Atwater Voodoovator - Atwater Block Brewery

rodney45

New York

3.9/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Note: On tap at the Peculier Pub NYC

A:Very Dark Amber. Small off white head with no lacing.

S: Aroma is of espresso, toasted malt, butter toffee and dark chocolate but a little underwhelming.

T: Taste profile is very similar to the aroma. Caramel and crystal malt which interplay with bittersweet dark chocolate and roasted barley. Hop acts as a balance, but cant be distinguished. As the beer warms, you get some dark cherry and plum notes as well. Alcohol is well hidden.

M: Medium light body, low carbonation and slightly bitter.

O: Very good beer for the style. It plays like a melody of malt, coffee and chocolate, with a bitter kick. This is a beer to be enjoyed slowly or it will sneak up on you. I would recommend to anyone. Enjoyable but doesnt get the respect it deserves on here... weird.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2012 03:49:16 | More by rodney45

drabmuh

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at RFD in Washington D.C. Dark beer, whitish head, minimal to low carbonation. Smells like roasted malt, no real hop character in the aroma. Also no hops in flavor, that's OK for a doppelbock, just making a note of it. There is some smoke, more than I expected. High malt character in flavor. There is no aftertaste at all, beer finishes completely. Very drinkable, really like this beer. Mouthfeel is full and great.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2009 05:19:11 | More by drabmuh

david18

New York

3.63/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A good beer and surprisingly drinkable for the strength. Color was dark brown, carbonation was good, smell was outstanding and the flavor was very good. I had no idea, until just now, what the abv was on this. That explains the nap I had to take afterwards.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2009 15:16:45 | More by david18

GJ40

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at Foran's in Detroit.

A - Mahogany with light passing through only the outer edges of the glass. A big creamy head that leaves lots of lacing.

S - Sweet malts and molasses.

T - Mildly sweet, smooth and dark but without any roasted flavors. Some hop bitterness in the finish. You can hardly taste the 9.5% alcohol.

M - Low carbonation (like a lot of the beers at Foran's) with a good consistency.

D - A very balanced beer that's easy to drink. I really liked this one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2009 13:19:21 | More by GJ40

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Sample at Gallo's Taproom in Columbus. Pours dark brown with red around the edges. Thin and creamy beige head that dissipates quickly, and spotty lacing. Aroma of sweet malt and dark fruit. Medium-bodied with flavors of caramel malt and toasted nuts, plus some hops. ABV is well-masked. The finish is mildly roasty with a grainy malt aftertaste. Just average overall.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2008 16:33:11 | More by Dogbrick

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Ten Stone in Philadelphia, I was able to enjoy a pint while seated outside in the late afternoon and this beer went perfectly. It's a dark brown in color, with a short head of frothy bone white foam. When held to the light dark mahogany, crimson, and even some thin glimmers of dark orange highlights appear. The retention was limited, but it is a fairly high alcohol beer, and for all I know it might have been a dirty glass (although there were no bubbles forming on the inside).

In the nose it expressed dark caramel with hints of chocolate, but not in a really sweet way, more of just a maltiness, and that carried over into the flavor.

It wasn't particularly full bodied for the style, but it had some girth; and the carbonation level was just enough to lend a little zest to the tongue.

Back to the flavor, it was well balanced, and dry, relying more on dark malt character than bitterness (as it should be). No hop flavor was particularly discernable, but there was some present in the background; and it finished with a quick fading note of dark, almost scorched caramel. I could tell that there was a bit of alcohol there, but it was very well cloaked in maltiness.

Nicely done!

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2008 16:47:34 | More by NeroFiddled

CortexBomb

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brown with a modest head, some lacing. The nose is heavily malted, sweet, caramel...about that one would expect for a doppelbock.

The flavour continues this general average trend: the expected flavours are heavy on the sweet malts and caramel, with some alcohol presence and the vaguest hint of dark fruits.

The mouthfeel is moderately full, but a 9.5% beer in this style should be for god's sake. Drinkability, decent but not remarkable. I don't have any problem drinking several pints of this style, as it's one of my favourites, but this is not a real winner in the rebuy category as it doesn't do anything particularly well.

