The Dominator Dopplebock - O'so Brewing Company

emerge077

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Hilariously goofy label in line with the domination theme.

Pours placidly into a tulip displaying a rust-tinged russet brown color. Murky and opaque, with some slow rising carbonation visible at it's edges, and a spiraling wisp of skim across the surface. The foam has a tobacco stained khaki color.

Aroma is slightly estery with notes of fruity plum, figs, and rum raisin, slight presence of alcohol. A big malty breadiness is there also.

Luxurious feel, rich and chewy. Medium bodied and satiny smooth.
Cocoa, pipe tobacco, plum, raisin, toasted marshmallow, creme brulee, molasses. Slightly sweet at first, rich and malty in the middle, with a slight dry bitterness in the aftertaste. Lower carbonation levels and rich body lend to the extra smooth feel. Pretty impressive Doppelbock from O'so, now I wish I had more than just a single...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 23:16:53 | More by emerge077

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Murky looking dark bodied beer. Looks like a Bells beer and that's a good thing. Thin and fluffy beige head that has a little cling. This beer has that nice thick bready malt aroma I like in Doppels. Also some rum and fig. Nice aroma...This full bodied beer has a full flavor to match. Thick bread pudding maltiness and some rummy alcohol notes. Sweet profile overall, but not cloyingly sweet. Carbonation seems a little high for the style, but not overly so. A slight tanginess on the aftertaste. All in all, a solid doppel.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 02:43:56 | More by Bighuge

cokes

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear, dark ruby chestnut with a tight lacy off-white dome.
It smells of black cherries, toffee, plums, caramel, and brandy-steeped orange rinds. This packs a huge and delicious malt persona, with a slightly bolstered yet entirely congruent hop profile.
Malt oozes through the mouth. Caramel, toffee, black cherry, prune, molasses, honey. It's gripping. It's huge, but it's no monolith. There is plenty of character within its sweetness. Some doughy sweet breads, brown-sugar glazed. Baked apples. There is just a maze of malt nuance. Then hops come with fruity, orange zest bitterness. There is an electricity generated by the friction of the incongruence, yet it only furthers its appeal rather than seeming alien or forced. Port-like alcohol fumes take up residence late, but not to any heavy-handed or untoward effect.
Glossy, satiny, thick, full bodied. Muscular. Taut. The carbonation is low, and allows turns for all of its distinct, delicious flavors.
This is "holy shit" good, and it's among the best doppelbocks I've had. I wasn't expecting it nor was I prepared. I balked at first on the price ($11/ 4pack) and some less than fantastic experiences with O'so, but now I feel foolish. This is the real thing.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 09:08:17 | More by cokes

bennetj17

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to my pal Jason for sending me this beer from the north. It sits in my glass with a deep, cloudy brown appearance. Minimal head develops, while decent streams of carbonation help sustain a foamy ring. Light raisiny/plum sweetness in the nose, with an almost tart cherry bite dominating. I'm not sure if I expect it to be very sweet although it should be. Faint alcohols present also.

The taste is actually more tangy than sweet, with a cherry/raspberry backbone. Gets a bit more malty at the back, with a raisin laced doughiness. I don't enjoy it much after the finish though, as it leaves a sharp, slightly bitter astringence that doesn't seem to go away easily. Well carbonated, moderate thickness, but otherwise the mouthfeel is pretty unremarkable.

This selection is much less clean than a standard dopplebock, so while it gets few points for style, it is a bit unique. I wasn't too impressesd overall, but it doesn't help that I'm not a big fan of dopplebocks. Worth a try...

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 03:17:19 | More by bennetj17

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Beautiful plum red body that pours thick beneath a light tan head. Stamina in the top is minimal but left is a magnetic eye grabbing work of art.

S - Brown sugar, plum and mild alcohol. This aroma is strong and solid. You know what you're gonna get, and you look forward to it.

T - Grains roasted for a moderate length of time give way to a slightly nutty flavor giving way to sweeter malt and molasses.

M - Stcky and thick with a slightly coarse finish in the back of my throat. Overaall the feel is comfortable and enjoyable.

~ This is a thick and sweet doppelbock, which is exactly how I want my doppelbock. I'm thrilled to see a local brewery pushing a high gravity lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2010 04:14:24 | More by cdkrenz

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.08/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this beer on tap at O'so on 07/06/12. Having recently gotten into Dopplebock's, I had high hopes for this one.

