Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying

nofalltoofar

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Dark dark brown with an off-white head. The head faded in about 5 minutes. It looks like a perfect glass of onyx.

S: Sweet and dark with caramel and slight musk of coffee

T: Savory and dark, aftertaste is middle-of-palette and crisp. Notes of cinnamon, caramel, honey. Strong grain presence

M: Smooth, good carbonation level without being excessive. Not as thick as stout, but good consistency so it doesn't go down like water.

This beer was a profound experience. I was at a Brazilian steakhouse on somebody else's check. I ordered a Doppelbock of some other brand I didn't recall. They told me they had run out of that and that this was the only other doppelbock they had. I said thanks and they poured. I have never been a benefactor of such beautiful and just coincidence in my life. It's like meeting your future wife in a car accident. It's like finding a gold deposit in your basement after a meteor caves in your house. This beer changed the way I thought about life. I'm not exaggerating. I do not know how else to put it.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:57:25 | More by nofalltoofar

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

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

21st Oct 2012: Cafe De Grendelpoort in Valkenburg is now in ABT Allientie van Bier Tapperijen, the Dutch bar group of friends who promote good beer. Every month they have an on-tap beer (in each of the bars) never before seen on tap in The Netherlands. My luck was in because this lovely beer was the chosen one for Oct 2012.

I had quite afew during my three night stay in town: There are enough reviews of this on here already, but it is a cracking brew and I thought even better on-tap than the bottled version. Having it poured into the correct stemmed vase-like glass adds to the enjoyment as well.

Just a joy to find it on-tap!

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 08:57:24 | More by BlackHaddock

rangerred

Tennessee

3.85/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a nearly opaque dark brown with a half finger tan head that fades rather quickly leaving just a tiny bit of foam on top. No lacing.

Aroma is full of malt. Lots of caramel, toffee, and burnt sugar along with an almost soy sauce like character but it is not off-putting. A touch of chocolate as well.

The flavor is very heavy on the burnt sugar/caramel but it doesn't become astringent. This leads to some milk chocolate and a touch of coffee and toast. A little hop bitterness towards the finish but it is far in the background. Malt dominates. Mouthfeel is full and sticky/sweet but stays just below being cloying.

Overall, one of the best Doppelbocks out there. This is probably one of my least favorite styles but I can appreciate it for what it is; a nice, malty, cold weather beer and this one really packs in tons of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:00:55 | More by rangerred

tarheels86

California

3.58/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

355mL. Pours a deep deep ruby with lower carbonation and a small, dark tan, lingering head. Aroma is black cherries, coffee, minerals, coffee. Taste is less fruity, almost like a smoked beer with tobacco, chocolate, savory meat, cinnamon. Nice mix of roasted coffee and mild, sweet barbeque. Raisins, brown sugar, black cherry soda and caramel come through. Overall very drinkable, lighter palate, neutral aftertaste. Fairly decent, but again this is one of the few decent doppelbocks to be distributed stateside. Like almost all German beers, they don't hold up well in the bottle. Need to find this on tap or stick with local dunkels in Germany. Or better yet, pilsners/lagers.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 21:48:15 | More by tarheels86

RichardMNixon

Delaware

4.23/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First time I'm rereviewing a beer, with a bit more experience and I think a better or fresher bottle of it.

It pours a dark ruby-root beer colored body with a finger and a half of persistent off-white head. The smell, while pleasant, is faint and is the beer's major weakness. The mouthfeel was chewy and perfectly carbonated at first. As the beer warmed, the caramel scent grew stronger, improving the aroma, but the mouthfeel weakened, becoming more watery and one-dimensional. If there's some perfect temperature sweet-spot where the two trends lined up it would be marvelous.
The taste is certainly the selling point. Leads off with a burst of caramel that drops off slowly leading up to an aftertaste of chocolate and toffee. These guys know their malts.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 16:00:37 | More by RichardMNixon

denver10

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown with a nice thick, frothy khaki head. Smell and taste is pretty much straight up raisin bread, minus the cinnamon but add some molasses. Flavor includes a nice creamy finish with a splash of some cocoa. A medium bodied to fuller, creamy mouthfeel. Overall, very nice. Glad I finally got to try this one and I will definitely try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2012 02:24:01 | More by denver10

Dope

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark mahogany. Huge light brown head. Fades very slowly, however only leaves fluffy tufts of lacing behind here and there.

S: Loads of dark fruits. Raisin, grapes, cherry, plums and fig. Very earthy with some hints of cocoa and caramel.