The bottom line: Atwater Block provides a serviceable, though not spectacular take on the doppelbock style. I wouldn't hesitate to have a pint of this if I was in the mood for a doppelbock and it was the only one available, but vis a vis the other options out there, it is only so-so.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2007 02:28:44 | More by CortexBomb

dedrinker

Kansas

3.93/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Maple syrup color, nose of caramel and nutty sweet breads. Slightly sweet malty flavor of caramel, nuts and toffee. Finished drier than it started which boosted drinkability. I enjoyed this with some surprise as I confess a bias towards Atwater due to previous experiences with other beers. Very well done for an American Doppelbock.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2007 06:30:37 | More by dedrinker

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.56/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown with some lighter ruby hues coming through on the edges. Thin light brown head that faded away fairly quicly. Not much lacing to speak of. Nice color but falls short from there. Smelled of intense raw grains off the bat. Maybe some corn? Carmel and roasted flavors were also present. Strong dark fruit up front when tasting it. Some citrus. Lots of chocolate, dark bread. Strong alchol as it warmed that was actually a turn off. As it went on i liked it less. Medium body with lots ofcarbination. An above average brew, but not something I would actively seek out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:17:12 | More by Burkbom23

braugon

Connecticut

2.9/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Looks very black with a malt colored cap appearing after a quick one finger settle. Smells of roasted malt. Tastes like pumpernickel bread, and roasted malt. Light to medium carbonation. Feels thin. Chocolate aftertaste. High ABV and toasted bread taste make it worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 01:53:05 | More by braugon

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

More bottles from my latest Philly run. I am feeling adventurous today and may try to eradicate the bottle backlog that has been an albatross since school started back.

This poured nicely, forming two fingers of foamy, mocha-brown head with good retention. Color was a deep-brown with garnet/ruby highlights. Nose was malty sweet, but subdued. I have had some in the style that were syrupy sweet. For me, less sweet = a good thing. Mouthfeel was big and full to the point that I thought that I had a spoonful of pudding in my gob. Whoa! This was extremely smooth with faint tastes of coffee and chocolate and some heat. I got my first swallow down and a moment later, it hit me with the kick of a Missouri mule. Finish was likewise semi-sweet and I also got lingering flavors of salt and licorice. I have not been wildly impressed with Atwater beers up until now, but this was a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 00:14:14 | More by woodychandler

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a glass mug.

A: Dark brown with two-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted more than a few minutes. Good lacing.

S: Dark fruit and roasted malt.

T: Light sweetness and light bitterness. Dark roasted malt. Mild flavor though, and not much aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

O: The taste was a bit of a let down to me. Nothing much there really. Too mild.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 00:36:18 | More by SolipsismalCat

MattyG85

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep dark brownish black with hints of amber and a lot of rising bubbles. About three fingers of off white head with decent retention. Leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A roasty and fairly sweet aroma. Dark roasted malts with hints of burnt toast, caramel, toffee, chocolate,and coffee. Some brown sugar, rye spice, and strong hints of dark fruits including, plum, fig, raisin, and cherry. Some earthy hops and a little citrus hop twang. A very toasty smelling beer.

Taste: Like the aroma indicates, a roasty and sweet taste driven by dark malts. Roasted malts with a taste of dark bread, toast, caramel, toffee, chocolate, and coffee. Also some brown sugar and a rye like spice. Big undertones of dark fruits including raisins, plum, fig, and a little dark cherry. Some earthy hops add a little balancing bitterness. Very roasty and bready taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy and smooth. Has a fairly drying finish.

Overall: A solid double bock here. Sweet and roasty but balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:27:55 | More by MattyG85

DrinkMoreBigBeers

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - It pours out almost black when held up to the light you can make out the dark brown on the edges of the glass. It produced a one finger khaki colored head with supper tinny bubbles remaining on the edge of the glass. Marked this down because toward the end the head completely died off.

S - This one produces a nice dark malt smell with a bit of a woodiness. In the back there is a faint dark fruit smell with some cherries. Nice smelling beer.

