Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock - Christian Moerlein Brewing Company

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Stamped 35212

A: Tawny and clear with a quick head and no lace.

S: As it warms, dry fruit but nothing initially.

T: Dates, figs, maybe even some prunes. Then I get more caramel and even a bit of vanilla. Some herbal hops on the finish--it would probably be too sweet and sticky without them. Pretty tasty.

M: Carbonation is subdued, which may be to thicken the mouthfeel. I rather like it.

O: I'm not particularly inclined to have another.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 02:08:39 | More by greybeardloon

blakesell

Ohio

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

2007 cellared 12oz bottle poured into a German Stein.

Appearance- Beer pours a dark amber with a light quarter finger head that quickly dissipates and leaves very little lacing on the sides of the mug. Clarity could be a little better as I'm seeing some haze on the lager.

Smell- Rich and sweet German malts really permeating out from this glass, I'm a bit surprised at the smell indicating this is a lot more than the average Moerlein brew. I'm catching a little papery oxidation in there as well and I'm suspecting perhaps it has sat in the cellar a bit too long.

Taste- The malt really holds up, but the oxidation has taken its toll on this beer as I'm once again getting a lot of the cardboard papery flavour that I smelled before. There is breadiness, but not a lot of the sweetness that would usually be perceived in a doppelbock. I'm also getting a soured twinge on the finish that is awfully unpleasant.

Mouthfeel- Medium full bodied, highly carbonated, smooth but highly astringent on the finish which hurts the beer overall.

Drinkability- I feel that a bit more alcohol would have helped this beer hold up over the years as this is a lighter doppelbock (guidelines showing them at a 7-10% average). I never tried it fresh and I really do wish I had so that I could compare/contrast.

If I do find it fresh, I will pick up a bottle just to give it a try fresh vs. aged, we have to hope that aging was the bad choice here.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 21:23:00 | More by blakesell

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

stockingcpl

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: This brew pours a red/brown clear amber. Head is frothy and light tan in color. Lacings are initially plentiful but fade quickly. Surface spiderwebbing, however, is plentiful or the duration of the drink. Good job.

Smell: The aroma is a full spicy malt. There is also a slight prune aspect. Very similar to a Winter Warmer. Again, good job.

Taste: Flavor onset is the prune spice zing that was detected in the aroma. This brew's flavor is different...it's not a traditional doppel bock, but certainly the flavor character is interesting.

Mouthfeel: The tongue is "tickled" by the initial prune and spice presence. Enjoyable. The palate does feel a little crouded, and there is a slight aftertaswte, however no alcohol warmth is detected. Ok.

Drinkability: During the winter this would be a great selection, however during a hot summer afternoon or during a weekend BBQ this would be a little heavy.

Prosit!
Nikki

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2009 14:40:42 | More by stockingcpl

RickS95

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark ruby-brown with little to no head.

A flowery, malty smell; no scent really stands out.

Toffee is the dominant taste.

The feel is complex. It starts off with a gentle bite from the hops but it's followed by a smoothing of the sweet toffee to give balance.

This goes down pretty easily due to the sweetness in the finish. Looking forward to another.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2010 22:57:24 | More by RickS95

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

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

uwharrieguy

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

another botmc tasteing

poured semi dark like a glass of coke when the ice starts to melt

the smell is a musty sweet

medium mouth fill with the toffe sweet taste

this what i consider a winter warmer,a stand alone sipper,would be a little heavy with a meal

this is a good double bock...but since i've had it...i would try a different brewers to compare.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 19:14:09 | More by uwharrieguy

