Blonde Doppelbock - Capital Brewery

AltBock

Ohio

2.94/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

12 oz. bottle with a simple, but classic label of the Capital Dome surrounded by a blue record. Coming out of the record are thin gold lines. In the lower left hand corner is the ABV%. No back label because all the mandatory Government information along with another picture of the Capital Dome can be found on the neck label. No best before date, but there is an inked bottle code on the neck.

When poured into a Paulaner Salvator Pilsner glass, this "Blonde" Doppelbock was a clear amber orange with a streak or two of lemon yellow. The head of foam was a complete disappointment. The initial head of foam was 3/4 of an inch in height and egg shell white in color. Even though it was a decent size, it was one of those fizzy heads of foam. This fizzy white head of foam fizzled away in a matter of only one second. It didn't even bother to leave a steak or spot of lace. I only saw a small handful of rings along the edge. That's all she wrote folks!

This Doppelbock had a semi sweet aroma. The most dominate aroma was the sweet malt. There wasn't much of anything behind the sweet malt. All my nose was able to find was a pinch of orange peel and a subtle whiff of hops. Even when I swirled this beer around and around, nothing new came out. More sweet malt emerged, but that was it. Again, that's all she wrote folks!

After the disappointing appearance and smell, I was hoping that this beer would come through where it matters most, the taste. I hate to say this, but it didn't. It was just as disappointing as the smell and taste. The taste was all about the sweet malt and the alcohol. I'm still not sure why a 7.8 ABV% Doppelbock had so much alcohol in it. In between the sweet malt and the alcohol was the taste of orange and bitter hops. It was too hard to tell what kind of hops they were. Not much going on in this beer unless you really like the taste of alcohol.

Medium bodied Doppelbock with an OK level of carbonation and a quick aftertaste of sweet malt and more alcohol. Even though I could taste the alcohol at every twist and turn, I couldn't feel the alcohol go to work.

I tried so hard to find something nice to say about this beer, but it's so hard when I find a beer that has very little to offer. I was hoping that not all of these tasted like this so I bought another bottle from another store. I got the same thing from the second bottle. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 02:40:09 | More by AltBock

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.19/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

12 oz twist off bottle poured into a pilsner glass.
7.8% ABV, 2012 bottle.

A - Beautifully golden honey in color, this lager is hazed with fine particles and topped with a plump off-white head. It's poor retention could be due to the alcohol percent but there isn't much excuse for a complete lack of lace.

S - Generously malty, Blonde Doppelbock has a nose filled with light fruity alcohol notes and caramel sweetness on the finish with a touch of Vienna malt dryness. Hints of white grape esters emerge on the finish of this crisp and malty lager.

T - Dry toasted Vienna malt and bready notes of Munich press forwards with caramel sweetness, giving it a robust malty taste. While mild alcohol that's lightly fruity in nature adds notes of white grape on the finish for a unique doppelbock.

M - Capital's Blonde Doppelbock has a medium-full bodied feel with an inherent smoothness that finishes a little slick and dry from light alcohol but ends with gentle carbonation for a great feel.

O - It shouldn't be news to anyone that a lager; doppelbock especially, from Capital Brewery would be anything less than great. This aged Blonde Doppelbock shows faint signs of degradation with a faint overall cellar mustiness but it remains drinkable and quite enjoyable regardless. I can't wait for Capital Bockfest next weekend!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 22:35:49 | More by BeerFMAndy

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber with a finger of khaki colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Slight breadyness & pears

T: Some pear & breadyness, plus herbal hops up front. Pears & white grapes as this warms & just a hint of caramel as this warms, but mostly orchard fruit. Finishes fruitty with a touch honey malt &
pineapple

MF: Fairly chewy, low carbonation

A good bock that has a few flaws holding it back, but I drink this if offered it, wouldn't buy it again though

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 01:14:53 | More by russpowell

One2Remeber

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter

A: Pours blonde in color with a thick, yellowish head. Dark maze body, clear with a slight haze.

S: Strong, musty aroma. Prominent sweet malts. Hints of corn with a thick molasses. Sour aroma typical in golden bocks.

T/M: Rich body, tastes like a blonde ale with sweet wort frosting on top. Really slow on the way down. Slightly bitter carbonation on back end. Do not get any hop presence.

