Doppelbock Grande Cuvée Printemps - Les Trois Mousquetaires

ohmybock

Georgia

2.98/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$10 corked 750ml bottle. Pours a clear, dark, brown color with a large-bubbled, very slight, and quickly-disappearing head. The aroma is sweet-ish dark malts, but not the good German toffee-like goodness I love. The flavor is sweet dark malts up front, then turning into a lingering roastiness. Carbonation is low, and the mouthfeel is quite thick. This brew tastes like a fairly sweet, dark, strong lager (ale?) which has been blended with a roasty porter or stout. If you want to call this a doppelbock, then it's definitely a New World idea of a d-bock and nowhere close to an authentic d-bock from the Old Country. Still I think it's a good, strong, dark, "beer". For what it's worth, I found this brew to be quite drinkable when paired/contrasted with some buttermilk blue cheese! On its own, I'm not sure if I would have finished the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 18:13:40 | More by ohmybock

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a dark red brown color with a nice 2 finger head. Good lace on the glass. Lots of dark fruit flavors and aroma including raisins, plum, and fig all backed by a pretty hefty malty backbone. Pretty sweet. Not bad but just a little too sweet for me and tough to finish my whole glass. Medium mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 13:22:16 | More by kbutler1

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into snifter.

Pours 1/2 finger of tan head. Color is dark brown.

Aroma: Caramel, plums, cherries, chocolate. Malty and sweet. Dark dried fruit flavors.

Taste: Roasty and malty. Sweet flavors. Cherries, plums, raisins, caramel, toffee. Pretty malty.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth. Medium bodied with a medium to high amount of carbonation. Ends sweet and malty.

Overall, decent doppelbock, but fairly average. Decent drinkability. Some decent flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 15:41:08 | More by mothman

jeddsp

Georgia

3.3/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark brown with good carbonation and head. The smell was heavy on the dates and raisins, Almost had the smell of a Quad to me. The taste was also heavy on the dates and raisens and played off the alcholhol fairly well. I agree with what most people have said. Drinkable, could certainly have a few, but not best represenation of this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 16:42:18 | More by jeddsp

laituegonflable

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy brown colour, almost purple tinge to it. Head is also brown-tinged at the edge but mostly beige, with pleasant snail trails of lace around. Looks pretty damned nice.

Smells bocky. Lots of dark roasted malt giving cocoa aromas and a slight vanilla character. A fair amount of caramelised grain with pearl barley and a hint of wheat, almost sourdough actually on there. Hint of red grape skin and some peppery spice as well. Pretty pleasant.

Taste is very malty and strong. Lot of espresso bitterness on the front with thick, chewy caramel malt. Huge sour German character comes through midway, giving me raw wheat, some red wine notes and a weak vanilla bean character. Sourness is actually quite off-putting, blending with the maltiness to produce a weird aioli kind of flavour. I like aioli but not in my beer. It's not overall bad, good complexity but there's this wave of unwanted flavour in the middle that just puts me off.

Good body to it, lots of texture, sticky but ends up very smooth.

I personally couldn't drink a lot of this, it's enjoyable enough, just not really my cup of beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 03:53:38 | More by laituegonflable

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tasted on May 9, 2009.

A: Pours as a black beer with some red on the edge. Can't see through the beer. Big head with big bubbles. The head is beige.

S: I smell some chocolate with some fruits. Fruits is mainly raisins.

T: Strong taste. Some vinous taste. The taste presence in the mouth is long. Get some roasted malts.

M: Very warm in the mouth. Creamy. Rich.

D: Easy to quaff... however one 750 ml bottle is enough for one person to put a smile on it's face!! The alcohol is treacherous since it hits you when it is too late :)

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 01:19:45 | More by ZorPrime

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Impressive three-finger head; leaves some chunky, but spotty, lace. Dark amber, light brown color. A very light haze.

Silky sweet smell of maple syrup and brown sugar. No notable hop.

The flavor matches the smell. Very, very sweet like an apertif. I also note a metallic tinge to the tongue. Very rich as one might expect.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 23:12:09 | More by smcolw

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown colour, a grand malting. Decent beer and drinkability based on what it is, but I like it not as much as most, regardless of vintage. Chocolate malty aroma, a bit above average mouthfeel. Chocolate, nutty, caramel, raisin, earthy. Sweetish, and perhaps too much.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 01:23:36 | More by northyorksammy

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 edition, at 8.7%

Exteremly vigorous head - it took me about 15 minutes to actual pour the whole thing. Cloudy mahogany-brown.

