Thomas Hooker Liberator Doppelbock - Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

Knuckles

Washington

4.9/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

So my buddy FirstMan had to move out to Worcester last spring, as his wife (darlinclementine) got a badass job at a badass museum that deals in badass weapons (this is the Higgins Armory, and she was responsible for the badass beerfest held there, the Higgins Festival of Ale). And he's been a little sad about it, mostly because he now cannot get all of his favorite beers on a regular basis (other than what I send or give to him). He was out for a few days, just last month, and brought me this Liberator from Thomas Hooker, in a bottle that looks like he stole it off of a telephone pole back in 1932. I've been putting off drinking it, trying to be disciplined, but tonight I just couldn't wait any longer.

Appearance: Wow. This truly looks like a brown sugar reduction. You can almost see the undissolved grains of sugar floating around in there. Just this gorgeously deep, unfilitered brown that borders on opaque. Ok, it actually is opaque, unless you happen to have a dive light that you can shine through it. Then it's just murky.

Smell: Even cold, you can smell the malts. Just this incredible sweetness attacks the nose. I'm roasting a chicken at the moment, so it's sort of overwhelming the aroma (but smells damn good), but the malty sweetness is still very evident. There is also just a hint of graininess.

Taste: Jesus eatin' beans, I think I'm in love. Cold, this is a very different beast than warm, as you can really taste the roasted malts in the finish. I don't know if they are using blown malt or what, but it's so roasty it almost tastes like a proper porter. You are met at the door with a sweet, sugary introduction, and then the roasted dryness takes over. However, as it warms, those sweet malts release themselves, and really overwhelm the roasted character. That is not a bad thing in the slightest. This is a goddam beautiful beer. I wish I had the words to do it justice. Zero lingering yeast flavor, just this teasing sweetness hugging the tongue, with a subtle roasted chaperone. Magnificent.

Mouthfeel: I'm just going to leave it at this: My mouth is a much lesser place when the Liberator has left the building.

Drinkability: Liberator, my ass. This is a conqueror. If you don't want to drink this bottle in one sitting, you need to go back to beer school. This is a spectacular beer, and one I need more of. Now. Immediately.

This is an 8% beer, so I could have cellared this bad boy and let it stew for some time. I'm glad I didn't. But dammit, I sure wish I had another bottle so I could lock it in the cellar and not let it out to play until it promises never to use any more wire coathangers.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2005 02:44:23 | More by Knuckles

NJBeer265

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-22-2013 17:59:16 | More by NJBeer265

metalgdog

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-19-2013 00:58:55 | More by metalgdog

jimbuck

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

05-17-2013 21:53:42 | More by jimbuck

ScottieD

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

05-11-2013 01:45:01 | More by ScottieD

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to beersndrums for this one!

12 oz bottle poured into a mug at cellar temperature.

L – Ruby brown color with a 1.5-finger bubbly, tan head that fades fairly rapidly into a ring of bubbles that hangs around for a while.

S – A blast of malty aromas including caramel, molasses, dark fruits like plums and currants, and a touch of chocolate. This has everything you could want in a doppelbock.

T – Just like the aroma, the taste is brimming with maltiness. It’s sweet all the way through with bready, caramel, molasses, milk chocolate, and juicy dark fruits. There may be just a touch of earthy, spicy, and mildly bitter hops at the finish that pair well with the rich dark fruits. Man, this is tasty.

F – Medium-bodied with good carbonation, a sticky and creamy mouthfeel, and a sweet, dry finish. Sweet malt flavors linger along with a mild throat-warming sensation from the alcohol.

O – This is an awesome beer and a fantastic doppelbock. It’s just loaded with brilliant malty aromas and flavors, is extraordinarily tasty, and is frighteningly drinkable for clocking in at 8.5% ABV. Jared, thank you so much for giving me the chance to try this!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 02:39:14 | More by BlackBelt5112203

ODBRIP

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +17.9%

05-03-2013 19:16:07 | More by ODBRIP

potownbill

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

04-19-2013 21:55:51 | More by potownbill

Atomicskis5

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -5.7%

04-11-2013 02:34:10 | More by Atomicskis5

SuomiHobbit

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +12%

03-26-2013 00:55:46 | More by SuomiHobbit

miadw3

California

4.75/5  rDev +12%

03-19-2013 23:18:11 | More by miadw3

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.7%

03-07-2013 20:30:33 | More by orangesol

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev -5.7%

03-03-2013 00:06:13 | More by t0rin0

Casterbridge

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

02-15-2013 21:41:00 | More by Casterbridge

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

02-13-2013 21:23:58 | More by BeerCon5

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

02-09-2013 23:53:46 | More by mvanaskie13

smonice

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -29.2%

02-07-2013 23:26:54 | More by smonice

sommersb

Tennessee

3.51/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tasted On: 02-01-2013
Freshness: Bottled on 10-04-2012
Packaging: 22 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Willi Becher
Purchased: Received in a trade

A: Pours a dark brown, nearly black beer, with ruby highlight colors. Retention is fair with a good lace.

S: Dark, bready malts in the nose, plus a smoky quality. Other aromas are of earthy/woody hops.

T: Tastes of heavily roasted grains, with a bitterness like you get in a dark coffee. Just as in the aromas, I taste woody and smoky flavors, which gives it an unpleasant astringent character.

M: Medium-bodied with an average amount of carbonation. Finishes with roasted grain bitterness and woody flavors, plus a slight smoked presence. More astringency as well.

O: The aromas and flavors are not what I expected for this dopplebock, with the dominance of the wood and smoke characteristics. I don't think this is intentional so perhaps this bottle has some quality issues? I have some more bottles in the fridge so I'm curious to see how they fare.

Thanks to davey101 for this one!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 05:03:19 | More by sommersb

oldedog

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

01-25-2013 00:10:42 | More by oldedog

dangermusic

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +12%

01-24-2013 23:35:03 | More by dangermusic

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5.7%

01-13-2013 21:30:18 | More by spycow

westcoastbeerlvr

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

01-10-2013 22:48:51 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

diddly

New York

4.09/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass.

Color is a dark brown, with hints of red. Tan, thin head.

Smells sweet and roasty, with hints of wood from aging.

Tastes fairly sweet, but more roasted. Little to no bittnerness, but some dark fruitiness for a well-balanced flavor. Slight warmth from alcohol.

Mouthfeel is very smooth from sweetness.

Overall pretty good, but it doesn't seem superb. The 4-pack I bought was about 11 months old, so that could certainly play a part. Very rich, and seemingly thick, but it doesn't feel it as you're drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 03:44:13 | More by diddly

sendbeer

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

01-05-2013 05:50:14 | More by sendbeer

troegaarden

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +17.9%

01-04-2013 04:40:18 | More by troegaarden