O: Well put together. Rich flavor but very straight forward. Extremely drinkable, could use more complexity. Then again I am comparing it too Bell's Consecrator which is a malt bomb. For a "blonde" dopplebock it is exactly what I expect.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 02:18:00 | More by One2Remeber

160Shillings

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Strong malt aromas with slight caramel. Moderate alcohol aroma.
Appearance: Deep gold color. Creamy white persistent head made of fine bubbles.
Flavor: Powerful malt flavor with abundant melanoidin. Slight caramel flavors. Warming alcohol flavor from start to finish. Decidedly sweet with low bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body with medium carbonation. Very smooth.
Overall Impression: A stronger but lighter version of a bock, perhaps a double version of a Maibock.
Comments: This beer taste more like a malt cordial than what most people think of as beer. At 7.8%, it is more of a treat than something you would drink with dinner. Still a very special treat for malt lovers.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 04:02:40 | More by 160Shillings

MrSpiffy

4.45/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Sweet honey and malt. No real hop aroma.

Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy, it foams up in your mouth as you sip it. Very smooth, coating the mouth. Nearly zero carbonation.

Taste: Sweet and creamy, with honey and malt very prominent. No hop flavor noticeable, and just a tiny hint of bitterness. Slight toasty notes on the end.

Overall: I love it! It's a big mouthful. A big, creamy beer. Excellent choice for an after-dinner/dessert beverage.

Other info:

Cost: $9 per 4-pack
Caps: Twist-off
ABV: 7.8%
IBU: 15-20 (estimated)

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 13:49:05 | More by MrSpiffy

dhannes

Wisconsin

4.55/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had the 2012 at the 2012 Bockfest, served in a 16 oz. plastic mug.

A=Smooth, creamy golden yellow...more inviting than the pale straw of lagers...perhaps a bit warmer in color. Head was 2 fingers of white foam.

S=Sweet smell...hints of sugar, butter and cream.

T=A smoothness to it...the best way to describe it is buttery/creamy...not a cream ale. Carbonation was in check...probably would appeal to those that traditionally don't like beer due to smoothness and creaminess. Alcohol was well hidden I thought.

M=Spot on. Very drinkable, with low carbonation and no bite from alcohol. We were limited to the one tap and I found myself slowing down as to savor every sip.

O=With just the one sample, I leaned toward giving this a 5.0, but will definitely buy a 6-pack and sample some before elevating the rating behind 4.5. If you are in southern Wisconsin and are looking for a smooth beer (would pair well with alfredo sauce and possibly red meats), this is one you need to try.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 15:25:10 | More by dhannes

plfahey

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a wine glass.

Appearance-Burnished gold/honey amber color with moderately high clarity. Short cream colored head has decent retention and shows some lacing.

Aroma-Sweet grainy malt aroma with notes of white bread and honey. Moderate pear and cherry fruity esters. Slight toasted sourdough crusts. Low green, herbal hops appear briefly in the background. There's a perfumy alcohol note in there as well.

Flavor-Sweet caramel toffee up front with light pear fruitiness. The midpalate brings floral honey notes before closing with white sourdough and dry, warming alcohol. Finishes with moderately low hop bitterness, a touch of woody hop flavor and a good helping of alcohol.

Mouthfeel-Medium full body with moderate carbonation. Thick and yet somewhat smooth on the palate before moderate alcohol warmth kicks in in the back of your mouth.

Not bad, but it doesn't blow me away either. Somewhat reminiscent of a Belgian Blonde with a little less yeast character. I would expect what is basically a hellesbock to have a bit more hop flavor to it, and perhaps a bit higher bitterness. The aroma is quite pleasant, but the flavor dissipates quickly on the palate, and the alcohol in the finish is maybe a tad harsh. Pretty drinkable, but not my favorite for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 07:58:46 | More by plfahey

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(2010 bottle in May 2013 -> this has been aged too long. Aroma is mostly flat and malty, taste is similar.)

Tipping the bottle I produce a >2cm head, dirty white in color, of small bubbles. This fades, over a minute or so, to a thin ring around the glass. Lacing is fairly minimal, a few splotches here and there. Beer is a cloudy golden copper in color, "blonde" for a doppelbock as they say, faint carbonation visible.

Aroma strongly of vanilla blended with classic doppelbock scents of heavy, malt and caramel sweetness. Ethanol detectable, but it's sweet to the point of being like dried figs pickled in it. This is a rich cascade of smells, quite excellent.

Taste opens with malty vanilla-essence, a touch of apple cider to it. This flares into doppelbock malt sweetness, slightly toasted, with some caramel notes. Alcohol is too noticeable in the back half of the taste for a doppelbock with an ABV of 7.8%. This needs to be tamped down a bit. Aftertaste of heavy, syrupy malt sweetness and lingering ethanol.

Medium to medium-heavy bodied with just the right amount of carbonation to make this slightly foam on the palate, producing taste and aroma. Finish is semi-dry, and slightly sticky from the malt.