Rich malt, banana, chocolate and spice in the nose. Spicy, sweet malt and bread, banana and cinnamon tastes. Very rich and filling - very much liquid bread. Slight Belgian character in the spiciness and suggestions of candi sugar - something I find common in Quebec micros.

A little high on the carbonation, but not completely unacceptable. Drinkable, even at 8.7%. Alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 05:08:31 | More by BDTyre

flipper2gv

Quebec (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A: deep deep brown/red ale. Head is good, tan and lasts ok.

S: Lots of malty sweetness: molasses, caramel, brown sugar. Cocoa, coffee, smoke, dried fruits. Some alcohol character.

T: That is MALTY! Lots of bread, very cereal. Also sweet: maple, molasses, brown sugar. Cocoa is still present, as well as the smoke. Dried fruits, pears, cherries are very present. A bit of nuts. A bit of tart. Some nice hops that combines well with the roasted malts to give a nice dry finish to the brew.

M: A bit too much carbonation for this style IMO. Otherwise, bold and syrupy, as expected. The dryness at the end reminds me somewhat of the dry feel you get after smoking a cigar, weird...

D: This one is heavy. You won't drink another one after this 750 ml. The alcohol is present and it's a bold and heavy brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 02:08:39 | More by flipper2gv

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black, with a red hue when held up to the light. Nice head retention and minimal lacing.

This smells like brown sugar, maple, candied pears and rich dried fruits. Roasty too. So good.

The taste is just as nice, with rich chocolate dominating, along side brown sugar and dried black fruit, caramel, sherry, a soft vanilla rounds out the edges, with a nice roastiness throughout and an off dry finish. It has just the perfect amount of low bitterness to go up against the rich and roasty malt, as well as a slight tartness that keeps it from being cloying.

It's full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Alcohol is present but pleasant and slightly warming. Maybe a little higher than I'd like. Okay, yes, for sure they could do well to knock this down a percent or two.

It's a pleasure to drink, but at 9.5% in a 750ml bottle and a richness unsurpassed by many, you'd do well to share this one with a friend or four.

My overall impression is that this is my third beer from this brewery and I keep on being impressed by them. As for the beer itself, it's great but may be just a tad too bold and rich for its own good. Or mine. I'm completely looped man.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2009 02:57:05 | More by MeisterBurger

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 2010 offering, bottle lists the ABV as 8.7%
A - an almost impenetrable deep brown amber, a tower of caramel head that retained very long, and left nice soapy lacing up the glass
S - very sweet molasses and caramel plus roasted barley malt, light semi sweet chocolate, and some fruity syrup
T - wow, strong flavours! A caramel, almost rum-like sweetness, bitter coffee and chocolate, and just a light hint of fruit cocktail
M - FULL! Thick and chewy out of the gate, very tart sweetness, and some alcohol kick
D - flavours are enjoyable, and the aspect of the beer fit the doppelbock style, but the sensory overload of sweet flavours, heavy feel, and high alcohol make this an occasion drink, not for the faint of heart or taste bud

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 05:04:46 | More by joemcgrath27

Otterburn

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours a brown brew top of a light brown head, leave laces. the brew looks thick

smellcomplex sweet things, fruits, brown sugar and alcool

taste is similar to the smell, mix of alcool, sweet flavors, fruity in some ways, malty

mouthfeel is round and thick,oily, similar to a syrop almost, medium carbonation,

drinkability is good. if you realise that its a 9% abv beer, you taste the alcool but the brew is wraped with so much flavors that everything go down pretty smooth

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2010 15:34:17 | More by Otterburn

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

A massive Dopplebock with deep toffee flavors at the forefront.

This Dopplebock pours an onyx dark, dark brown (nearly black) with crimson highlights. A froathy off-white head forms on the beer and never lets go. Rings of sticky lace adhere to the glass in stubborn and convincing fashion.

Rich toffee, malt, and dark/dehydrated fruits give a rummy, brandy-like impression. Subtle chocolate and nutty aromas round out the robust and rich scent.

Flavors of toffee and malt lead the way while fruity flavors of plumbs/prunes, raisons, cherries, figs, and about anything else that could be dug out of a fruit cake add layers of complexity and sweet tastes. Spicy cinnamon, black pepper, and alcohol help to balance the sweet/fruity flavors and add complexity to the rich brew. No real off flavors, but the toasty/alcoholic balance can be questioned.

