: High. This is really a solid beer that doesn't overwhelm, just does the trick. A very manageable ABV and a very refereshing beer to enjoy after a very long day of work while watching a Reds game. I wish I would have bought more of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 00:27:08 | More by bamadog

pwoods

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

64oz. growler filled up at Party Source. Freshly tapped right in front of me.

A: Nice deep ruby brown pour with good visibility in the light. A big light caramel head forms with decent retention. Head dies to a very thick fluff and generates nice lacing.

S: Pleasantly sweet with a nice toasted malt character. A bit of spent hardwood in the back. Not oak.. more like walnut or ash.

T/M: Robust malt character. Toasted bready malts and light nuts. A nice sweetness takes a bit to come through but does near the end with a big caramel taste and a touch of cinnamon. Tastes like a nice sweet bread. Body is medium full and carbonation is right where it should be.

D: Very good and I'm so thrilled that Christian Moerlein is putting out great beers like this. I can't wait until they move the brewery back to Cincinnati and put a brewpub in the Historic OTR brewery district. I think this brew would go great with a strong tiramisu.

Serving type: growler

02-25-2008 02:46:38 | More by pwoods

notchucknorris

California

3.3/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Amber brown in color with not much of a head.

S: Sweet and malty and not a whole lot else.

T: Syrupy sweet with caramel, brown sugar, malt and rye bread. There's a little warmness as the beer goes down that leaves a nice sensation, but overall, not a fantastic doppelbock. A little too syrupy for me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2011 22:46:57 | More by notchucknorris