Great Lakes The Doppelrock - Great Lakes Brewing Company

merc7186

New York

3.64/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into snifter glass.

A: Brownish/Mildly Reddish Hue, Passes Mild Light, Off White Head Ring, Mild Lacing

S: Sweet Bread, Plums, German Malts

T: Sweet Bread, German Malts

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Boozy, Mildly Malty

Overall, an average double bock that lacks any real solid flavor of a typical dopple bock.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 03:07:49 | More by merc7186

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass.
7.8% ABV, Best served at 55°F, Enjoy by 06/01/11
[Reviewed 06-10-11 - from notes]

A - Gorgeous brunette, this clear beer pours with a dense tan head with decent retention but little lace.

S - The amped-up aroma is pumpin' with well-tuned caramel and toast malt notes with balanced earthy hop aromas singing back-ups.

T - Heavily malty but well-balanced, this brew is certainly in tune. The caramel and toast malt base groove resonates throughout while earthy hop riffs chug over the top.

M - High notes of carbonation explode on the tongue while the medium-full body lasts throughout the performance. A dry hoppy bitter encore finishes out.

O - Rockin' but a little too hoppy for my taste concerning doppelbocks. Warm, lingering alcohol booze isn't infectious but nicely done for a good spring beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:58:37 | More by BeerFMAndy

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.51/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Opaque dark nut brown with some visible sediment throughout. Thin light brown head that is almost syrupy in appearance.

Aroma: Amber and caramel malts with a hint of brown sugar. A malt bomb to say the least (as was expected).

Taste: Chocked full of nice malt flavors. Very robust caramel, amber, hints of roasty malts, toffee, and a nutty flavor. There is a small bit of bitterness imparted from the hops which have a earthy character but are not very apparent in the overall flavor. This bottle is dated from May 2012, not sure how old that is in terms of the style. Pretty good all around. Really none of the 7.8% ABV present in the taste but I wouldn't think it was any lighter had I not known the ABV.

Mouthfeel: Above medium in body with smooth effervescence and above average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: The Doppelrock pretty much met my expectations. A very malty brew that has a lot of great flavors but is not mind-blowing. Just a good beer. Would I drink it again? Sure, I'd want to try it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 03:55:32 | More by JamesMN

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pilsener glass

A- pours a dark brown with vibrant ruby hues when held to the light, medium light tan head that reduces to a thin layer skimming the top, just a bit of lace.

S- rich bready and toasty malt, some fresh cut hay, toffee and chocolate, and a bit of booze. No hops noticeable.

T- sweet and malty throughout with notes if dark fruits including figs and plums. Finishes sweet with some booze on the back-end. This could definitely be a meal replacement, but could only handle one at a time.

M- full body with low carbonation, almost syrupy, slightly creamy finish with warming booze at the end.

O- doppelbocks are a malt lovers dream, and this one was quite enjoyable, but very sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 03:51:36 | More by Treyliff

Bills453

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - poured from a bottle into a Duvel tulip glass. Dark brown/ very dark copper color, darker than I expected actually. Nice tan color two finger head lasts for a bit.

Smell - I smell yeast and malt, sweet smell. Smells like bread, fresh bread baking.

Taste - the sweetness from the smell remains in the aftertaste. I very nice tasting doppelbock.

Mouthfeel - quite smooth and creamy!

Overall - yet another damn delicious offering from Great Lakes, my favorite brewery on God's green earth!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 18:54:54 | More by Bills453

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

When i poured this beer into a pint glass, it has a nice dark rich cola colored body with a small tan head that layed down quickly to a nice thin lace. The smell is of rich dark fruit and roasted malt. The taste follows the smell but with much richer flavor of the dark fruit and some chocolate notes on the back of the tonuge. The mouth feel is very nice, creamy and smooth. Overall this is a really good beer by Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 01:54:34 | More by chefhatt

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This one has a real pleasant fragrance to it. Flavor is heartier and a bit more robust than I would have imagined. Fruit tones seem reminiscent of something on the tip of my mind but far away from my tongue. (translated: I can't figure out what fruit this reminds me of) I usually can't stand bocks or doppelbocks, but this one is nice. It's always cool to be able to try a style that you don't really care for, yet are still able to aprpeciate it.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 08:26:46 | More by RblWthACoz

ncketchum

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Duvel Tulip

A - pours a deep brown with a bit of red, with a cocoa head which slowly fades.

S - Smell is a little sweet malt and chocolate first, a bit of breadiness and maybe some dark fruit. bitterness of hops comes through at the end

T - A combination of sweet molasses with smoky bitterness, roasted malts maybe some dark cherry

M - mouthfeel is fairly thin, the ABV is well hidden, bitterness does linger on in the end

O - overall this is a pretty darn good dopplebock, not as boozy as some I've had recently. I could definitely pick this up again and at four dollars a four pack, I think I will

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 01:37:33 | More by ncketchum

suspect

New York

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A: Dark maroon in color, clear. Aggressive pour leads to a huge growing 3 finger head that topples over just a bit. Lacing is thick and mighty.