Sweet and malty early on but the sugary feel gives way to at dry toasty/cocoa powder finish. Spciy notes and alcohol warmth help to temper the malts but in the end the beer finishes more malty than dry.

A delicious and savory Dopplebock but the malty/sugary weight causes it to be more of a sipper than a drinkable brew (think Barleywine).

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 07:04:46 | More by BEERchitect

SLeffler27

New York

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

This doppelbock is dark walnut, almost black, with a modest, creamy chestnut head and a syrupy film. The highlights are dark ruby and the long-lasting head coats the glass with lace.

An antique pilsner showcases the rich, roasted malt and strong nutty tones of this beer. There are modest tones of baker’s chocolate and sweet coffee liqueur.

The flavor opens with a flash of sweetness, followed by roasted malt bitterness and a surprisingly acidic flair. Pumpernickel bread is followed by earthy flavors, licorice, vanilla, and a hint of spiced rum. The finish is subtle, long, and complex. All-in-all, the flavors are a bit mudy.

A sharp effervescence and bristling texture accompany this full-bodied beer with hot alcohol and a super-dry finish.

Tasty and enjoyable, but very assertive. Each sip simultaneously leaves one wanting more and assaults the palate. One was enough to satisfy me.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 13:22:57 | More by SLeffler27

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

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

From a caged and corked 750 ml brown bottle. Pours out a very, very dark brown, dense yet still translucent as a deep cola garnet when held to direct light. Tall, tight spongy beige head with great retention.

Aroma is light, but has it all in the right places. Toasted malt, chocolate wafer, a milky sweetness, light warming spice.

Flavour has a sweet vinuous character right from the start. Rum soaked raisins, spiced dates, light caramel, with a warm spicy finish. Alcohol is apparent, but doesn't come across as boozy. Lingering aftertaste of some sort of thin spiked hot chocolate.

The mouthfeel holds its own too, smooth and creamy, medium-bodied yet light at the same time.

An all round decent offering, I'd rate the drinkability higher but after a while this doppelbock does tend to become cloyingly sweet and the alcohol presence does start to become somewhat boozy, making a bottle this size a prime candidate to share rather than allowing it to over stay its welcome. Or rather it's not unwelcome, but does become a bit overwhelming after a while.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2009 08:33:51 | More by IronDjinn

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from a longstanding bottle, the body is a clear dark mahogany. The head rises up quite readily, forming a massive three-fingered pillow of foamy tan froth. Unfortunately the retention doesn't match the zeal with which the head initially forms, and the lacing isn't really that great either.

The nose expresses nuttiness, a hint of dusty sweet cocoa, and some soft roastiness and chocolate - it's more like bittersweet chocolate than anything coffee-like.

Rich malt is the heart and soul of Les Trois Mousquetaires Doppelbock, as it should be. It's bready, toasty, sugary, caramelish, a hint cocoa-ish, and a bit chocolatey. Some leafy hops appear mid-way, and it finishes subtly roasty and nutty. As you progress through it and the alcohol builds on your palate you might find some hints of dark fruit (raisins, cherries, etc.). A solid bitterness anchors it, and although it does seem sweet at times, it never becomes cloying (probably at least partly due to the 9.5% abv).

There are better, more rounded and focused doppelbocks available (and many that mask the alcohol better), but there's also a bit of charm to the all out attack of this one. Worth trying for fans of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 01:56:57 | More by NeroFiddled

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

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

A very interesting beer. Dark brown, almost like a stout but more like a porter. Corked top, held down with wire.
I shared the bottle with two other guys, giving it a definite three musketeers kind of vibe. The first glass came out well, the second had a bit more head to it and the third was really foamy. But it receded after a few sips.
The nose is pure candy. Sweet and caramel-like. No hops that I could detect.
The taste was quite a mouthful. This one is kind of syrup-y and it sticks to your tongue a bit longer than a normal brew. It tasted sweet, with notes of chocolate and grains, but mostly just sweet.
So a third of a bottle was about right for me. While good, I don't think I'd want a whole 750 ml of it at one time. Especially at 9.5% alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2009 17:51:46 | More by MAB

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

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

A: incredibly dark brown, near opaque color
S: very, very good - traditional doppelbock with roasted malts and an added kick of 9.5%!
T: very good, has all the hallmarks of a trad doppelbock of roasty, toasty malts, well-balanced - alcohol covers some malt flavors - more of an imperial doppelbock with 9.5%, well done
M: smooth and easy drinking
D: too easy!

