Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying

themind

New Jersey

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

Had this beer years ago and to date it is still a very good beer. Pours a decent head and has an excellent aroma. The thing about this beer is you can drink multiple beers and still enjoy each one unlike some specialty beers that are one and done.

World Class? well it's really good! just a well done brew.

Bottom Line: Good beer, get some!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 20:32:43 | More by themind

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

330ml. Mahou Stem Glass. Enjoyed on jun´12. Real brown color, ruby to the light. Tan, creamy, small bubbled froth. Slowly dissipated crown, thin layer left til the end. Floral aromas, hints of chocolate, sweet toasted malts, bready crust notes, yeast & Noble hops fragancies. Very kind chocolate & sweet malty upfront followed by soft bitterness. Creamy, velvet, palate. Slightly ripe dark fruit flavor in the middle involved in fudge chocolate. Full body, soft carbonation. Subtle hoppiness & sweet coffee touch into the long finish. Very pleasant & easy drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 21:12:34 | More by GONZALOYANNA

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I first had this beer about three years ago. Since that time, I have grown to appreciate the dopplebock style and wanted to revisit this one. This is the first time I have reviewed the beer.

Poured from bottle into a pint glass, a very nice brown sugary aroma was apparent. The dopplebock appeared a very dark brown and allowed a half inch mocha-colored head at the top of the glass. For the style, it exhibits an appropriate amount of retention. The initial taste was a sweet brown sugar with a bread/biscuit backbone. It almost comes off like a good homemade cookie in liquid form. There even seems to be a hint of spice or cinnamon involved. The aftertaste is moderately warming with the sweetness of the brown sugar yeilding into a molasses flavor. The impression of thickness allows the flavor to linger.

This is about as close to perfect as one can get for this style. Of course, the fact that it is actually made in Germany only helps the cause.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 00:27:07 | More by JohnnyHopps

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-dark brown color with a light tan head and some lacing

S-roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, toffee

T-rich dark-roasted malt, chocolate, toffee, plums, hints of molasses and coffee, nice complex mixture

F-medium body with light carbonation, rich and smooth mouthfeel

O-the standard for this style, complex and well-balanced beer to be savored

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 12:32:44 | More by MDDMD

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a pilsner glass.

pours a dark cola brown - borderline mahogany - while yielding a frothy 1"+ head; decent retention, some patchy lacing evident. nose isn't as bold as i sort of expected given all the glowing reviews, but it's decent: malty, with some brown sugar, dark fruits and a spice presence.

a sip and the somewhat unimpressive aroma is forgotten. much ado in the robust, malt-forward flavor: notes of cherry, figs, dates, brown sugar, spice, a bit of caramel, even touch of smokiness. not much in the way of hops, but a damn tasty beer. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall, i'd stop short of naming this the world-beater that i kind of expected, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an excellent beer.

(originally reviewed: 06-27-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 23:00:43 | More by BostonHops

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.68/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First time I've had this is about 20 years. Truly remarkable how it is virtually identical to how I remembered it to be.

In the bottle this is a gorgeous smell of sweet brown sugar which is balanced by a savory roastiness.

There is really no head which might seem a real negative but this is helped by a beautiful dark oaky red brown colour.
In the mouth there is fullish penetrating prune, meat and a luxurious dry chewy earthy end. Bit of fizz in there too. Absolutely totally delicious. And do I detect an echo of the classic taste of Old Peculier in there as well? That's probably taking things a bit too far but without a doubt this deserves all the praise it gets. And then some.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 19:11:05 | More by Zimbo

CloudStrife

New York

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle with goat ornament poured into a chalice.

A: Pours a deep dark mahogany with a 1-2 finger light khaki head. Light only gets through the edges of the glass, pretty dark brew. Head sticks around for a minute or two before tapering away.

S: Strong molasses and dark brown sugar. Roasty malt and over-ripe fruits like raisin and fig. Overall its pretty sweet and quite inviting.

T: Roasty malts, sweet molasses and fruits similar to the smell. Dark sugars provide a toffee like taste. Smooth and a great representation of a doppelbock.

M: Lighter body than I expected, a little watery. However it is quite balanced and very easy drinking.