S: Smells of big sweet sugary malts with alcohol and dark molasses mixed in for good measure. Not much hop presence but I didn't expect there to be with this style of beer and the abv pushing 8%. Not a huge nose but certainly not absent.

T: Follows the nose with a much more delicious mix of the delicious malt mixtures. This style certainly calls for it to be a bit of a meal in a glass and this one doesn't disappoint. Big dark fruits, huge sugary backbone and enough abv to kick your teeth.

M: Big bodied, creamy feel, plenty of carbonation.

O: A very good dopplebock. Every time I have this style of beer I'm pleasantly surprised. I think I'm too hop-forward with my beer styles lately. This one is a keeper.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 22:24:38 | More by suspect

AltBock

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle with a picture of two “rock stars” jamming out on stage in front of a small group of people. One of the “stars” is jamming out with his double guitar. Everything you wanted to know about the beer can be found on the main label or neck label. The reason behind the name can be found on the neck label. A brief history of the Doppelbock style, ABV%, ingredients, and best before date can be found on the main label.

When poured into a Paulaner Salvator Pilsner glass, this Rock & Roll beer was a beautiful dark cola brown color with some dark cherry highlights. Eye candy all the way! The head of foam wasn’t as nice as the color, but it wasn’t all that bad. The initial head of foam was about ½ an inch in height and light tan in color. It had great retention that that left behind a small skim of tan colored foam. This small skim of foam stuck around until the last drop of beer was gone.

The first scent I got from this beer was the aroma of green olives. It was a little weird, but it’s not an odd aroma for this style of beer. When swirled around, the scent of olives gives way to the aroma of wheat bread, roasted malt, a speck of roasted coffee beans, and a touch of dark chocolate.

The taste was all about the roasted malt. And yes, I know it’s a Doppelbock. LOL!! The taste of roasted malt wasn’t all that strong. The roasted malt held back some so the taste was more at medium strength. Waiting behind the roasted malt was a drop of roasted coffee beans, a speck of dark chocolate, and a gentle touch of dark cherry. After all of the flavors had their turn rocking out on stage, the beer then finishes up a dry roasted hop bite.

This was a medium bodied Doppelbock that had a good level of carbonation and with a dry roasted aftertaste. The after taste consisted of roasted malt, roasted coffee beans, and a pinch of dry roasted hops. This dry roasted aftertaste doesn’t bother to stick around for very long.

I had high hopes for this beer because it’s from Great Lakes. If you’ve ever had a Great Lakes beer, then you know what I’m talking about. I would say that it didn’t exceed them. It somewhat match my expectations. Overall, it’s a very good dry roasted Doppelbock. It won't knock your socks off.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 16:52:17 | More by AltBock

Yangzang

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was surprised to see this at my local gas station this time of year. $6.99/4-pack.

Appearance: Pours a rich ruby color with a medium head and good lacing. Looks yummy.

Smell: Strong sugarcane and fruit scents. A bit of alcohol on the nose.

Taste: Very sweet with a taste of plums. A little sweeter than I prefer but still quite good.

Mouthfeel: A bit syrupy but the carbonation is still there to keep things flowing. Medium-bodied.

Overall: Not the best in the style but certainly one worth trying if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 03:12:20 | More by Yangzang

MadScientist

New York

4.48/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It is a very nice looking beer that is very clear dark brown with ruby highlights. There is a long lasting, creamy light tan head.

It has an intensely melaniodin aroma like the thick brown crust of an artisan bread. There is moderate aromas of toast and carmel in there. No noticeable hops aroma and just a hint of plum and chocolate that rounds out the nose.

The flavor is like chewing on a thick, dark crust of a loaf of bread with the melaniodin flavor propionate and toasted flavors following right behind it. There is a moderat hop bitterness and no hops flavor with a slight hint of chocolate and plum. The alcohol give a slight warming. A clean lager profile from the yeast without any diacetyl, phenols and only the slight plum ester.

It's very smooth with a medium-full body with a moderately low carbonation. No astringency.

This is a big, rich lager with some nice dark toasty and bready characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 23:47:21 | More by MadScientist

augustgarage

California

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best before 5/29/2012 - so just missed that. Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Harriet pils glass.

Dark auburn liquid with a fine creamy beige collar and slick. Pasty even lacing, fine fast running legs.

Very rich bready aromatics suffused with melanoidins. Hints of tobacco, cocoa, coffee, bread crusts, and dark brown sugar.

Low fruity esters on the palate along with dark fruit and dense malt. The melanoidins come through again with rich toasted bready flavors. Alcohol is a bit strong in the finish.

Medium-bodied and well carbonated.

