Captivator Doppelbock - Tree Brewing

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Alibi Room in Vancouver.

A: Slight cream head over mahagony liquid.

S: Faint cherry and caramel.

T: Caramel malts mostly with some cherry.

M: Thin to medium viscosity and low carbonation.

O: An average doppelbock with decent drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2012 22:34:22 | More by DaftCaskBC

morebeergood

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Alibi Room in Vancouver on 03 July. Served in an oversized snifter. Dark brownish red color. Only a thin head floated on the top of the glass. Smell was of dried cherries and a hint of smoke. Flavor was borderline excellent. Had a wonderful raisin flavor, with a boozy rum essence on the tongue, followed by a large wallop of malt on the aftertaste. Tasted better than any doppelbock I have had in a long time. Mouthfeel was thick but smooth. The drinkability was also very well made, as the 8% was not really noticeable behind the great flavors and the silky body. Probably the best beer I had the whole trip in WA and BC. I am glad that I was able to try this brewery. I also picked up a bomber of their DIPA for a friend because I want to spread the word about Tree Brewing.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2010 19:48:11 | More by morebeergood

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From old notes.

A - Poured amber and bright. Strong carbonation coming up to a 2 finger fluffy beige head. Head was really creamy. No real lace and a finger of retention.

S - Big toffee and caramel notes. Wether's Originals, butterscotch, fruity aromas too. Nice.

T - Toffee, dark fruit, rich and bready.

M - Good carbonation, medium to full body, dry finish.

O/D - Nice Doppelbock. Easy to drink. No alcohol and a pleasant sipper. Flavour could be more complex like the aroma, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 14:23:11 | More by tbeckett

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Copper in colour with burgundy hues. Head was about 1/2 inch and then collapsed within 10-15 seconds. Beer has some particles but other then that very clear. No lacing.

S: Sweet malt, prunes, raisins. Just loaded with dark fruits and a hint of biscuit/bread in the back.

T: Again, full of dark fruits, biscuit and bread is present. There is an alcohol warmth with some well balanced bitterness to balance the sweetness of this bock.

M: medium bodied, well carbonated, slick on the tongue.

O: This is a great doppelbock. Makes me proud when I see a Canadian company make something from Europe and succeed at it.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:38:58 | More by Kremlock

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a clear dark copper color bock with a medium size foamy head with average retention and some light lacing. Aroma of light hazelnut and caramel malt with light medium sweet toffee notes is interesting. Taste is dominated by residual sugar with some medium caramel malt and toffee notes. Body is somewhat light for style with medium carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Overall, this fell a bit short of my expectation with not enough interesting ester and the residual sugar felt a bit flat.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 16:48:13 | More by Phyl21ca

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with decent carbonation. Tastes slightly sweet, with dark fruits and some caramal and chocolate coming through as well. But the sweetness is kinda off on this, making this hard to finish the whole bottle. The alcohol isn't that noticable, but the drinkability suffers on this one. Was hoping for a little more from this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 05:59:32 | More by WeedKing4

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: brown with some red like rich maple syrup; clear

Aroma: mild; bready; sweet malt, syrupy

Taste & Mouthfeel: thick, sweet, syrupy (sorry, third time that word has popped up but it's true) malt; creamy mouthfeel with good carbonation; almost a smokey hint in the background, could also be read as a dark chocolate bitterness; provides a good foil to the rich sweetness

Overall: rich and warming, just what a doppelbock should be, with a little something else interesting floating around

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 23:54:36 | More by BGDrock

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from the LCBO, 650ml into a tulip.

Dark brown/burgundy with a cream head. Good lacing and retention. Nose has sweet bready malts, caramel, a touch of grape soda, dark grains and a hint of chocolate. Tastes sweet, but finishes dry on the palate with more dark bready malts, caramel, grains and a shred of chocolate in the finish. Warming alcohol, but it's not really present on the palate. Heavier medium body. A reasonably good bock, that's quite adequate.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 17:41:34 | More by liamt07

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear tawny brown with a scant foam up of beige head. A handful of lazy bubbles slowly make there way to the surface.