Overall an excellent beer, would love to try it fresh on tap. A must for anyone in search of trying all of the good beers. This beer is what most try to replicate for this style.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 20:24:54 | More by CloudStrife

kevanb

Illinois

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

Celebrator pours a deep dark brown, almost black color, hints of ruby and burgundy when held to the light and despite the dark color, it has a clear complexion with no haze. A nice tan caramel colored head sits atop the beer with very compact bubbles that dissipates quickly leaving behind only the lightest lacing. The aroma is great, huge notes of dark malt and heavy grains, some faint chocolate is also apparent as well as a hint of tobacco and molasses. The grains really dominate the nose, really brings to life the phrase "bread in a glass." The flavors are just as nice, big notes of malt and grain, like a nice dark brown bread, some hints of cocoa, molasses with tobacco at the end. I was almost expecting some woodiness, but it never really comes out, there is such an emphasis on the malt bill that the auxiliary flavors don't really take over like they would in a stout or porter. The one unexpected element to the palate is some dark fruit, black cherry or plums, which added a nice layer of complexity and helped tone down the toasted malt flavors and darker grain and chocolate. The body is somewhat thin when thinking about the flavor profile and the carbonation also a bit higher than I would think is needed, but it's sticky and coats the mouth very well.

Verdict: Solid stuff from Ayinger. Great mix of flavors that strikes a great balance, the body leaves a bit to be desired, but make no mistake, this is a fantastic beer that is artfully crafted and is one everyone should try.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 03:50:23 | More by kevanb

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Celebrator, poured into a pint glass (wish I had the stemmed Celebrator glass; debated on using a snifter or a mug).

Looks dark ruby-brown with a rich khaki head that capped tight at a finger-and-a-half. I can imagine a regal pour if I used a tulip or snifter.

Sweet dark, figgy malts, chalky yeast, and a muffle of earthy hops. Slight stingy tartness from a black cherry note.

Hardcore malty-good. Big thick slices of brown bread, caramelized sugars, pressed cherry juice, dates, alcohol, roasted cereals, molasses, and nutty coffee. Tremendously complex, and the sweetness doesn’t overpower the intricacies. If you seek it, you can taste bitter cocoa. If you seek it, you can taste caramel or toffee. If you want to concentrate on the fruity character, you can taste apple/pear, grapes, or red currant. A near-perfect doppelbock.

Light carbonation. Filled-out body with a lots of stickiness. Gluggy.

A hard-to-top doppelbock. My favorite, and quite possibly the best-there-will-be. Celebrator is to the doppelbock what Joe Dimaggio is to the hitting streak.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 02:29:10 | More by thecheapies

endovelico

Portugal

3.68/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My quest for the perfect Bock has been a long one, similar to what is happening to me with the Barley wines; It's a style that on paper seems like my chosen stuck-on-an-island drink but alas no exemplar I've had has stood out has anything other than a average to good quaffer.

You can imagine the excitement i was in when i had the chance to first open this legendary brew, that was sure to break the spree.

The brew was much darker than i had thought and much more effervescence, not necessarily over-foaming, just showing lots of bubbles. The aroma is mute and closed, something i tend to feel when sniffing heavy beers like Bocks and Barley Wines - might this be related with my apparent spree?. You still feel that melanoidin quality which makes its appearance in the taste profile, exactly what you would expect after smelling the beer. In addition, a strong yeast bite character also reveals itself in the mouth alongside a coke like syrupy caramel taste/texture.

It's full bodied, not very bitter and in my opinion much more carbonated than it needs to be. I wish i had liken this more, i really do, but this one is not for me, even if it's a beer whose technical merits are beyond discussion.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 22:57:02 | More by endovelico

steveh

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Went in search of some .5 liter bottles of Salvator, due to some discussion of world-class beers and other conversation, but came up short. Picked up some Celebrator instead since I haven't sampled it in a (long) while and have been meaning to. Perfect for a 90° day, right?

11.2 ounce brown bottles in a $10 4 pack. No dating on the labels. Only 6.7? Man, that seemed so strong when I first discovered this brew back in the mid-80s.

A -- Gushered bottle on opening. Could be age, could be shaken up a little on the drive, but it had set in the fridge a while before capping. Deep, clear chestnut color with red highlights when held to the light. Dense light tan head that didn't hold as long as I'd have expected.

S -- Rich, dark bread crust character up front, some mild caramel and chocolate characters back, with some vague dark fruit peaking through.

T -- Same rich, toasted dark bread crust character up front, mild dark fruits thru the middle, finishes with a pepperiness from alcohol and an aftertaste that is lightly caramel, almost molasses-like.

M -- Mouthfeel is chewy and almost thick and syrupy, body is medium-full and smooth with a dry finish that fights a sticky after-feeling.