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

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

delahani

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a deep amber, almost burnt red color with a very thin head that fizzles out immediately. Initially there's a good amount of carbonation, but shortly after it dies down and leaves this looking like juice.
Aroma: I haven't had many bocks/doppelbocks, but it seems that they've always had a very prominent smell. This is no different; I can smell this beer from a couple feet away. Up close, it's surprisingly fruity. Strawberry, plum, and maybe a bit of orange. There's also a fair amount of maltiness on the nose.
Taste: First thing I realize is the cherry I missed on the nose. There's a nice taste of alcohol as it goes down, but the taste is nowhere near as nice, or present, as the smell. Weak cough syrup comes to mind, although I have to say that I usually hate any sort of cherry taste in a beer and this isn't bad.
Mouthfeel: Maybe it's the sweetness, but the few doppelbocks I've had remind me of drinking a soda--this one is similar. Not quite as much carbonation or fizziness, but the same sort of tongue-saturating feeling as a nice sugary soda.
Overall: Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of the style and wouldn't have bought this if it hadn't come in a beer of the month pack. I could see it being nice sitting by a wood fire or in the winter, but the sweetness is a bit much for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 23:14:32 | More by delahani

Beejay

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: A medium amber, like iced tea, a bit of white head that has dissipated to a ring.

S: Malty, sweet, raisons?

T: Malty, sweet, slightly burnt taste at the end.. Brown sugar or molasses?

M: Slightly syrupy..

D: A so- so beer. Not impressed in general with this brewery or this beer. Decent, but not really memorable...

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2009 02:39:38 | More by Beejay

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

colts9016

Idaho

2.88/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this beer from Kelly, thank you very much.

Poured into a pokal glass at 47 degrees.

Appearance: A nice two finger head that is light tan in color with foamy and bubbly. The color of the beer is a nice mahogany color with copper reddish hues. The body of the beer has effervescence. The clarity of the beer is clear, close to brilliant.

Nose: A nice rich boiled malt aroma with caramel melanoid, citrus, wood, and floral.

Taste: There is a good malt flavor with caramel, melanoids, wood, and floral.

Overall: The mouth feel of the beer is smooth and a little flat. The body of the beer is medium and the finish is light. Okay, this beer lacks some serious flavors it is bland and uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 04:18:56 | More by colts9016

dnjmed

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Color is a dark amber with a thin head. Nose is sweet with notes of caramel and vanilla.
Taste is pretty sweet with a strong malt profile. I pick up some syrupy flavors with maybe some toffee. Alcohol is noticeable. There's not much going on here. Can't tell if it's the style or the beer but this is a little disappointing.
Mouthfeel is a little on the watery side. All in all makes for an average drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2010 19:20:48 | More by dnjmed

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -28%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Got this one in a BotM shipment.

Poured into a tulip pint: Finger of off-white head that drops to a thin ring & just a wisp of dusting. Darkish brown body, just barely transparent, with golden-orange highlights.

Fruit & caramel, like cooked apples, medium intensity. Slightly mineral smell.

Toasty, kind of muddied caramel taste up front with some dark fruit. Way too much alcohol taste for a beer of this strength. Muddies up the caramel flavors & makes it kind of hard to take, like cough syrup. Lingering syrupy aftertaste, with that off booze flavor.

Mouthfeel's fine: medium-bodied, a few notches above flat, but important notches.

Dammit, this was disappointing. As excited as I was to see a dopplebock in a BotM package, this is a letdown. That alcohol presence in the taste is just a turn-off. I hardly ever pour, but I'm really fighting the urge now.

EDIT: A little further in, the caramel sweetness becomes a little more forward, but still not great. Bumped the flavor from a 2 to a 2.5, that's all.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2010 22:47:19 | More by OneDropSoup

Yetiman420

Ohio

2.42/5  rDev -36.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

I was *fortunate* enough to attend the first tapping of the first keg at the Pavilion in Mt. Adams (Cincinnati) on January 31, 2008.

The beer was poured into colored plastic cups so appearance was difficult to gauge.

Initially the beer was very foamy and very cold. The aroma was nice and had me optimistic about a brewery I've had mixed results with.

While very cold, the beer went down smooth with little taste and aftertaste. As the beer reached what I consider an ideal drinking temperature (40's) the sweetness and undistinguishable maltiness became overwhelming and unbearable.

Had my wife and I not been with two friends who were enjoying themselves, we would have left after half a beer (which happened to be free).

Bells and Victory have since restored my faith in this style.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2008 21:27:36 | More by Yetiman420

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