Saxonator Dunkles Doppelbock - Jack's Abby Brewing

taez555

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a dark, but mildly opaque brown body with an off-white.

Taste is thick and full bodied, but still not over the top, with a very creamy and chewy almost liquid caramel flavor and consistancy. Lots of dark malts, raisins and dark fruit flavors dominate. If I didn't know this had a lager yeast I'd swear this was a Belgian Dunkel or even quad, not a doppelbock at all. There's a mild earthy bitterness that keeps the whole thing in check, but this beer is really all about the malt. Ends with a very nice lingering big malt, almost barleywine type finish.

What a killer beer. Jack's Abby continues to blow me away with each new offering. I mean after the hop resin monster of the Kiwi Rising, this just raises the bar again. Really runs a fine line between Belgian Dunkel and German doppelbock. Just a killer slow sipping big beer.

Serving type: growler

12-16-2011 21:18:52 | More by taez555

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

500ml bottle served in a pilsener glass. November 2012 indicated on the label. Pours a lovely copper hue with a fizzy, 2.5 inch tan-colored head with a translucent clarity and quite a bit of tiny bubbles effervescing in solution. Head eventually settles into a rocky, quarter inch froth with residual spots and strands of lacing adhering to the walls of the glass as the brew recedes. Nose expresses grape bubblegum and some biscuity/wheaty notes. Taste follows nose; however, not as sweet as I would have anticipated; everything present in the nose coalesces nicely and leads to a pleasant balance. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a pleasant, even carbonation and just a trace of oiliness to the texture. Overall, a very solid example of a style I'd like to see more of. Perhaps the best domestic Dunkle I've had (don't know why this is classified as a dopplebok). Alcohol is dangerously well-hidden as well. Wish these guys distributed in RI - thankfully I can easily cross the border to grab some.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:52:07 | More by Jwale73

davey101

Connecticut

3.89/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

November 2012 batch, 500 ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A - Pours a clear dark red body. Lots of khaki foam, thick edging with minimal lacing.

S - Caramel, dates, sweet brown sugar and malty bread. A bit of spice and booze on the end.

T - Dark fruit and caramel, spices, toasted malts, brown sugar. Syrupy sweet, a touch of booze on the end.

M - Thick and creamy, medium bodied with nice carbonation.

O - A very solid doppelbock. Not quite at the level of an Ayinger, but quite solid.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:12:52 | More by davey101

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.71/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Very dark mahogany with an off white head a good two fingers thick.

Aroma: Figs, brown bread, caramelized sugars, banana, clove, tremendous bready malts.

Taste: A very malty backbone, dark bread, minor notes of roasted hops. Figs, plantains, black licorice, dark fruits and toffee. The mouthfeel is chewy with some stickiness.

Notes: An amazing Dopplebock and very drinkable. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:14:30 | More by horshack7

brureview

Massachusetts

4.56/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured in a pilsner.
I wasn't expecting much despite the reviews. I was surprised. I am a fan of Ayinger Celebrator. This beer turned out to be as good with more depth.

Dark honey color with a 2+ finger head.

The aroma from the bottle and the head was excellent: dark fruit, malt. I wasn't expecting fruit in this lager- it's quite pronounced.

Mouth feel: carbonated and suit the style well.

Taste: deep malt, dark fruit, figs. The second pouring was even deeper fruit.

Another great beer by Jacks Abby. It may be one of my favorites from the brewery.

Class act !!!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 02:16:40 | More by brureview

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.94/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle into a 25cl Duvel tulip.

A: Clear deep chestnut body under an inch of tan head. Ok retention, nice lace. Pretty good.

S: Classic Doppelbock aroma of bread crust, chocolate, raisin, and earthiness. Solid.

T: Follows the nose. Maltiness abounds, with bread, dark fruit, and faint roastiness all playing their parts. Moderate bitterness and faint alcohol on the finish. Quite clean, pretty tasty.

M: Lively medium-to-full body. Creamy and mouth-filling. Great.

O: Very good beer, definitely one of the better American takes on the style. I really like the substantial hop presence. There are several German offerings that do a lot better, though.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:49:19 | More by woosterbill

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottled December 2012. 500ml bottle poured into an imperial pint glass.

Pours somewhere in between a deep amber and a muddy brown color. There are some nice orange/amber tones along the sides and bottom of the glass that make it lean toward deep amber when held up too the light. The beer looks opaque in the glass except for the far edges on each side. A decent head develops, probably a half in or so of off white foam, before it settles as thin cap. The lacing matches the head as it's fairly good at first with a nice ring of foam before tapering of and leaving a thin ring here and there.

