Ettaler Curator Doppelbock (US Import Version) - Klosterbrauerei Ettal / Ettaler Klosterbetriebe GmbH

goosewhisperer

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a-dark brown with a tan head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass.

s-roasted malts, sweet, figgy, dates.

t-sweet malts up front with a lingering finish. Beer is fairly simple, but is really tasty. Finishes nicely on the palate.

m-creamy, and full. Carbonation does well with the mouth feel.

o-a nice beer to sit back and sip on. Cannot believe they have been brewing since 1330, unreal.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 02:49:44 | More by goosewhisperer

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

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

Appearance: Chestnut brown; no head retention

Aroma: Malty; dried fruit; slight hop notes

Taste: Roasted malty flavor; hoppy; not bad, but nothing special; drinkable, though.

Remarks: Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 12:45:23 | More by IchLiebeBier

bigred89

Maryland

4/5  rDev +2.6%

06-12-2013 02:53:05 | More by bigred89

jokulhaps

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.6%

05-23-2013 02:36:49 | More by jokulhaps

Peyton5410

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.6%

03-06-2013 01:11:40 | More by Peyton5410

gwiedman1

New York

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%

02-16-2013 20:00:42 | More by gwiedman1

cliff1066

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

01-04-2013 17:18:43 | More by cliff1066

Zraly

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.6%

12-19-2012 22:31:17 | More by Zraly

cmuir24

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +9%

12-17-2012 03:20:13 | More by cmuir24

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +9%

10-17-2012 03:19:46 | More by t0rin0

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly cloudy dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, caramel, molasses, nuttiness, biscuit, herbal, toast, and light earthy spiciness. Very nice aromas with good strength, balance, and complexity. Taste of raisin, biscuit, caramel, molasses, nuttiness, toffee, toast, light chocolate, and earthy spiciness. Lingering notes of dark fruit, molasses, caramel, toast, nuttiness, toffee, light chocolate, and earth on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance of flavors with good complexity; almost zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a creamy, slick, and thick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any warming present after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice doppelbock! Nicely balanced with good complexity; very smooth to sip on. Really enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 02:55:12 | More by superspak

SinutabRamirez

4.75/5  rDev +21.8%

10-07-2012 03:27:11 | More by SinutabRamirez

Amis

4/5  rDev +2.6%

09-25-2012 03:54:25 | More by Amis

Birdlegs

Washington

2.25/5  rDev -42.3%

07-21-2012 23:05:12 | More by Birdlegs

Brenden

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer is the typical dark brown of a doppel with red highlights. It develops an eggshell-colored head just over a finger tall that fades off a bit quickly but not too much, leaving a pretty thick foam that deposits spotty lacing as it recedes.
The smell offers up the dark fruits I expect along with the typical molasses note, with more of a raisin than anything and a sugary but not cloying sweetness. There's a touch of cocoa and roast here as well. Just enough hops to balance add a b it of a floral note and possibly a ghost of spiciness.
The flavor's a bit lighter than I expected; everything from the nose is here, but with less force. It ends up being a bit too mellow for the style.
The feel is likewise light; this could use just a touch more thickness and body. Otherwise it's pretty smooth.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 20:01:56 | More by Brenden

Ueberales

Tennessee

3.08/5  rDev -21%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Served in at bottle at 42 deg F.

Appearance: Poured into a hefe glass. Dark mahogony color. Absolutely no head, despite an attempt to create one with an aggressive pouring technique. No bubbles or lace appeared during the drink.

Smell: As others have noted, a very fruity, raisiny smell, but I sense a very malty nose as well. Definite presence of alcohol in the aroma.

Taste: Very cloying. However after the sugar overload wears off, there is a rather pleasant malty aftertaste. Alcohol is also rather dominating.

Mouthfeel: This beer excels in this category. It is a thick, robust beer, and asserts itself well here. Alcohol provides a gentle warming sensation.

Overall: Comparing my review to others, it appears I got a stale version. There simply was no carbonation whatsoever. I wouldn't go out of my way to find this beer locally, but wouldn't turn one down if offered. Overall a middle-of-the-road Doppelbock. I've had worse, but as most others would probably attest, I'd prefer a Salvator over this one. If I can find this beer in-country, I'll post a comparison review.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 01:36:37 | More by Ueberales

jhartley

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Deep mahogany brown with a decent 1/2 finger light tan head.

S-Dark fruity smell with some malts, don't pick up any hops

T-Raisins and ripe fruits. Nice malt flavor.

M-Sweet and Malty with a alcohol burn in the throat once it warms up.

O-A decent doppelbock a little too much sweetness up front for me but overall not bad for the price, I got it from a friend for free. Not something I would search out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 23:16:00 | More by jhartley

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Clear, deep mahogany color. Large, bubbly, fairly thick, meringue like, off-white head. Very nice retention finally reducing to a nice layer of lace.

S - Rum and sugar soaked dark fruit (raisin, date, plum, and fig). Some licorice and dark bread. Hints of spice. Fruitcake like aroma.