T - On the taste I get the dark malty-ness right away, along with some anise, raisins, wood, and earthiness. Not much of an aftertaste on this one either. This beer is really smooth with no alcohol on the flavor. You can feel it in your stomach but that is it.

M - On the mouth this one is pretty light. Easy to drink but for an 9% beer I'm expecting more body then this. If I wanted a session brew I would have not picked up this one with such a high abv. Carbonation was right in the beginning but has since died down at a fast pace. hmm.

O - This beer is very nice but could use a little more body in my opinion. Overall a good beer and one worth a try. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 00:26:57 | More by DrinkMoreBigBeers

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.65/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Chilled 12 oz. bottle poured into a shaker pint. Bottled in July 2012.

A doppelbock weighing in at close to 10%? We'll see how it goes. The last time I saw High Gravity Lager on a label, it was on a can of Genesee's Dog Bite(http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/302/63623)

Look- Deep brown with three fingers of dense pearly head. Good retention, excellent lacing despite the ABV.

Smell- Dark rye and toasted raisin; not really any hint of alcohol. Pretty standard.

Taste- Nutty, vaguely earthy. Dark brown bread crusts, sesame seed, hint of toffee at the end. Not as sweet as expected, It's actually pretty good. One of the darkest toasted beers I've had that didn't stray into char territory.

Mouthfeel- Pretty dry, a little bit of stick, full feel, the tiniest bit of warming on the back end. Clean finish. Pretty easy drinking.

Overall- Pretty good, but it feels pretty precariously balanced and it's neither particularly clean nor flashy. I feel like hanging on to it for another month or two would be a bad idea, but if you can get it fresh it's worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 21:02:23 | More by Lawl3ss

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Very dark with two fingers worth of light beige head and very solid head rentention.

Aroma: Roasted malts, a few dark fruits, dark coffee notes. Hints of citrus hops.

Taste: Figs, alcohol, dark dried fruits. Molasses, faint espresso. Quite the malty backbone with lots of brown bread notes. Slight sticky mouthfeel with a light crispness.

Notes: Very drinkable and very tasty. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 00:50:47 | More by horshack7

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice dark cherry brown brew with an ok head that ends in nothing.

Some woody dark fruit and roasted malt notes. Wanted this to be a bit boozier, but isn't

Some dark buried stone fruit, dark toasted maltiness, some vanilla and wood, but needs more depth. Decent bitterness to round this out. A little lean.

Not as full bodied as wanted, but it helps in drinkability.

Overall, easy to drink. Alcohol is hidden. Flawed, but ok.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 23:24:47 | More by OtherShoe2

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: Philly Beer Scene Tasting panel with Matt Falco at Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA

I was privileged enough to be on the tasting panel for PBS Magazine, along with Bill Covaleski of Victory and Greg Ramirez of Exton Beverage. This was one of 21 beers we sampled during the session.

Poured a darker mahogany brown color with a short-lived eggshell-white head. Aroma of toasted grains, light hints of cocoa and cardboard. Really nothing wrong with the taste at all here: dark malts, toasted grains, nutty, woody, dry, leafy and earthy hops used in subdued moderation. Most notably...where's the alcohol? Goes down way too easy for sure, with 9%ABV almost completely hidden, which garners extra points for drinkability. Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 03:34:50 | More by Rifugium

BostonHops

Massachusetts

2.15/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass. no bottle date.

pours an opaque mahogany tone with ruddy highlights; foamy, finger plus head recedes fairly quickly into a thin cap. patchy lacing.

nose is caramel/roasted malty, a sourness i can't put my finger on, a touch of molasses, and a twang of metal. flavor follows with some malt, spice, and a hint of grossness. not too impressed. 9.5% ABV very well-hidden, so it has that going for it... otherwise, a pretty forgettable beer IMO.

thin, watery mouthfeel with medium-high carbonation. the best thing i can say about this beer it that it's not a drainpour. other than that, don't waste your money.

originally reviewed: 01-06-2011

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 21:49:35 | More by BostonHops