The nose seems quite subdued, especially for a big doppelbock. There is some sweet caramel and a nutty note to it but there doesn't seem to be much depth to it. As the beer warms there is a yeasty characteristics that comes through along with a slight hint of dark fruit.

The taste is definitely a step up from the nose. The sweet caramel is definitely a leading flavor but the nuttiness and the dark fruit are better represented. It's bready and toast and even has a bit of a roasted note to it. The flavors come out a bit more as the beer warms, perhaps it was a touch too cold, but even then some of them are fleeting.

The mouthfeel is pretty big relative to a doppelbock but not really that big overall. Definitely full but not huge. Low to medium carbonation makes the beer incredibly smooth. The smoothness sort of keeps the beer together and helps the more subtle flavors to come across as they do.

I'm not too sure how I feel about this beer. I have had it in the past on draft and back then it felt like a monster, inching into quad-like territory. This bottled version seems far more tame. The flavors and aromas are nice but there isn't anything that draws you in and makes you want more.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 02:11:02 | More by ms11781

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

4 oz pour at Jack’s Abby in a tasting glass at cellar temperature.

L – Deep amber color with a 2-finger frothy cream-colored head. Great retention and lacing. Clear with lots of bubbles.

S – Lots of caramel, nutty, and bready malt with a hint of molasses and maple. This smells like it’s going to be fantastically sweet.

T – Sweet all the way through with caramel and bready malt, toffee, a bit of maple, and maybe some bittersweet cocoa at the finish. Very tasty.

F – Medium-bodied with good carbonation, a sticky and creamy mouthfeel, and a sweet finish.

O – This is an awesome beer and a terrific end to the tasting I did at Jack’s Abby. It is full of malts and definitely sweet but never cloying. I was really impressed with all of the beers that I’ve had from these guys. If you’re ever in MA, I highly recommend paying them a visit.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 03:28:59 | More by BlackBelt5112203

LeRose

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled, no date found. Poured a deep amber color into a lager glass. About two fingers of beige head. Slightly cloudy. Nice lacing on the glass. Smell is earthy, malty, yeasty almost bread like. Not picking up any fruity aromas, maybe some caramel and toffee type notes. Taste is smooth malty sweet with slight bitterness. The word silky comes to mind. Nutty, a little bready, definitely earthy, and yeast character. Some acidity, maybe a hint of raisin or date notes. Very clean on the palate, light to medium body. Carbonation is moderate. Some aftertaste of sweetness once I finished the bottle - seemed to build up some. Very smooth, balanced, and drinkable even with the alcohol. Seems well hidden to me. Enjoyable, sure wish there was more than on bottle left on shelf.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:10:08 | More by LeRose

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: orange brown in color, 3/4 inch head, hazy, high carbonation

Smell: deep caramel, alcohol, and deep dark fruit

Taste: deep caramel, alcohol, light roasted malt, and dark fruit

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, medium-high carbonation, sweet with slight bitterness

Overall: Good combination of sweet caramel with a touch of bitterness. Excellent value for the price. I will pick this up again even though there are others I prefer in the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 17:13:41 | More by tigg924

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark amber with a sticky cream-colred head. Reduced to a ring with some lace.

Dry malt aromas. Nothing else. Blind test I could not tell you this is a doppelbock.

Don't trust your nose. Rich dark burnt sugars. Dark fruit, cane syrup, and firm bitterness in the toasted malt that dries out at the end. Nice, but not super complex.

Fuller bodied. Some carbonation.

Drinkable doppelbock with some simplicity. Worth a try, but not even close to most German versions.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 22:10:38 | More by OtherShoe2

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a heated copper color. Clear body, no blemishes. Slow, sporadic bubble ascension. Head is a darling. An inch-high pillow of composed fluff. Leaves rocky lacing.

S-Yeast hits first. Very noticeable. Then comes the Pumpernickel bread and whipped chocolate. A hint of prune. Glazed doughnuts. Behind the talkative Lager yeastiness lies a subtle, earthen hop signature.

T-The yeast and bread display impressive muscularity. Semi-dry fig and prune. Over-toasted raisin bagels. Light, spicy hop addition. Caramel and molasses. After the first whack of Lager yeast and bakery medley, there is not a ton to decipher.

M-Booze is a bit wily but hey man, it's a shade under 10%. Fuller body. Light bitterness. Definitely a sipper.