This is another quality, interesting doppelbock from Capital. While needing a reduction in alcohol to showcase the full extent of its qualities, it is still quite enjoyable. Enjoyable to consume now, and hopefully in a future where the ABV is knocked down a notch.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 05:01:14 | More by falloutsnow

stercomm

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle

A - Coppery dark honey in color, very slight head, minimal glass lacing

S - Malty carmel, toffee, alnost figgy sweetness.

T - Toasty carmel and toffee with some slight bitterness on the finish

M - Medium bodied, slight carbonation and sweetness.

D - Interesting taste profile, not a bad brew

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 23:44:22 | More by stercomm

nickfl

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with one finger of whit foam on top of a clear, copper colored body. The head settles at an average pace and leaves average lace.

S - Sweet malt with a hint of darker toffee and nutty caramel. Some spicy hops in the background as well.

T - Thick, bready malt up front with some fruity caramel. More rich malt in the middle with more toffee and toasted character. The beer finishes with moderate bitterness and a hint of herbal hop flavor that is balanced by the thick, sweet malt.

M - A thick body, moderate carbonation, and a somewhat sweet finish.

D - A pretty nice dopple bock. It kind of straddles the line between a dark bock and a helles bock with a brown color that adds some nutty complexity to the malt profile and a light enough malt character that the hops can shine through a bit. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 05:55:20 | More by nickfl

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Looks golden apricot-colored, semi opaque, nice head that falls apart quickly, no lacing, low carbonation in my bottle, but nice thick heavy body that supports the dense flavors quite nicely.
The nose is quite boozey in character, vaguely whisky-like at times, perhaps almost too boozey. Rampant odors of dark fruit esters almost smother the sweet malt odor, which would be just fine if this were a Belgian Ale, but it is not. This brew could stand to have the alcohol trimmed down a bit in order to better show off the malt characters.
Taste is where the malt is at. Sweet delicious malts, an interesting spectrum of grainy goodness, the flavor profile of an excellent doppelbock somewhat hampered by being overly hot with ABV around the edges. The mouthfeel is smooth and pleasant, however.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 21:42:13 | More by WastingFreetime

PorterLambic

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a dark, golden amber bordering on orange. Good head develops but drops fairly quickly. No lace and just a faint island remain after 5 minutes.
Smell is malty, of course, with a dark fruit/candied orange note that is very unexpected and very nice. Whiskey note fainter with just a touch of Oak and vanilla.
Taste is all of that. The malt and candied orange notes present first and strongest with whiskey and the vanilla and oak following.
Balance is good throughout. Nicely warming at 7.8%. Full-bodied and lightly effervescent. Somewhat clingy, almost cloying after the swallow though with a coating on the tongue and palate. Aftertaste is very nice and mellows well. Glad I bought the 4-pack and not just a single.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 00:35:52 | More by PorterLambic

shand

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

This one pours a fairly clear orange-red color with two fingers of head that goes down fairly quickly, but a bit of head lasts for quite some time. Aroma is grainy, malty, citrusy, and a bit alcoholic. The taste here is quite interesting, the main thing I get on the tongue is booze, but it's not overbearing. It's actually tempered well with some green apple, grains, lemons, and caramel malts. But, yeah, it's a boozy brew. The mouthfeel is fairly full and decently carbonated, and the drinkability is pretty good, considering the booziness. This brew almost reminds me of a barleywine since the alcohol is just so forward. Either way, it's a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 05:02:00 | More by shand

hdelavega

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from from a 12oz bottle to a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Thanks to Chris C. for this brew.

Transparent golden amber, had about an inch of white head that receded pretty fast. Pretty visible carbonation.

Has a nice aroma of malt, light hop and maybe some green apple?

Taste is alittle sour, like lemon leaf or green apple, also has some malty notes In the body and some hops in the finish. Also abit of yeast.

Feel is pretty smooth with a medium body and a slight hoppy finish.

Overall not to bad I love a good dopplebock, I've never seen a blonde one before so I was happy to try it.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 05:05:11 | More by hdelavega

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a translucent caramel-copper hue and is capped with a rather short-lived head. I am not sure what to think about the blonde-ness of it; safe to say I prefer my doppelbocks on the dark murky side.

S - The nose starts out really nice, with notes of toffee, caramel, toasted nuts, and raisins. It devolves from there to exhibit an unfortunate husky character.

T - The taste is lightly sweet, toasty and grainy. Notes of dried golden fruit and honey are apparent as well. It is a pretty nice take on the style, but a little light on depth or complexity.

M - Creamy and just above medium-bodied.

O - Not great, but far enough above average to revisit in the future.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 04:17:19 | More by ktrillionaire

Duff27

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

February 2010 bottle

A- Pours an amber/light red into a pilsner glass. Half inch white head. Effervescence looks great. Good lacing and head retention.

S- Smells of a boozy pilsner, what?