T - Dark fruitcake with a brown sugar/molasses glaze. Date, plum, cherry, raisin, and fig. Some sweet spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg). Touches of licorice. Caramel, cocoa, nutty, and cola flavors provide balances of sweet and earthy flavors.

M - Medium to light body. Average carbonation. A touch thin for the style. Slick.

D - Sweet but not overpowering or cloying. Goes down pretty easy as a nice dessert beer. A sweeter doppelbock.

Notes: Nice doppelbock. Would make a very nice dessert (as it reminds me a bit of a fruitcake). Nice sweet, dark fruit flavors are quite strong.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 03:50:54 | More by FreshHawk

akttr

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%

06-10-2012 15:06:15 | More by akttr

Brad007

Vermont

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown/garnet with a brown head into my glass. I like the color here better. Seems closer too.

Sweet and spicy with plum, molasses and raisin in the nose. A lot more complex.

More flavor here. Well-rounded. Plum, spice and alcohol heat. You'd think it was extreme but it's mellow.

Ditto for the mouthfeel. Well-defined.

I prefer this over the previous example that I had. There's more alcohol and it has a "fuller" feeling.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 03:32:32 | More by Brad007

bobv

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

06-02-2012 01:09:45 | More by bobv

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving type: 500 ml bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a pilsner glass. The color is dark brown with tints of ruby and caramel. Initially, I tilted the glass while pouring. However, very little head developed so I poured it straight. About a finger of buttery, tan head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a thin skim and bubbly ring around the edge.

Smell: Lots o’ fruitiness. Raisin, raspberry, dark cherry (that kind of syrupy, chocolate-covered version), red licorice (cherry or strawberry flavored), plum, a little apple, a little molasses, and maybe brown sugar. I assume sweet caramel is in there, too, but I really cannot pick it out; there is so much other stuff going on and the fruit burst is distracting.

Taste: The fruitiness is taken down a notch but still dominates: raisin, plum, dark cherry (the syrupy kind), red licorice, and a little green apple tartness. The ABV is noticeable with a little boozy edge, but it is not too distracting. Elements of toasted caramel and a little cocoa are also noticeable in the flavor, as well as the molasses.

Drinkability: It’s doppelbock — albeit very fruity. Frankly, it is a kick in the teeth the Trix Rabbit would be envious of.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 21:18:00 | More by TheQuietMan22

VaterRoss

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500ml bottle into Sierra Nevada tumbler,

Dark ruby/brown with a tiny beige head; both are to style. Smell is very sweet with some bready/grainy notes barely coming past the sweet. Tastes like sweet liquid bread, one of the maltiest beers I have ever had. This one is so sweet that it approaches cloying, wayyy too sweet. There are some light liquorice notes and delicate hops but a late taste of overripe fruit kills this. The sweetness and relatively low carbs almost give the beer a syrupy consistency.

Way too sweet, though it does avoid the other main pitfall of doppelbocks, the dreaded soy sauce taste. Not something I would get again, Spaten and Paulaner make a better doppel.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 06:05:01 | More by VaterRoss

Domingo

Colorado

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

It appears that the version of this beer exported to the US is 9%, while the German version is only 7%. Never had that version, but I'm not too shocked. Big beers aren't too big over there after all.
Interesting that they seem to be going with the flow and catering to our bigger taste tendencies over here.
Deep mahogany brown. For a beer this potent, the head is readily available and sticks around as a full layer and then a sheen. A slight jostle of the glass reveals that it's still there for the life of the beer.
The flavor profile is definitely bold and sweet. Beers don't get a whole lot more malty than this. Everything from dark breads and chocolate to a hint of honey from the yeast all the way to molasses, figs, dates, maple, and brandy. The hops are surprisingly evident even when cool, and provide a little bit of herbal bitterness on the back of the palate. It's a full-on malt assault with a good hop profile...so it should be just as good as the likes of the Andechser, Ayinger, and Weihenstephaner doppelbocks, right? Not quite as it's a hair on the boozy side and the sweetness is just a little out of control. I imagine the "normal" 7% version is probably better in that regard and might be why comparisons to the all-time greats are often made.
Not quite one of my absolute favorites, but a really good one. I can imagine fans of big Scotch ales, old ales, or barleywines getting a kick out of it.
Good beer I'm happy to finally see in my area. Yet another stop in Bavaria I need to make. I'm curious what their local version is all about.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 01:44:03 | More by Domingo

SLeffler27

New York

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fills a pilsner glass with a dark garnet to brown beer with lots of carbonation clinging to the glass. A fizzy, beige head slowly blooms to half an inch and leaves little lacing.

Toasted malt with dark chocolate and some dark spices, similar to spiced rum.
Has a flavor of dark chocolate, is moderately sweet, with some hot buttered rum. Malted milk balls and crisp flavors are throughout. The finish is subtle and long.

This is a smooth, full-bodied beer that is almost creamy with soft carbonation and alcohol as expected.

A relaxing beer that pairs well with Groundhog Day. This one is comfortable like flannel warm out of the dryer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 18:36:08 | More by SLeffler27