Dark Doppelbock - Capital Brewery

shbobdb

Indiana

3.35/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Capital is an amazing brewery, but this offering left me feeling cold. It looks pretty much like any other Doppelbock I've ever seen, but the smell is one-dimensional: Cherries. The taste is the same, cherries, cherries, and more cherries with a side-dish of cherries. Now, a hint of fruit flavour in a complex beer is a good thing, but if I wanted to eat cherries, I would. If I wanted to drink cherries, I'd buy kirschwasser. Top it off with a mouthfeel that is quite lean for the style and you are left with a mediocre brew.
Reach for their Autumnal Fire if you want a stellar doppelbock. This one is not their best offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2006 19:31:57 | More by shbobdb

Blakaeris

Iowa

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours mahogany brown with red-copper highlights. Head is light and creamy.

Smell has plenty of malty sweetness, vanilla, chocolate and dark fruit.

Taste is similiar to the nose with the addition of a wonderful earthy nuttiness, and a slight hop finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and quite smooth.

This is a very drinkable solid brew. The complexity is surprising and keeps you coming back for more.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2005 17:43:54 | More by Blakaeris

dirtylou

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single, Riley's

appearance: pours a vibrant dark amber, mahogany, very clean looking, decent sized khaki head, and nice lacing

smell: quite potent...very rich, sweet and malty, slightly chocolatey, juicy red apple and lots of other dark fruit, toffee, banana

taste: just as vibrant as the aromas would indicate...sweet and toasted malts, candy like sugarness, red apple, toffee, brown sugar, slight banana, bready, lots of dark fruit,perhaps a touch of alcohol...another explosive fruity doppelbock from capital

mouthfeel: clean, crisp, medium bodied

drinkability: pretty drinkable

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2005 01:36:54 | More by dirtylou

Golden2wenty1

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a single at Riley's here in Madison. Never can overlook a new Capital dopplebock, the world champion of lagers.

Pours a dark amber/garnet, nearly brown with a cm of khaki head. Nose is bright potent, with notes of cherry, vanilla, raisin, and caramel/toffee malt. Taste runs with the vanilla-soaked fruits and robust, sweet caramel malts. Mouthfeel is rich and slick, like a good dopplebock should be. I really enjoyed the warming vanilla/fruit notes that spruce up the malt backbone. I could down a couple of these on a cold December night without a second thought. Another superb Capital dopplebock.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2005 23:10:51 | More by Golden2wenty1

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. Capital Dark Dopplebock pours out a dark brownish red color with a big, dense head. The aroma is chocolate, molasses, and spicy hops. Flavor is rich and malty. Strong grain flavor. Sweet at first, then turns bitter with a clove spiciness. Many of Capital's beers, especially their dark beers, have this same clove flavor. A little fruity, with grapes and plums. Mouthfeel is medium to full. Decent drinkability. This is a very tasty dopplebock.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2005 01:06:07 | More by beveragecaptain

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bochtech for the bottle. This brew showed it's cola like colors, but lacked and toppy head for me to enjoy. Aromawise...still searching...very low, seems to have some sweet metallic notes, but over-all the aroma is pretty low. Tastewise things pick-up with an over-all German quality. Medium + mouthfeel, low carbonation, rounded malty sweetness, distinct bitterness in the finish, all in one fell swoop. This is the most Germanic doppelbock I've had all evening. Alcohol in the finish seems a bit chewy as well.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2005 23:14:04 | More by PatandDavid

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle obtained via trade with CRJMellor. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/8" light tan head over the dark amber brew. Head quickly fades down to a light layer of bubbles, and lacing is minimal. Aroma is sweet malts with a vinous character to it. Taste is hearty, husky malt sweetness, with a slight warming close. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both good. Just wish the appearnce and aroma would have wowed me a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2005 23:04:40 | More by ppoitras

CRJMellor

Arkansas

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, dark amber with copper ridges. Small bright white head fades quickly after the pour leaving no real lace.
Aroma of rich, dark caramel, fruity chocolate, some honey roasted peanuts and a floral hop hit.
Flavor of toffee, caramel with a bread/biscuit note. Burnt, roasted notes throughout with a big batch of fruity and sticky honey notes.
Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, fairly sweet upfront with burnt, roasted notes towards the back and a hint of warming alcohol. Imparts a fresh, fruity aftertaste.
Drinkability is very high. True to style and great balance and sweet and roast. Another winner from Capital.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2005 01:45:05 | More by CRJMellor