The beer gave a mild malty aroma to follow the murky brown appearance. There was an off-white head of about half an inch. The initial taste impression I received was quite bizarre. I felt as though I was drinking Twizzlers licorice, except slightly undersweetened. The twizzlers go a little bad in the aftertaste, tasting somewhat like cough medicine. In some ways, it was a tart milkiness. The mouthfeel was smooth and hinted a certain milkiness. The unfortunate effect of the smoothness was I did not want the flavor to hang around on this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 16:32:52 | More by JohnnyHopps

adman08

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours with almost no head at all but is a deep redish mohagany color.
S-Aromas of chocolate and toffee with lots of caramel malt.
T-Lots of sweet malt flavors. Caramel, toffee and chocolate come through very clearly. You get a bit of tartness from the alcohol.
M-Rich and malty. Very little carbonation. Slight tartness.
Overall, this beer tastes great. It's a beautiful deep red when you let it reach the proper serving temp. The rich malt flavors are outstanding. There's no one flavor that overpowers the other. For those who enjoy a good dopplebock I very highly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 02:24:13 | More by adman08

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a mug.

A - Small tan head from a strong pour. Dark brown in color but good clarity when held to light.

S - Rich, rich, rich. Munich malts give it a nice nuttiness. Has a strong caramel profile and a dimension of smooth chocolate.

T - Complex dark caramel with a faint glimpse of some raisin-like red fruits. Chocolate is craftly hidden in the background. Smooth/clean flavor. Hops are present enough to strike a modest balance. Slight touch of roastiness goes brilliantly with a mild alcohol warmth throughout.

M - Full bodied, semi-sweet, medium-light carbonation.

O - Awesome array of smells and flavors. Every wanted flavor is right there or just skillfully nuanced. For sure my go-to from now on for doppelbocks.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:11:52 | More by Jparker37

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a glass stein.

Deep Dark Brown that is almost black. Slight red tint.
Absolutely no light penetration. the head dissipates right away. Has a nice malty smell to it. Very thick feeling and malty. Somewhat of a nutty aftertaste. very slight bready undertones. A very nice thick complex dobblebock. Would definitely try again.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 04:58:53 | More by Zachtheporter

mobius387

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance: nice musty brown with a thin brown head

aroma: light smells of malt and caramel

palate: medium bodied, very smooth, little carbonation

taste: malty, a bit hoppy, but nothing over powering, drinks very nicely

overall: another good brew by O'so. new to this category, so not much to compare to, but this is a beer id pick up again

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 20:24:01 | More by mobius387

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

3.51/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Bottle courtesy of kbuzz. Cheers Kevin!

A: Pours a medium brown with a half finger of off white head. Forms a 'crown' of minimal lacing after only a few minutes.

S: Nice and malty. Yeast presence is abundant. Mildly sweet smelling, somethng that reminds me of tobacco. Hmmmm....we'll see.

T: Admittedly, not a style I drink very often. Touches of leather and tobacco. Light caramel and some toast.

M: Well carb'd with a nice mouthfeel. Medium bodied and pleasant across the tongue.

O: Certainly no match for the classics of the style, but a nice rendition. I wouldn't go out of my way for this, but try it if it crosses your path. The label was pretty memorable.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 02:41:04 | More by Beerontwowheels

JRdaSconnie

Wisconsin

2.4/5  rDev -38.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Bottle from fridge into imperial pint.

S: Starts out as full on doppelbock smell, lots of malty, heavy caramel. That rapidly gives way to roast and milk chocolate. Some earthy hop character that I'm not fond of.

A: Deep brown, opaque, rusty tinges on edges. Minimal off white head rapidly falls with no retention. No lace, no legs.

T: Rather muddy, not really a defining flavor. I get again a slight appropriate doppelbock flavor but then that is overwhelmed by Hershey's syrup, cappuchino, that odd hop character, and a flabby bitterness. Overall finishes bitter and burnt, almost stout-like. No alcohol.

M: Prickly and excessive carbonation dries it out and blocks the body. May be medium body but hard to tell. Finishes quite dry with the lingering burnt/bitter character.

O: Disappointed as I have been with several of the other O'So seasonals. Love many of their regular rotation beers but this one is not for me. I'll finish my glass but won't take them up on any more. Kirby Nelson at Capital remains king of western hemisphere doppels.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 02:21:46 | More by JRdaSconnie