O/D-Not my favorite from perhaps my favorite Massachusetts brewery but I will literally try every single beer I see on the shelf from Jack's Abby. The price-tag is always legit and the beer is even better. The true question is: would I like this beer more if it wasn't from a brewery that makes a few of my favorites? Or would I like it less without the respect that comes with the name on the label? I will never know.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 03:45:35 | More by VelvetExtract

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark and raisiny brown with light ruby notes and a big old light cream head that sticks around with light tight knit bubbles that are replenished rapidly. The beers body appears lager clean, but dark and fairly opaque. The lacing is medium width, sticky, and wall-like across the glass. On the nose, the beer smells of spicy raisins. Thick caramel malts are also present and slightly chewy alcohol. The caramel malts even turn a little roasted as you swirl the beer in your glass. The beer tastes surprisingly suppressed with spicy raisin and alcohol and light grainy cereal. The beer begins with spicy cereal notes before transitioning into sweet raisin and slight caramel and a quick burst of spicy alcohol before the tastes turns again to grainy cereal malts and slight biscuit and the faintest hint of roast malt and bacon. As the beer warms up and I drink it further I get more and more of a feeling of slight rauchbier characteristics in it, similar to Smoke & Dagger. On the mouth, the beer feels thick and chewy, and hits the stomach similarly. The mouth is left clean except for a slight scrim of spittle that wets the mouth for another sip. Overall this is a fairly decent dopplebock from Jack’s Abby. They hide the alcohol very well, but the thickness of the beer makes it a sipper (obviously…). It’s chewy and tasty, but it really doesn’t standout flavor-wise outside of the faint hints of rauchbier. It’s a good example of the style with some slight variations to add a “Jack’s Abby-flair” to it. A good beer for sure, and another wonderful offering from Jack’s Abby.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 00:02:28 | More by Maxwell

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Amber-brown in color with a fizzy off-white head that builds and fades quickly. No lace or retention.

S: Sweet, spicy, boozy malt. Brown sugar & molasses.

T: Sweet, fruity, slightly sugary malt up front with a nice hoppy finish. Surprising. Flavors come out as the beer warms. A bit of booze throughout.

M: Booze covers the palate with each sip but it's pleasant and complemented by the tasty, roasted malt.

O: An American twist on a very good style. Well done. Won't be my last beer from Jack's Abby.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 01:52:23 | More by Gatch

amphion1065

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An 11 oz. serving at the Publick House. Reviewed from notes.

Pours black, a shade of dark chocolate. A quarter-finger tan head really lasts and lasts, great retention.

Very dessert-like aroma. Chocolate, almost like hot cocoa. There's a slightly odd cola character, but it's not terribly distracting. The deep, malt sweetness wins out here.

I really hate to describe a beer thusly, but this is sort of like a meal in a glass. This is unbelievably bready and rich, with a very prominent flavor of chocolate. It's almost like chocolate cake batter, with a slight hop bite in the finish.

The mouthfeel is phenomenal. Thick and creamy, like a milkshake. Definitely a sipper, though the ABV is basically nonexistent.

Absolutely delicious, by far my favorite beer from Jack's Abby. A perfect seasonal beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 16:25:25 | More by amphion1065

Damian

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Drank from a 1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Berman's Wine & Spirits, Lexington, MA
Served in a pilsner glass

Crystal clear and dark mahogany in appearance. The liquid was topped by a tight, one-finger, light tan head. Drippy rings of lacing trickled down glass. The head faded to a clingy halo of froth.

The nose was pretty typical for a doppelbock. Nutty and slightly fruity with a stiff, toasted malt base. Crisp and smooth. A mild, sulfury, lager-like quality was noticeable. Fairly mild overall. As the beer warmed, the nose turned sweeter. The malts and the fruity notes also came out a bit more.

The flavor profile was similar to the aroma. Biscuity, toasty malts were apparent. Nutty and moderately fruity. Some booziness came through on the back end but for a 9% ABV beer it was rather well contained. The finish was surprisingly hoppy. Crisp and dry. The hops were earthy and herbal and they lent a good dose of bitterness to the beer but not a lot of flavor. Strong, resiny hops lingered on my palate long after the beer was finished.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Slick, creamy and smooth with a medium amount of carbonation. The beer felt light and frothy on my palate, but it still had a good amount of heft to it.

Jack's Abby produces some terrific beers, but this one was simply mediocre. I wish they could have kicked it up another notch, like they do with their other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:25:53 | More by Damian

mdfb79

New York

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 01/28/12 notes. Thanks to jslot38 for sharing this one. 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

a - Pours a deep dark amber color with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident. Leaves some light lacing on the glass.

s - Smells roasted malts, toasted malts, caramel malts, light dark fruits and raisins, and bready malts. Nice and malty.

t - Tastes of caramel malts, fruity malts, bready malts, dark fruits, raisins, figs, and toasted malts.

m - Medium body and low to moderate carbonation. Very smooth and easy to drink.

o - Overall a really nice beer from Jack's Abbey. Lots of malts and nice fruit to it, and very easy to drink. Very excited to try more of their stuff an EBF.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:58:54 | More by mdfb79

ksimons

New York

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-a dark amber with a thin layer of cream colored head that lingers

S-rich malts, raisins, caramel, and some dark fruits

T-taste is similar to the smell but a bit stronger. Rich malts dominate and gives this beer a chewy quality, sweet caramel, raisins, and a spicy alcohol finish.