T: As mentioned above, dark fruit overload. There's cherries, raisin, figs, prunes and grapes. Lots of them. Very earthy in the middle. Hints of cocoa on the back end with more hints of dark fruit, slightly drying.

M: Medium bodied, a bit drying.

O: A well-attenuated example of the style. Lots are very sweet, this is actually surprisingly dry. The earthiness and dark fruits really shine here. Excellent beer, surprising complexity in only 6.7%.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 04:56:23 | More by Dope

Ford

Texas

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

If you like Doppelbock's, this one is outstanding.

Had it at the Flying Saucer Beerfeast in Sugar Land, Texas.

All the typical DPB flavors. Really was great. Had to go back for more on this one at the festival.

I wish I could have tried it side by side with Real Ale's 16th anniversary Dopplebock. Would love to compare them head to head.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 22:10:44 | More by Ford

RussBecker1

4.65/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Whew! This is one helluva beer. This doppelbock has a malt profile unlike anything I have ever tasted. One of the most complexly balanced flavors I have ever had the pleasure of tasting and without question the best doppelbock I have gotten my hands on. The profile begins with a smooth hit of tangy molasses, but directly before that flavor gets to be too much, the profile shifts to a great hit of hop bitterness and a twinge of alcohol. In addition I got a bit of what I think may be coriander, and it was all wrapped up beautifully with a harsh smoke note and a beautiful caramel coffee finish. It is not often I find doppelbock, but when I do I snatch up every bottle I can get my hands on.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 15:38:04 | More by RussBecker1

brystmar

New York

3.93/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Plastic goat hangs around the neck of the bottle. Brown body, tan head, not the best retention. Toasty malts, bready aroma. Smells slightly sweet, not pungent enough.

Toasty, sweet malts; deliciously creamy body; finishes dry. An enjoyable beer that's quite good for the style, but definitely doesn't deserve a spot in the Top 100.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 23:44:33 | More by brystmar

jondeelee

Massachusetts

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

Celebrator opens with a rich, malty, yeasty nose, liquid breads and bread dough spilling forth in waves of marble rye, French baguette, honey wheat, and thick brown bread, all topped with a gooey thread of molasses and wildflower honey. Add to this a good measure of brown sugar, vanilla, caramel, toffee, and lighter touches of coffee and cream, as well as a good range of fruit esters, including raisin, fig, black cherry, orange liqueur, date, and prune. The aromas aren’t necessarily powerful—perhaps a seven in terms of sheer strength—but they are exquisitely nuanced, balanced, and developed, resulting in a nose that only lightly taps your chin, but still somehow knocks you to the floor.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a wave of bread dough and toast crust that carries mainly dark wheat and grain flavors, but these are soon joined by a rush of molasses and brown sugar, and following just behind, caramel, toffee, and creamed coffee, as well as darker fruit esters (fig, prune, date, black cherry). In subsequent sips the molasses, date, fig, prune, and black cherry notes come out more clearly, kept earthbound by marble rye bread, spent grains, and touches of pepper. Late in the mouthful a cola, or perhaps kola nut-like flavor emerges, and this carries into the aftertaste, along with a surprising amount of sugars and breads, which linger on the tongue for a very long time in syrupy goodness. Mouthfeel is a slick, syrupy medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is one of the finer Doppelbocks on the market, and while it’s not one of the strongest, it is one of the more balanced, flavorful, and all-around fantastic examples available. Too many beers sacrifice the beauty of nuance and tempering for beat-you-over-the-head hoppiness/sugars/alcohol/etc., and it’s very nice to see a beer that’s obviously been made by someone who knows the supreme strengths of subtlety and crafty understatement.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 19:05:15 | More by jondeelee

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a

A - Dark brown with good clarity. Small cap of dark caramel head holds a small cap. No lacing.

S - Smooth light chocolate malt alongside a dark nutty quality. Raisin, red fruit character. I get some sweetness inside.

T - Velvety smooth malt. Rich/dark caramel tones, with bitterless dark malts. Warms up slightly near the end joining forces with some balancing hop bitterness. Finishes clean.

M - Light side of full bodied, medium-light carbonation. Semi-sweet.