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nothing will ever come close to Celebrator in the Doppelbock category but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some other good ones out there. This is a fine example of that fact. Pours a dark brown color with a reddish halo. Thin, dense beige head and thin lacing. The aroma is sweet roasted malt, nuts and dark fruit. Medium-bodied and smooth with a well-rounded array of flavors, from malt, caramel and vanilla to nuts and hops. The only downside is the flavor disappears quickly. The upside is taking that next drink to refresh the flavor isn’t hard at all. The finish is mostly sweet malt with a touch of raisins. Good work on this one by Capital.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2005 23:12:38 | More by Dogbrick

granger10

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wow, this is one nice offering from Capital, my first time trying them. Flavors a big with a robust body. Lots of maltiness in here with underlying sweetness but not really any residual sugars. Caramel is dominant but there's chocolate in there, some vanilla, some dark spices, and then a dryness in the finish. Alcohol is warming and has a cameo in the body of this beer. Robust yet smooth. Easy drinking, very enjoyable. I want this all winter long. Thanks Craig.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2005 23:20:52 | More by granger10

bashiba

Iowa

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured very cola like in appaerance a medium brown with thin light colored head and lots of carbonation.

Smelled very sweet and fruity like dates and raisons with a bit of cedar poking through as well.

Taste is a very nice mild maltiness with a clean woody flavor blending in with some slight hints of dark fruits. Finishs with a good clean mildly sweet and bitter earthy hoppiness. Very balanced and good.

Mouthfeel is full and slighty syrupy but still ok.

Drinkability is pretty good another solid Capital Beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2005 00:42:53 | More by bashiba

Skidz

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours out bright burnt sienna and sits a gleaming dark ruby-brown in the glass with a good sized light tan head, fading rather quickly leaving the surface mostly bare.

Smells of deep roasted grains in a crackery like build. Hints of raisins and prunes come thought the sweet, malty core. Faint notes of hops, adding a touch of spiciness.

Tastes sweet and malty up front and is paired with a nice does of sharp hop bitterness that is accentuated in its spiciness by the drying alcohol on the sides of the toungue. Grainy and husk like flavors come out a bit too much. Dates and withering prunes present a bit of fruity character. Finish is nicely bittered with continuing dryness of the alcohol.

Smooth and rich in the mouth with nice, light carbonation in a medium-full body. Very clean feeling, soothes the insides.

Rather drinkable; I'd rather drink this, or any other Capital dopplebock, than any of Capital's other offerings. Tasty all the way. A nice roasty and toasty warmer for the cold-season.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2004 03:57:51 | More by Skidz

longarm

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light disappears into the abyss of this malty brew, only to emerge subtlely flickering dark and reddish brown. Frothy pillows of foam linger only briefly, which is not surprising for a high-alcohol brew.

The aroma is basic, but initially strong smells of alcohol are followed by breadlike odors. Hop aroma is very slight. Letting the beer breathe for 10 to 15 minutes releases sweeter smells that somewhat mask the alcohol.

In either the case of a dunkel or a doppelbock, I would prefer it to have a little more munich malt flavor. The name suggests the presence of darker malts than what I actually perceive on the palate, but I can't deduct points based purely on expectations given the name. As with the aroma, a 10 to 15 minute breathing relased more sweet and malty flavors. Still, very strong alcoholic flavors dominate and knock it a little off-balance.

Mouthfeel is not thin relative to most beers, but is a little thin given the style. This could be a residual effect from the limited munich malt character.

Generally this is another fine lager from Capital Brewery, which continues to produce high-quality substitutes for the German originals. Although less malty than I expected, it was still quite good and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2004 16:46:44 | More by longarm

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a dark syrupy brown, settles to a darkened rustic peach skin color, recieved a thin tannish head that faded way to fast to a thin ring and very small, minimal amounts of drippy spotty lace.

Wiff...Ahhh....Hello...Malts! One major malty nose, quite hefty and full of tangy sweetness, characteristics of a ton of toffee, some dark orangeyness, with plum, raisin and starfruit.

Taste is more of the same - highlighting a huge malty sweet tang, very full, bold, lightly chewy, steady even sweet toffee loaded goodness upfront with a slight roastyness to it, then heads right into soft sweet citrus of very dark orange mixing lightly with raisin and plum notes and a bit of molasses. Interesting light hoppyness comes through near the end giving a texture of a earthy bold taste thats short lived and then finishes with a quick little smokey nutty sense thats also short lived and then heads right back to a light tangy grab on the tongue. Quite a complex brew. Nothing out of the ordinary and what I come to expect out of Capital when it comes to the dopplebock. Had to have two bottles cuz its complexity is perplexing; plus its yummy good eh.