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 01:07:39 | More by wisrarebeer

Dawkfan

Alberta (Canada)

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

A- Pours the darkest shade of brown, probably the darkest dopplebock I've ever seen with a massive 4 finger tan head that leaves some spotted lace as it settles.

S- This may sound strange, but the beer smells better out of the bottle than it does out of my Duvel Tulip. Anyways, big rich flavors on the nose. This is all about the malt. Lots of chocolate, molasses and caramel. Mild aroma of coffee and booze. I think I can detect some dark fruits, can't really put my finger on it though.

T- More coffee roast flavors than in the nose. Lots of sweet malts still but not a malt bomb like I thought it would be. There's some hop bitterness on the backend and some heat from the 9.5% abv.

M- I agree with some of the other reviewers in that the carbonation is a bit to high, but it's not off putting. Medium body and quite sticky.

D- One is plenty enough for me. A solid beer that I'll revisit again, I've got a couple more in the cellar that I'm already looking forward to.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 01:38:54 | More by Dawkfan

grub

Ontario (Canada)

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

750ml corked and caged bottle. 2010 vintage, which has a brown label and rings in at 8.7% this time around. purchased on a recent trip to montreal. sampled june 14/2010.

pours deep dark red-brown with a big fluffy light brown head. the head drops very slowly and leaves spotty lace as it falls.

aroma is nice. date, fig, plum. bit of sour cherry. alcohol. lightly toasted whole wheat bread. cracker and a bit of biscuit. loads of caramel and toffee. bit of dark chocolate.

taste is good. dark chocolate. toffee and caramel. date, fig, plum, raisin. hint of sour cherry, but less sourness than i caught in the aroma. lightly toasted whole wheat bread and biscuit. cracker and a bit of grain. lightly warming alcohol. low bitterness level.

mouthfeel is good. nice big body. medium-high carbonation level.

drinkability is great. as it warms it really fills out and comes to life. i also appreciated it a little more as the carbonation started to dissipate to a lower level. i'd be curious to try this with a little time in the cellar, so i'll definitely be looking for more of this. good stuff

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 01:29:50 | More by grub

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a deep brown color bock with a nice foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of semi-sweet malt with some notes of banana and cloves. Taste is also dominated by some cloves and banana ester with an excellent grain bill. Full body with a creamy texture and good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Probably one of the best that I have tasted form this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 19:19:07 | More by Phyl21ca

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Mahogany that's so deep, it's almost black; tan head, thin ring of retention, some lacing.

S: Plenty of dark fruit & raspberry candy aroma, beer-nuts, light floral & grassy spicing, hint of herbal hops & a sherry-like alcohol nose.

T: Initial impression was 'wow, this is amazing'. But after only a few sips the alcohol really takes over. Dark fruit bread, cocoa (with some roastiness as smooth as an oatmeal stout), nuts, dark caramel, peppery spicing, slightly herbal, good bitterness, assertive alcohol.

M: Fairly full body has a hint of residual sweetness, a nice protein smoothness and a very drying, alcohol finish. Well-crafted and impressive for its strength.

D: It's pretty warming.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2009 00:48:38 | More by Derek

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml corked and caged bottle, 8.7%.

Pours a crystal clear dark ruby red, some brownish highlights, huge and fluffy light tan head forms, this needs some careful pouring, big chunks of lace stick, huge layer, looks nice.

Smell is neat, very sweet and fruity, big iron note, dark cherry and some spice, caramel, biscuit, very malty, brown sugar, raisins, a bit of alcohol, pretty solid.

Taste is nice too, very sweet and malty but not overly so, raisin and some iron, caramel, brown sugar, lots of dark fruit, dates/raisins, cherries, nice sweet finish, very rich.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with high carbonation. Carbonation was definitely a distraction but the beer became a lot more enjoyable over time when it dropped out a bit.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 01:51:24 | More by Viggo

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours dark brown with medium carbonation and a cap of off white head. Hazy.

S - Booze is there slightly with alot of raisins and dates. Really big aroma which is great for the style.

T - Bready. Rich fruits and a little booze. Raisins and dates are there in a big way again too.

M - Nice carbonation. Medium to full bodied.

D - I can definately see myself having a few of these over the course of a night. The ABV isn't outrageous and I shared the bottle. Not the greatest dopplebock but it's quite good.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 03:57:14 | More by tbeckett