S: Sweet light caramel malts and dried dark fruits.

T: Sweet malts and dried fruits with a mid note of bitter sweet chocolate, on par with dark chocolate coated raisins. At the end there is some very mild warmth from the alcohol, and finishes smooth but without a noticeable aftertaste.

M: I find the body doesn't hold up to the robust coco, fruits and malt flavour. It's a bit thin and I was hoping for a syrupy thick coating. Not terrible - just a little bit thin.

O: This is a decent brew that for a bock is a good representation of smell and taste. There might be some tweaking necessary to improve the complexity, but overall it's a decent drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 03:06:23 | More by FondueVoodoo

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer just comes across as meh. Fairly bland, boozy, but not really interesting in any way.

Pours clear chestnut brown with a substantial head. That disappears very quickly, and after some initial lace, is just clear liquid.

Nose is some dark fruit and molasses, but quite subdued. Fairly sharp, biting carbonation. Again, some dark fruit and molasses, some sweetness, but mostly bland and boozy. When the most noticable thing about your brew is how sharply carbonated it is, I think you've missed the mark. Safe to walk on by, you won't really be missing anything.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 00:57:17 | More by TerryW

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber picked up at the LCBO; dated 10/09/12. Recently I've been going out of my way to pick up examples of styles that I haven't tried yet - and so here I am pouring this doppelbock into a mug. I've only had one Tree brew prior to this (Hop Head IPA while in Edmonton) , but I recall enjoying that, so hopefully this one will fall along a comparable set of lines.

Pours a deep reddish-brown colour that glows a bright, clear crimson when held up to the light - definitely a bit dark, but not opaque. The one finger of off-white head seated atop the liquid evaporates soon after the pour, leaving behind scant lacing and no real cap. I want to give this a higher score - but when I finally poured the rest of the bottle in (after it had warmed quite a bit), there still wasn't really any head. It's just not the most impressive-looking thing I've ever seen, but at least it smells good - it has a pleasant, sweet aroma that brings to mind caramel, raisins, dark cherries, apple butter and grape jam.

The flavour is dominated by big, bready dark malts with a hint of toasted nuts. Lots of toffee and brown sugar sweetness, and a whole rainbow palette of 'dark fruits' - raisins, cherries and plums come to mind, among others. Toward the finish, the heat from the alcohol mingles with some dryness that reminds me of spent coffee grinds and vanilla. Malty aftertaste with some slight lingering dryness. On the light side of medium-bodied, and disappointingly watery - sorry but I expect more substance from something with this much ethanol heat. A little slippery on the palate, with some chew. Not too hard to drink quickly because of the lighter body, but I'd rather sip it.

Reasonably tasty stuff, but my socks were nowhere near blown off. This is considerably boozier than most of the regular bocks I have tried, and a bit tastier, but the watery nature of the brew doesn't jive particularly well with the big malty flavours or poor alcohol masking.

Final Grade: 3.7, a respectable B grade. With no other doppelbocks under my belt and only a short list of regular bocks to refer back to, it's hard to give any recommendations or comparisons relating to this. So all I can really offer is an uninformed opinion: Tree's Captivator Doppelbock is pretty good, but not great. I have a history of taking a while to warm up to beer styles of higher ABV, so it's possible that I'm merely being harsh on a brew that just isn't up my alley. I won't have any trouble finishing off this bomber, but picking this up again will not be a priority. Certainly worth a try, but not something to go on a quest for.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 00:24:42 | More by thehyperduck

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Given the deep russet tone and some very flashy, becoming highlights, Captivator Doppelbock can definitely be said to be photogenic. This despite that, due to the dark tone, it's only halfway clear and can appear almost murky at off angles. This also despite that its head is so thin as to appear only as mist and its lacing lasts only temporarily.

The brewer tells us to look out for "hints of toffee, light caramel and hazelnut" in the aroma, but what sticks out to my nose is an assortment of dried fruits. There's also an overwhelming impression of freshly-grated cinnamon.It smells like a Christmas cake. It's instantly enticing and made even more lively by a rash of spicy alcohol vapors.