T- Very malty. Thick robust bread character. Slight green appley booze. Tasty!

M- Creamy/somewhat syrupy, medium to heavy mouthfeel.

D/O- Quite refreshing even for a higher ABV beer. A four pack of this in the summer would be great for wasting away an afternoon outside. Capital knows doppelbocks, period.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 01:48:13 | More by Duff27

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Decent and interesting and bang on the style. Some funk in aroma, wheaty, yeasty. The taste is sassy blonde. Above average mouthfeel.
Bottle gifted from the brewmaster and from the owner in Tampa meetup.Told this bottle ages for eight years or more, but it was hot out and the bottle cold. Drinkability was OK.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 22:12:54 | More by northyorksammy

BasementBer

Manitoba (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Great clarity with a bone-white head of foam. Not the best in head retention.

S: Hard alcohol, whiskey like. Almost sweet mixed drink character to it. Though Im not reading anything that says its been aged in those conditions.

T: This is the first Capital I can say has a body. The flavor is sweet and malty with that bite of a higher alcohol. Toffee like notes in the finish with slight bittering characteristic.

M: Fizzy at the front as most capital's seem to have, and heavy alcohol makes this a stronger wash but doesnt burn in the throat as you may expect.

D: I can say its the best I have tried out of several from this brewery but I don't think I would go back to back with this.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 00:39:32 | More by BasementBer

adman08

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Golden amber color with minimal head that fades quickly. Very clear.
S-Slight grainy aroma with a faint hint of citrus. Slightly funky smelling.
T-Malty, a hint a citrus and slightly earthy.
M-Good body for a pale beer. Decent carbonation.
Overall, this is a delicious summer time bock. It does pack a bit more punch than your typical warm weather beer but the flavor, unlike darker bocks, is still fairly light and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 01:21:24 | More by adman08

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought a 4pk bottle of this at Woodman's in Janesville, WI for $8.39 in Spring 2011.

Pours a pale amber color with a thin and fastly diminishing head. Some scents of sweet carmel malts, grainy wheats and a little lemon citrus. Packs a bold taste for a lighter colored beer. A very complex mix of malts and grains that leave a very dry taste in your mouth. Interesting to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 22:19:43 | More by Lemke10

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains honey, lager yeast, light caramelized malts, some fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready from lager yeast and a hearty malt character. Then some strongly sweet flavors of honey, caramel and fruit follow. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, light but good representation of style, this is a very solid beer worth drinking for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 03:30:04 | More by TheManiacalOne

scaliasux

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - Amber. Clear with evident carbonation. Tall of-white head with persistence.

Smell - Sweet malts. Not particularly strong.

Taste - Heavy dose of medium roasted malt. A honey like sweetness, but quite rich. Hint of alcohol. Rich and very pleasant taste.

Mouthfeel - Creamy. Medium to full. Alcohol warmth.

Overall - This should be the official drink of March in Wisconsin. It looks like summer's coming, but it gives you what you need for March. Something worth looking forward to every year.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 03:51:53 | More by scaliasux

mjpolzin

Wisconsin

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was just a very standard beer to me, nothing special.

The color and smell were pretty average. An orange golden color that could have been any of hundreds of beers out there. The smell was about what you'd think a bock would smell like.

When I took a sip, I was expecting something more to kick in; maybe a little more bitterness, maybe some sweetness (because I saw people reference a sweetness in other reviews) but there was nothing there.

If I did have to say one positive about this beer, the 7.8 abv is well hidden and the beer does go down rather smooth so if you were in the mood to polish off 3 or 4 of these and get a nice little buzz going; this beer would work. There are times I am looking for that but on this particular Friday night, I wanted something good to sip and enjoy and it just didn't do it for me.

EDIT-I have held onto a few bottles of this for a few months now and after having one tonight, I noticed more booziness than the last time I had one. I don't know if just a few months is enough to bring out characteristics from cellaring it but it was for sure packed more of a punch than the last time I had it. Another factor was that right before I drank this tonight, I had two lesser alcohol beers so it may have made this one seem more boozy.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 02:24:40 | More by mjpolzin

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: golden bubbly orange/amber body, trace head, very little lacing

S: whiff of malt, slight spice and fruit scent, mild honey, wish it was tad stronger

T: big firm malt, slight sweet fruit taste

M: medium body, smooth, semi-sticky finish

D: CAPITAL IS ALL ABOUT BOCKS!! This is delicious, they just know how to make delicious bock brews.
Pick up this seasonal gem. Give it a try. It's funny, but only in the past few years have I grown to enjoy bocks.
The 7.8% ABV is well hidden and I could down the whole 4 pack, but probably not a good move.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 23:25:38 | More by BeerLover99