O - Rich smell to this beer followed by an even richer flavor. Very clean lager. Alcohol is relaxed enough to let other flavors shine. A little lighter than expected. Sweetness was minimal.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 01:56:37 | More by Jparker37

cosmicevan

New York

4.83/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

picked up locally. enjoyed from a bell's tulip.

a - brew poured a deep purple that settled as black in the glass with a small creamy almost belgian looking head. lacing was spotty and slippery and hardly held onto the glass at all.

s - YUM. dark fruit, nutmeg, figs, raisins. roasted and toasted malts. smells perfect to style.

t - FANTASTIC doppelbock. grapejuice, nuts, some brown sugar. some faint hints of cocoa.

m - awesome creamy feel with great carbonation.

o - overall, one of the best, if not the best doppelbock i've ever had. i love this style and am kicking myself for not trying this one sooner. i am blown away and in love with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 01:01:20 | More by cosmicevan

GMB

Japan

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

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock pours a black body that turns deep crimson red when held against a strong light source. A moderate pour and some vigorous swirling fail to produce any head to speak of.

The beer's nose is very nice: Roasted malts suggest molasses and chocolate; the yeast and alcohol contribute the smell of raisins and prunes. There is a faint tinny aroma at first, but it seems to disappear after the initial sniffs.

The taste follows the nose, but is much richer: chocolate and molasses. The taste of alcohol is nicely balanced; present but not intrusive. As the beer warms, the flavor of dark raisins moves to the fore and mingles with the buttery yeast-derived flavors. Imagine butter-braised raisins and prunes, molasses, and bittersweet chocolate.

The beer's body is full and rich, as one expects from doppelbocks. There is perhaps too little carbonation. Creamy froth would augment the appeal of these flavors.

The nice balance of alcohol-derived and roasted-malt flavors that one finds in Ayinger's Celebrator places it among the best representatives of the Duppelbock style. This is a delicious beer, and I'd gladly drink a more. Still, I hold out hope that one day I'll run across a rendition of this style that delivers at every level. This one didn't.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 23:28:32 | More by GMB

pkalix

California

4.65/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

i got a very dark (ruby around the edges) pour from this, with very little head on top.
the smell is of a very toasted, malted elixir, very reminiscent of an age long passed. i'm happy this stuff still exists, though.
the taste is sweet and dark and i absolutely love this stuff! i love the sweetly malted taste and the beautiful smell i get when i put it to my mouth.
i like the round feeling of carbonation with the thickness of the taste.
overall, although i have had a couple of these within the last year, i realized i hadnt reviewed one yet and i'm at a loss to explain the difference of the recent tastings versus the tastings of 20 years ago. this is certainly one of the best beers i have had in the last couple of years and the fact it comes from Ayinger doesnt surprise me.
20 years ago, the little goat hung from the neck of the bottle in a thicker, red and white intertwined rope; today's offering is a pathetic little red string i could floss my crowns with. yes, it was noticed. i still have several of these GOATS hanging from my DER BARON's mug from yesteryear and this pathetic little note confirms the cheapness the old empires have sunk to. and 20 years ago, though, i didnt like this beer much . . . . i'd love to find this stuff on tap...

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:33:38 | More by pkalix

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.83/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle served in a mug.

Review nr. 500 deserves a worthy beer!

A: Pours a clear deep and dark amber color. Nutty. Forms a big beige and bit creamy head when poured. Medium retention and only few lacings formed and left in the glass

S: Very toffee. Roasted malts, brown bread ans Lager yeasts. However, it's quite fruity with notes of raisins and figs. Oak. Lovely

T: Sweet upfront. Toffee, roasted malts, caramel malts, brown bread, Lager yeasts. Notes of chocolate. Light hoppy/roasted bitterness in the end

M: Medium body. Slightly molasses. Medium to low carbonation. Aftertaste is roasted and light bitter

O: Excellent drinkability. State of art German Doppelbock

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 18:32:06 | More by eduardolinhalis

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Incredibly dark brown, looks black until held to light. Minimal carbonation and head. What head does form is off-white and creamy. Clear and still. Some nice deep reds as well.

Smell: Cocoa, chewy, nutty, roasted malts. It's liquid bread. Nice roasted character with some nice caramel malt sweetness. Incredibly bready. Fresh-baked brown bread. Backing bite of alcohol. Raisins and figs. Some minor grass. Fruity and malty.

Taste: Fruity esters mix with bready, sweet caramel malts. Cocoa, some milk chocolate, and a touch of nibs. Apple, caramel, alcohol, and roasted malt. Mild toasted edge. Some fig and plum. Brown bread. As it warms the alcohol becomes a bit more pronounced with the sweetness. Caramelized malts.