It took only a sip or two to conclude that this beer is missing something, and that that 'something' is definitely mouthfeel. It is paper-thin and laminated in a harsh, solvent-y, somewhat burning alcohol spice. There is no impression of attenuation - as if the grain refused to part with its flavor - as it displays little caramelization and no melanoidins.

The beer, despite lacking a toasty, rich full-bodied flavor, still manages a taste that is packed with roasted nuts (brazil nuts, pecan) as well as interweaving notes of dried cherries, dates, and golden raisin. There is also the aforementioned hints of toffee and caramel, although they are thin and lack the usual accompaniment of rich, toasty malts.

Captivator is a good recipe that's only been partially executed; the brewer at Tree has proven himself capable enough, but I think he needs to work on his lagering and decoction mashing. The amount of malt tasted versus alcohol - it's like trying to put out a fire with a squirt gun. With a few changes, this could be on par with the other excellent Tree offerings. Until then, I have no interest in acquiring another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 19:50:16 | More by biegaman

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours deep red with a shortlived tan head that's compact but long lasting. Not much, if any lace sticks to the glass. The aroma is of plums, molasses and christmas cake. Malts are king in the taste. Stewed fruit and caramel soaked bread mix with a hot dark rum character. The mouthfeel is slightly viscous, rather full bodied, whil also low in carbonation for a lager. The finish is sweet and pretty boozy.

This is good Doppebock. Expansive malts, a showcase. the ABV isnt that well hidden though. Still worth a try, especially for Bock lovers.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 04:41:22 | More by CAMRAhardliner

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

650ml bottle
8.0% ABV

This is part of the Tree Brewing feature at the LCBO for May 2012. I tried this beer after purchasing from the King and Spadina lCBO outlet in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer poured a translucent dark brown colour with a this white head. Aroma is roasted malt, dark fruits, bread and yeast. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with mild carbonation, and a dryness feeling. Flavour is sweet malt, some caramel and grainy notes. Not much in the way of bitterness until the very end.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 01:41:19 | More by cyrenaica

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into pint. Date on bottle is 10/09/12

A- Crystal clear burnt brown pour with a finger width light beige head. Lacing is minimal.

S- Nice sweet caramel, toffee, brown sugar and vanilla. Digestive cookies and a wonderful butter tart aroma.

T- Caramel, toffee, brown sugar, butter tarts, dark stone fruits and a little bit of burnt coffee and toast.

M- Lighter side of medium bodied, sticky on the lips and slightly chewey.

O- A good Doppelbock is hard to find (especially brewed in Canada) and this one is up there with the greats.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 23:04:58 | More by korguy123

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pinkish brown. Very light for brown, dark for red. Smallish white head.

Smell consists of bready malt, a bit of cherry, raisin, caramel and a "clean" smell that I associate with lagers.

Taste is similar to the body. Bread, cherry, raisin and caramel. A bit of hazelnut.

Surprisingly light bodied for 8%- feels a bit insubstantial. Moderate carbonation.

Overall, pretty average doppelbock IMO. Not one of my favourite styles to begin with but this one doesn't do it for me. Fine but not something I would get again.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 02:15:13 | More by jrenihan

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

650mL bomber from the LCBO as part of Tree's spring release.
Love the bottle design - the monks in the label turn a shimmering gold when held to the light. Simple, but effective.

Poured into my standard dimpled bock pint glass. Caramel-ruby in colour, somewhat hazy, head is short-lived but leaves a thin ring.

Nose is classic doppel bock: strong malt presence, dark bread, caramel, raisin, chocolate. Very nice.

Tastes like a doppel should - rich, hearty, nice fruit character, good blast of caramel and chocolate. Despite the four days of high humidity, this brew is going down pretty well. Medium-thick bodied, carbonation is a bit hot, so I'll be cellaring one for next winter.