M-full body, good carbonation

Overall a really nice mouthfeel, full and creamy, and pretty good tasting too. My first offering from Jack's Abby, I look forward to trying more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 00:52:03 | More by ksimons

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thick lasting head that leaves a solid ring of lace after every sip. Dark amber with ruby overtones. Mild haze.

Mild smell of light crystal malts and floral hop. No alcohol aroma as I would normally expect.

Malt start with a spicy (not hoppy) finish. Sweet without being cloy, the taste has several distinct stages: after the sweetness comes a warming alcohol moment that gives way to the bite of alcohol burn in the swallow. The spice steps forward as black and white pepper. The aftertaste is surprisingly brief, but the warmth (from the alcohol) lingers on.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 23:57:10 | More by smcolw

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a lighter fizzy 1/4 finger head that fades semi quickly, over dark ruby maroon brown colored beer with hints of ruby light coming through.

Nose has a bit of booze to kick it off (as this is poured at about 55-60 deg F, some typical esters assosciated with it. Then comes the malts, plenty of dark wheat like aromas and brown malts, a bit of a molasses and caramel like sweetness, bits of dried fruit, a slight biscuity malt aroma, and some light lager crispness.

Taste starts with darker malts actually, a dark malty flavor with a light cocoa and come caramel flavors, hint of molasses, and dark wheat flavors. Then the fruits, with light dried fig and date, fluffy and rich though. A little bit of booze comes through, warming at first but gets slightly tingly, with a touch of esters as well. I even get hints of spices like a cinnamon a little nutty like. The full body feels like it's melting in my mouth which is an interesting touch. A very slight hint of chocolate covered brandy soaked raisin adds a nice touch as it moves towards the malty finish. It stays a bit sweet on the finish, sticky as well, with more lingering malts, dark fruits, touch of cocoa, and some booze tingle.

Mouth is full bodied, decent carb, and some warming and tingly booze, but a bit sticky on the finish.

Overall pretty good, again haven't had a bad beer by them. This doesn't hint full on for most doppelbocks but a pretty good representation. Nice malts, fruits, plenty of booze which is one thing that is lacking in most doppelbocks, a full body with a lager crispness, and even some hints of darker malts like chocolate and crystal.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 19:19:50 | More by jlindros

Dope

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: A dark brown pour with some dark red in it. Decent offwhite head that fades somewhat quickly. Good lacing.

S: Earthy toffee aroma. Some sweet caramel. Maybe a touch of brown sugar?

T: Wow, big earthy toffee and molasses mixture up front. Sweet, thick caramel takes over and carries out after that. No bitterness, no hint of alcohol, nothing. Just smooth and creamy decadence. As it warms I get just a hint of cocoa in there as well.

M: Perhaps the best feature of this beer (hard to believe since the taste is so good). It's like drinking silk. Super creamy and super smooth. Just slides over the tongue like pure luxury.

O: Damn, I thought they couldn't top Kiwi Rising but this is just amazing in a totally different way. Never had a doppelbock that even comes close to this beer. Very unique style too, again unlike any other beer I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:38:25 | More by Dope

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's with anticipation. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a cystal clear hazelnut hue with a nice one finger creamy head that fades to leave a dense halo.

S - Aromas are pretty nice, smells more like a dunkel instead of a dopplebock. Nice sweet malts, very earthy with some slight bitterness on the end. Nice lager yeast on the nose as well. No ABV detectable on the nose.

T - Taste is quite nice. More of the sweetness, nice carmel notes along with some dark fruits (raisins, figs). At the end a slight bitterness to round things out and keep in check. There is some slight booze but again its hidden quite nicely. An interesting merger of styles.

M - Mouthfeel is quite nice. The carbonation isnt low, its just very light. That being said, not heavy but very light on the tongue. There is some slight ABV noticeable as it warms towards 50 but for the most part the ABV is wondefully disguised.

O - Overall I enjoyed this beer. Though while I enjoyed this it is not my favourite Jack's Abby offering. Still, very interesting take on a dopplebock, very nice flavours and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 04:51:34 | More by rudzud