Mouthfeel: Minimal carbonation. Smooth and creamy with a medium body. Nice and clean.

Overall: You could live off this. It tastes of a meal.

Bready and delicious. If I had to drink this as my only meal, I think I could manage. Drinkable and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 01:14:21 | More by Goblinmunkey7

T100Mark

California

4.68/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2 ounce brown bottle. There was a small plastic goat tied to a string, hanging off the neck of the bottle.

Appearance-Dark brown/amber color. Light tan colored head that never entirely disappears.

Smell-Burnt marshmallow. Steak on the grill.

Taste-Black liquorice. Portobello mushroom. Teriyaki. Tobacco.

Mouth-Full bodied. This is not a shy beer.

Overall-Where do I start? This beer overwhelms the senses. Even by Doppelbock standards, this is a complex beer that is loaded with personality. I really enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 03:12:41 | More by T100Mark

Dave1999

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours pure black with no head and some bubbles fizzing on the surface.

The smell is dark rich malts, plums,rasins and treacle. There also a sweet smokiness to it.

The taste is much like the smell, rich and malty with dark fruits, raisins and plums. The depth in taste increases with every sip.

The mouth feel is quite thick and chewy with some slight carbonation.

Overall a decent beer but I think there are other dopplebocks just as good at a lower price.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 02:27:37 | More by Dave1999

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml, purchased Fall 2011

A - Black, with light mocha head. About an 1", dissipates kind of quickly

S - Slight sour, tons of roasted malts. Coffee grinds, raisin, some plum for the top end.

T - Roasted everything. Some sourness at the beginning which I taste less as I drink it.

M - Dense, but quickly evading. Low carbonation, could do with a touch more.

O - Very nice. One of the best. Not my favorite style, but if someone was wondering what a doppelbock tasted like, this would be it.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 00:20:24 | More by Beelzebeer

WillCarrera

Illinois

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

12 oz bottle, poured into a pokal glass.

A- Pours a dark brown color with ruby highlights, produces a thin khaki head that leaves spotty lacing.

S- Nice toasted malt aroma with caramel and some fruit and raisins.

T- Big malty sweetness, toasted grain and caramel, some hop bitterness becomes more evident towards the finish, considerable booziness lends some sweetness as well.

M- Medium to full body, carbonation is nice but the feel could be better.

O- Doppelbocks aren't really my thing, if you like them then you'll probably like Celebrator, it's not a bad beer but there's something about it that isn't clicking with me.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 20:03:54 | More by WillCarrera

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: deep brown color with a sizable tan head that leaves some froth.

S: banana and dark fruits along with sweet malt

T: again fairly heavy on the banana, but has a nice sweet and malty taste to go with the roasted flavors.

M: medium-heavy body with a pleasant carbonation that is just perfect for me. Not overwhelming or harsh at all, but gives the body a bit of a lift, still leaving it feeling smooth.

O: excellent beer, but I'm not a huge fan of the style. For the price, there are better beers to be had. Had this one at a bar on a chilly night, and it was great.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 22:23:30 | More by Holland

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a deep dark (yet clear) brown with three fingers of fluffy tan head that lasts for several minutes, leaving behind some lovely curtains of lacing on the glass. Medium body and carbonation levels, silky smooth texture.

Smells of dark crusty bread and all kinds of milk and baking chocolate, faint aroma impressions of a comforting childhood mug of hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows floating on the top and birthday cakes... It's not often a beer actually makes me feel nostalgic, but this one does. Tastes of roasted malt, toasted bread (wheat, rye, & pumpernickel), molasses, light amounts of dark cherries, and light earthy noble hopping combined with just a pinch of smokiness.

I highly recommend trying this one. It's a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:28:41 | More by WastingFreetime

Danny1217

Florida

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

Dark brown color. Nice brownish head. Good retention. Smells of caramel, dark fruits, toffee, and sweet malty grains. Very malty flavor. Tastes of bread, cherries, caramel,and a bit of a roasted coffee character. Medium body, ample carbonation. Great beer. I'm sure I will enjoy it even more once I become more acclimated to the doppelbock style.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 21:16:14 | More by Danny1217

chiccabeer

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is one of the best double bock beers. It has a milky smooth feel with a great flavor. It does not have a hard hitting flavor, but it keeps in a decent malty flavor that stays with you after you finish it. The smell is not intense, but smells slightly sweet. This is a good beer to have any time, but is slightly heavier so I would suggest you have it after a meal.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 23:11:53 | More by chiccabeer