Feel is pretty full; thick and rich with a hindering smooth creamyness much like a light syrup. One nice brew by the folks at Capital - another balancing act done to perfection.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2003 02:42:19 | More by tavernjef

Winter

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a ruby-brown in color with a tan head. Sweet aroma consists of dark fruit, fig, banana bread, malt and alcohol. Medium to thin-bodied mouthfeel. Rich malt flavor is supported by a strong raisiny and molasses sweetness. The dry finish evaporates the sweetness right off your tongue, though. Overall, a pretty good doppelbock, but the dark fruit flavors seem to be a bit overpowering throughout at times.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2003 19:19:29 | More by Winter

cokes

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The 2003 release....and what a turn around! Welcome back.

Deep copper-trimmed mahogany with a short-lived beige head.
Intense malty splendor encaptures the sinuses. Prunes, raisins, grapes, alcohol, vanilla and oak. As far as aromatic malty brews go, this is right up there.
Taste follows a similar path. Heavy toffee maltiness. Adding to the sweet fray is distinct maple syrup and molasses sweetness. A touch earthy and grainy midway, yielding to a dark fruit brigade of raisins, plums and port-like vinous traits. Hopping is there, but barely noticed.
Big ,rich, thick, hefty, sizeable mouth presence.
A very nice evening ender.

The 2003 batch is head and shoulders above any of the past editions that I've sampled. This is a great doppelbock and now rivals their Autumnal Fire.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2003 23:22:34 | More by cokes

marcobrau

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A light brown color. Almost wine-like aroma of chocolate and fruits including plum and perhaps fig? Very smooth, tawny, almost port-like notes with a dry finish. Yes, a dry finish, in a dopplebock. A welcome surprise. Like a fine wine, this beer exerts its strength quietly, and very beautifully. A first-rate dopplebock!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2003 18:41:12 | More by marcobrau

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a small, but lovely, butterscotch-colored head, slowly simmering, with a color dark brown/near black. Aroma is a jolt of dark fruits and spices, anise, cloves. Great bitterness, with mighty malt to back it up. Reminiscent of a barleywine. A bit too thick in mouthfeel, but overall, a good, rewarding, wintertime warm-up.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2003 13:04:28 | More by feloniousmonk

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Its wintertime, time for the Dark Doppelbock to takes its two month place as the Capital flagship...

Clear, reasonably dark brown with orange light highlights coming through the glass. Head is scant and fleeting. Caramel and chocolate aromas, some clove -- very nice smell. Viscous full body, malts are deep and long lasting and enhanced by aroma. Tastes of light maple syrup, and some slight rum, along with a sizeable sweet fruit sense, a difference with other Capital Doppelbocks. Slightly more hop than Autumnal Fire and Weizen Doppelbock, as well. Quite good, nice body and flavor, but not quite the standout that the other Capital limited release brews are.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2002 12:23:02 | More by ADR

Wildman

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured a dark red amber color and had a nice light tan head that left some lace. An incredible aroma of malt and chocolate to this beer, one of the more powerful aromas I have smelled(lived with smokers all my life, so that takes some doing). The taste was of malt and chocolate. The finish was fairly good, and the body lighter than a stout and some porters, but what you would expect in this style. A good beer and worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2002 20:00:28 | More by Wildman

ZAP

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

An excellent doppelbock...dark mahogony in color...creamy soft white lace...great maltiness on the nose...A lovely malty doppelbock with very little hop bite...not overly sweet but some slight stickiness on the finish..some breadiness to it...I like this one because it has a great malt flavor but is still easy drinking. It lacks the heavy complex taste and texture of SA doppelbock, but it is much easier drinking...I could bang down six of these easy in one night...I couldn't say the same for the SA(which I actually like better overall). Excellent beer..

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2002 22:18:03 | More by ZAP

Andy

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Not as exquisite as I once recall, but still a deliciously malty doppelbock. Deep rich ruby color with a strong malt nose that is somewhat winy. Credit Kirby Nelson with producing very drinkable beers. German malt flavor is not overpowering but is well balanced. Though so full in body, it is still drinkable. Never cloying but still malty strong.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2002 19:47:48 | More by Andy

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The color is a slight shade of brown. Aroma has a great maltiness to it. Smooth body. There's a nice malty sweetness. The yeast used must have achieved good attenuation because I don't get much sweetness from residual sugars. I do get a bit of roastiness in this doppel. Very solid in my book.

Re-review on Feb. 22, 2003:

This beer tastes a lot better than I remember. It has a poweful nose and a thick, chewy mouthfeel. There's a Bighuge molasses flavor present that is extremely enjoyable and incorporated into the flavor profile nicely. This is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2002 01:22:54 | More by Bighuge