O -- A very good take on the style, and would have received higher marks without the gusher -- I'll amend that with the next bottles if they're cleaner.

This is certainly the quintessential "liquid bread." You could almost make a sandwich out of it. It's the type of lager that would surprise ale elitists, and the type of lager that makes me a defender of the styles.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 21:25:37 | More by steveh

rarbring

Sweden

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A black beer. A warm off-white head, good lacing and good curtains.

Sweet smells, dark fruits, raisins, Christmas spices.

Black sweet bread, licorice, brown sugar, dried fruits, dates, sherry and spices.

Little carbonation, soft and sticky, a light dry finish.

Very potent, very sweet and a good dessert.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 19:58:24 | More by rarbring

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pour is extremely dark reddish brown with a tab head and a few large bubbles. The nose has very little roasted malt, may e none at all but there is something there akin, lots of berry sweetness, light bitterness and some marker. The taste is heavy in toffee and berry. Brown sugar and caramel and faint coffee bitterness. Mouthfeel is a touch slick, lighter than anticipated, nice carbonation, semi dry finish. Sweet but seemingly well attenuated and the bitterness fades with time. Toffee and berry start to blend. A touch singular but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 15:35:42 | More by cpetrone84

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.73/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 release. 330ml bottle...

A - Pours a marvellous dark mahogany/reddish brown coloured body, with a rich light caramel head. Excellent lacing and good head retention.

S - The beer has a very rich and complex malt smell (caramel, chocolate, toasted bread) with some hints of vanilla, cherries and dark fruit (prunes, dates).

T - This is complex like no other doppelbock out there! It starts out fairly typical, with lots of caramel and bread and a slight fruitiness to it, but then I get a massive chocolate and vanilla taste, which ends with a very nice and lingering finish, with hints of toast, coffee and prunes. There are also some minor vinous qualities and a slight hint of honey in the after-taste.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation. Very smooth and velvety on the palate. The alcohol barely shows, even after the beer has warmed up.

O - Hands down, this is the pinnacle of the style. Paulaner Salvator might be the original doppelbock, but it seems that Celebrator is... well, the most flavourful. It's also impressive that being so big in flavour it's less than 7% in alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 02:08:01 | More by NightINgale

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 330 ml bottle into tulip shaped glass

Appearance – Pours a thick looking deep brown color with a large off-white head. The head had big carbonation bubbles entrapped within and faded quite fast. Upon fading it left a persistent film on the surface of the brew.

Smell – A big bready brown bread aroma with strong roasted malts aromas. Mixed in with the breadiness there is a nice sweetness of molasses and brown sugar rounding out the roast very nicely.

Taste – A thick bready base with big roasted malt flavors greets the tongue nicely. The taste begins a little on the drier side and sweetness as notes of brown sugar and molasses enter the scene. At the end, the roastiness, when mixed with the sweet creates a somewhat sweetened coffee flavor. This brew has some very nice transitions and all the flavors at all times complement each other very nicely. Fantastic.

Mouthfeel – Quite a creamy body with a lower level of carbonation. With this the flavors really have a chance to sit on the tongue and really permeate the taste buds. A very soothing and wonderful mouthfeel

Overall – Smooth in body and taste transitions with great flavors and aromas. This is one great drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:24:29 | More by Darkmagus82

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Huge crisp malt aroma. Moderate toastiness. Very mild chocolate. Lots of dark fruit. Prune dominates, some raisin. No hop aroma. Lots of molasses. Clearly at the darker end of this style.

Appearance: Very dark. Dark brown, near black. Dark amber brown when held up to a bright light. Head is small and light brown in color. Little lacing (when cold anyways). Little retention.

Taste: Dark toast, little roastiness. Moderate molasses. Roastiness not desired per BJCP, oh well it works for me. Lots of dark caramel and other darker malts. The dark fruit shows up as prune and raisin. Some residual sugars are evident at the aftertaste with some more of those roasty notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Extra slick and oily. Clings to the inside surface of the mouth. Very mild carbonation.

Overall: Very bold flavors. Much more would be harsh. Just right though. Dark for the style, but who cares. Similar to sipping a good port wine.