Rojopunk

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark redish brown

S - Roasted coffee dominates all other aromas

T - Roasted black coffee taste is there to the finish

M - Medium body

O - This is a beer that has been on my mind for some time now and I Just had to give it a shot . When first tasting one starts to gets a slight tingle on the tongue with nice Roasted Black coffee notes with slight very slight sweet notes. This was great I love the Roasted taste and I love the black coffee but the alcohol and hops destroy any other flavor coming through and for a doublebock its not that sweet. One should note that the beer was alot better as it got warmer I let one bottle get almost luke warm before this review and it was far better. Still not the worst beer I have had. With everything said this was a ok beer with a high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 17:47:40 | More by Rojopunk

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Voodoovator opens rich and malty, the initial aromas bearing a marked resemblance to marble rye bread and thick, floury, rising wheat dough, as well as milk chocolate. Beneath these rest a heavy dose of sugars, with brown sugars, molasses, caramel, and vanilla predominating. Finally, a layer of thin ash and tobacco rests just at the bottom, providing an earthy base. As a whole, the aromas are delicious and inviting, begging to be tasted, and simultaneously potent and nuanced; there's not much else I'd want from this nose, except for perhaps more power (this coming from an Imperial beer lover, so take your grain of salt).

On the tongue, the beer opens with the darker of these flavors, the ash and tobacco coming through immediately, mixed with toast crust. These are quickly joined by vanillas and brown sugars, as well as caramels. Darker fruit esters such as fig and plum are also present. The grain flavors are more dominant here than the nose hinted at, joined by toasted nuts, and somewhat overpower the sugars. This shows up especially in subsequent sips, for the potency of the sugars in the initial taste doesn't repeat itself by the second or third mouthful, leaving the beer with a kola nut-like overtone. The aftertaste is a fast-fading remnant of the grain notes, with small touches of sugar. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, while I was excited by the aromas in this brew, the flavors didn't quite match up the promise, and I was especially disappointed in how fast the flavors faded with multiple sips. The beer is not bad by any means; in fact, even after a few sips there are still enough flavors standing out to make me continue drinking, but I wanted a bit more out of this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 23:09:18 | More by jondeelee

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 12 fl. oz. bottle with the label clipped at September 2012. Sampled on January 28, 2012. The pour is very dark brown to nearly black with little to no head accompanying it. The aroma is mellower than the 9.5% ABV might suggest with sweet malts, hints of coffee, and a subtle hop character. The body falls into the medium range. As for the taste, I get some toasted dark malts in the beginning with an average bitterness and clean hops at the end. The beer is enjoyable enough but not out of the ordinary.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 22:19:14 | More by puboflyons

superspak

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled Oct 2010. Pours slightly cloudy dark reddish brown color with a fairly dense 2-3 finger khaki head with great retention that lasts for the whole glass. Some soapy lacing on the glass, with tons of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of light caramel, dark fruit, molasses, roasted malt, bread, and some spices. Ok aromas, but there really isn’t that much there that I can detect. Taste of caramel, spices, stale bread, molasses, citrus, light dark fruit, and toasted malt. Finish is pretty dry; with some lingering notes of caramel, spices, bread, and toasted malt on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel that drinks pretty easily for being 9.5%. The positive note about this beer is the 9.5% is practically invisible. Overall this is an ok beer. The flavors are pretty lackluster and lack robustness for being 9.5%. Has good drinkability for the gravity though.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:53:31 | More by superspak

NHSTEVE

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +13%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The label says it all "This one is Big, Black and Sweet! It's malty character is derived from two cramel malts along with Munich malt to create the smoothest High-Gravity beer this side of the pond"

The smooth part I disagree, I fine that the beer has slight bite with a bitter favor. Which I enjoy.

The smell of coffee, bold taste and high 8.5% alc. content. This beer is on my, to drink list.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 00:15:11 | More by NHSTEVE

nukem5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a pitch black with little in the way of head.

S: Smell is hoppy, fruity, and malty. All in great and perfect balance.

T: Taste is sweet caramel malts with a light boozy bite at the end.

M: Medium bodied and little carbonation and a bit boozey as stated.

O: Overall a great beer and could and would drink a few.

Part of a batch of beers I got while on the road for work.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 02:09:04 | More by nukem5