Good doppel - well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 20:40:55 | More by JohnnyBarman

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ruby red/mahogany colour, one finger of tan head and basically nothing in the way of lacing as well. Smell is malty with lots of dark bread, darker fruits, raisin, a little bit of roast, chocolate and caramel, some meaty points with a noticeable sweetness. Taste is malty and slightly sweet, caramel and toffee flavours, dark bread, fruity with chocolate in the finish as well as some nutty flavours. Pretty good mouthfeel, light carbonation, medium body. Nice doppelbock, flavourful and enjoyable, finished the bomber with ease and something I would gladly revisit.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 16:27:02 | More by peensteen

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tree Brewings "Captivator" @ 8.0% , the 2012 edition served cold from a 650 ml bottle into a stein
A-poured beer bottle brown with a reddish hue , small off white head that quickly dissipates and very minimal lacing
S-sweet caramel , brown sugar, molasses and some nuttyness
T-a fruity raisin/fig sweetness up front , hints of sweet caramel and hazelnut followed by toasted malt , nicely balanced
MF-medium body , smooth , light carbonation , warm feeling as more is consumed
Ov-a slow drinking beer , a warm booze feeling , pleasant , I will cellar this beer and visit this doppelbock again

Cheers LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 06:40:35 | More by LampertLand

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a dark mahogany with a finger width of beige, bubbly head.

Smell - Caramel, toffee, slight nuttiness (hazelnut), slight vanilla.

Taste - Very nice and rich caramel and toffee flavours. Nice supporting role by the hazelnut flavour. Finishes with a return to the sweet caramel and toffee.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall - A good Doppelbock representation by Tree Brewing. The sweet flavours are quite nice, and I appreciate the supporting role played by the hazelnut - a very nice touch. One of the better Tree offerings out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 03:52:36 | More by leaddog

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a nice deep amber-red with a finger of off-white head.

Smell. Brown sugar and fruit cocktail syrup with a little booze.

Taste. Caramel, a little booze, maybe a little raisin and melons. Sweet with a slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium-light carbonation.

Overall. I liked it okay. Probably won't buy again, but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 02:37:09 | More by Rutager

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to kjyost for this bottle.
Poured in to Duvel tulip.

A -Medium copper/brown colour with the slightest translucence and one finger of khaki coloured head that quickly disappeared.

S - Sweet caramel, brown sugar, toffee, molasses.

T - Very sweet. Dark caramel, toffee, brown sugar. Some faint dark fruit notes are present as well as a noticeable alcohol bite. At times there is an unpleasant metallic taste present but it is os barely distracting.

M - Medium body. Creamy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 02:39:15 | More by TheSevenDuffs

BasementBer

Manitoba (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Glad this one has made it to our shelves in this neck of the north.

A: Malty brown with a soft off white head. Mild head retention.

S: very sweet notes of brown sugar and bourbon-esque sharpness.

T: Sweet and heavy. Mild burn in the finish from the abv.

M: Nice coating on the tongue and has a good crisp feeling, slight boozy burn in the throat but could be far worse.

D: The size of the bottle for this one is a bit of an ask, i would prefer a standard bottle for such heft in the abv.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 04:29:48 | More by BasementBer

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

650 mL bomber from Spring 2011 purchased fresh at the MLCC, served at ~5C into a tulip.

A - Deep ruby red and clear. Light tan head that descends too quickly, although rings lightly, leaving no lacing.
S - A rich nose as the beer warms, thick malt that is dominated by dried fruit aromas of dates, figs and raisins. A bit of light sweetness on the body.
T/M - A similar taste to the nose. Thick and viscous body with dried fruit dominating. A light warming alcohol comes across the palate later, lingering in the finish. Little bitterness nor hop presence noted. Lots of residual sweetness in the body plays well with the fruit flavours
O - An enjoyable malty beer. Not my normal sipping beer, but a welcome change from my normal styles.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:24:46 | More by kjyost

spree92

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is the spring 2011 release. Thanks to LazyL for sending this my way.

A deep red mahogany with an inch espresso color head. Small amount of toffee malts and fruity yeast on the nose. The taste is tart fruit, grapes and figs, alcohol is also noticeable. No trace of hops. The mouth feel is full but light and easy to drink. Glad I tried another beer from a west coast Canadian brewer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 23:39:35 | More by spree92