Drank on 4/12/2012.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 01:51:40 | More by soulfly1492

BigPlay1824

New York

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

Enjoyed in a celebrator pilsner glass

A: pours a warm reddish brown that is fairly clear with a finger of light tan creamy head which lingers for a bit then leaves minimal lacing
S: beautiful notes of dark fruits and a bit of a burnt caramel malt note up front
T: the front taste is of dark fruits particularly grapes which is backed up by a slight and smooth deep malt note, quite delicious, leaves a lingering deep sweetness on the palate
M: wonderfully smooth on the palate, minimal carbonation tingle and drinks quite thickly, leaves the mouth feeling slightly sticky but definitely not dry
O: this beer really lived up to everything i had been expecting for it, it was delicious, well balanced, complex but not overbearing and just overall well presented

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 01:17:16 | More by BigPlay1824

BarkingMonkeye

3.78/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First thing that stands out is the hard water taste, a big turn off for me personally.

The beer smells of a good quality double bock.

Taste is decent, minus the iron.

mouthfeel is good, not too foamy or carbonated and fun to drink.

overall i would give the beer a 3.7 because its not really standing out from other double bocks i have had in the past.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 21:04:47 | More by BarkingMonkeye

yamar68

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an ominous crimson without much clarity with a short-lived finger of tan head. Perfect lacing and beading.

The nose features heavy malted wheat, toffee, brown sugar, simple syrup, very inviting.

Taste is equally inviting and approachable - oats, wheat, hard water, brown sugar, very clean. Some grassy hop bits, smooth and easy.

Very drinkable, well done brew. A perfect hint of bitterness lingers on.

Overall, this beer defines its style. Drinkable but exciting, smooth but aggressive.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 03:24:03 | More by yamar68

acevenom

Louisiana

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice. Pours dark brown with a finger length tan head that slowly dissipates. Some transparency can be seen around the edges as well as a few bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. The head dissipates into a nice cap of lacing atop the beer. There are faint smells of dark roasted malt, molasses, and some alcohol. It's bready as well as malty sweet and I can definitely taste the alcohol in the finish. There is some dark fruit flavor as well. The flavors of dark fruit really open up as the beer warms. The body is light to medium and there isn't much carbonation in this beer. It looks like it would be a heavy beer, but it's not. It has a crisp and dry finish. This is a solid beer and a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 21:22:05 | More by acevenom

Beerenauslese

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass. Dark brown transparent body. Pours a good three-quarter inch head that dissipates quickly to a ring. No lacing.

Smells of dark malt, wood, coffee, leather, molasses.

Tastes complex, some cola, coffee, prune, chocolate, figs, roast chestnut. There is a lot going on, especially roasted notes. Finish has a note of mint and is dry, with a bitter coffee finish.

Body is medium, not much carbonation, which is lightly fizzy.

A very good and drinkable double bock.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 23:31:28 | More by Beerenauslese

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

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

Pours a great head over top of a clear walnut coloured brew. Head settles to a heavy film that gives spotty lace.

Nose is malts, dark fruit, treacle, molasses and alcohol. Noticeably sweet. Sweet and malty to taste, some grain and alcohol. Clean, not sticky. Slightly bitter burned toffee finish, some woodiness. Lots of sturdy flavours, not for the faint of heart.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 22:24:33 | More by TerryW

eric5bellies

Australia

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

Drank from my Gulden Draak Tulip

A - Pours a deep deep clear Mahogany colour with deep red ruby colours. A two fingered tanned head retains well.

S - Massive aromas of malt, molassis, dark fruits, figs and cinnamon.

T - Up front some nice wooded malt. Dark fruits are a plenty, with a touch of vanilla. A little warm on the finish with booze.

M - Medium to full body with minimal carbonation. Very silky.

O - Not as flavoursome as I expected, but damn smooth nonetheless. Would rank as one of my top German beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 14:36:58 | More by eric5bellies

mustang70

Tennessee

4.9/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

as the first dopplebock I have ever tried. I must say it is very good. I wasn't sure what to expect so I was very surprised with the flavor. it has some very complex flavors. once it warms up you get more of the fruity notes. for a beer I chose at random. it turned out to be a great buy. will definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 01:22:03 | More by mustang70

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

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

Ayinger Celebrator has a medium, beige head and a clear, black (ruby-red under light) appearance, with some tiny streaming bubbles and a bit of lacing. Aroma is slight, but one detects some dark fruit and cola. Taste is strongly dark cherry and a touch of malt. Some mild bitterness is present at the back end. Mouthfeel is surprisingly light and watery, and Ayinger Celebrator finishes crisp, clean, and somewhat dry. Overall, this is a fantastic beer, and one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege to sample.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 12:44:14 | More by RonaldTheriot