Dense full flavor is quite satisfying, though not as complex as the best examples of the style. Excellent none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 06:17:56 | More by augustgarage

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best by 5/29/2012. Pours very cloudy reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice thick cap that lasts. Some decent soapy lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of raisin, caramel, prune, molasses, biscuit, toasted malt, nuttiness, chocolate, pepper, earth, and light herbal spiciness. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of raisin, prune, caramel, molasses, bread, toasted malt, honey, chocolate, earth, nuttiness, and light herbal spiciness. Big malt flavors on the finish with some spiciness; with lingering notes of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, biscuit, chocolate, and toast on the finish for a bit. Flavors were not as robust as I was hoping for, but were still extremely balanced with good complexity. No cloying sweetness at all; with a slightly dry finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel which is nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with pretty much no warming noticed at all after the finish. Very easy to sip on. Overall this is a really nice doppelbock. Nice flavor balance with good complexity; and very smooth to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 03:19:12 | More by superspak

jsisko01

Michigan

3/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a very dark reddish-brown color with a centimeter thick, off-white head. Has nice lacing.

Smell - Roasted malts, toffee, and alcohol.

Taste - Very sweet.. with roasted malts, dark fruits, toffee, bready, and an alcohol bite.

Mouthfeel - Medium body with mild carbonation.

Overall - Not really my style of beer..

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 04:52:39 | More by jsisko01

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a reddish-brown color with a billowing tan head. The head had big carbonation bubbles entrapped within and eventually faded to give a nice level of lacing.

Smell – The sweet is heavy of dark bread. Roasted malt with a good helping of sweeter molasses and some light dark fruit aromas of prune are all in the mix creating a nice aroma overall.

Taste – A big bready flavor meets the tongue. It starts out more mild in roast flavors and instead had a good level of brown sugar sweetness. The brown sugar became more molasses as the taste advanced with some notes of dark fruit entering the taste. Overall the sweetness is rather lighter then at the beginning and at the same time the bread flavor takes on a heavier roast taste as well. These flavors transitioned very smoothly and in the end, when mixed with a lighter alcohol flavor, left a very satisfying, slightly warming, feeling on the tongue. Fantastic!!!

Mouthfeel –The body is slightly chewy with a very low level of carbonation. These two characteristics allow the flavors to sit on the tongue and allow that wonderful aftertaste to linger.

Overall – One tasty brew. It has great flavors, a wonderful smell and feel and gives you the perfect warming feeling, making it one to sit back, sip and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 00:09:25 | More by Darkmagus82

haddon

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The pour is dark like mahogany with a very small off-white head.

dark fruits & caramel on the nose up front. A little bit of toasted malt to round it out.

initial caramel and toffee malt on the flavor. dark fruits and bread with a bit of alcohol flavor (which I was not expecting or desiring)

Medium body and carbonation.

Bocks aren't my favorite style, however I do find them refreshing on a Spring evening. I've had better & worse... this falls somewhere firmly in the middle according to my experience.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 19:44:50 | More by haddon

kell50

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I poured The Doppelrock into my Great Lakes Brewing Company pint glass on 5/12/2012. Bottle received from a friend 2 weeks earlier.

A- A ruddy, brownish/red color with a quickly fading head. A sticky lace reminiscient of a cobweb appears as the beer goes down.

S- Not too much on the nose. A hint of a biscuity, crusty malt aroma comes through slightly. A little touch of alcohol show up too.

T- Nice! Love the punch of the malt. Very woody; it has a great simple complexity of flavors that start off malt forward but finish a slightly sweet nutty taste. Not much going on in regards to hops. This is indeed a solid and FULL flavored brew.

M- I really like this one. Super easy drinking beer for almost 8% abv. It’s very smooth with nice compact carbonation.

O- I'm admittedly not a huge German style beer guy; however this one might make me turn over a new leaf. Great Lakes (even while conforming to the Reinheitsgebot) has the amazing ability to create exceptional beers time and time again.

Long story short, if you see this one- pick it up!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 22:14:04 | More by kell50

homebrew311

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Durty Nellies. Appears slightly muddy brown, tan head leaves a small collar and spotty lacing. The nose is rich and malty with waves of caramel sweetness and a touch of roastiness. Some molasses and nut in there as well. The taste starts sweet with a firm malt presence. The sweetness is balanced nicely by toasted malts and a hint of roast. Nice balance. Mouthfeel is somewhat light for style with moderate carbonation. Overall this is a tasty example of the style, I like how the sweetness is kept in check.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2012 21:09:18 | More by homebrew311

jtmartino

California

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into my Bruery snifter.

Color is a deep, rich, ruby/bron with a thin, saltine-colored head.

Smells of sweet, candied fruit and some caramel. Rich and savory.

Taste is sweet up front - candy sugar, some tart fruit, that finishes in a bitter, almost smokey flavor. Not a huge fan of the finish.

Mouthfeel is nice and well-rounded. Decent carbonation with a light syrupy-consistency that works well with the dark fruit colors.

Overall this is a pretty tasty beer. The odd bitter aftertaste from the malt is reminiscent of the bitterness from an over-steeped tea bag, and doesn't mesh well with the rest of the beer. Other than that, it's a decent offering form Great Lakes.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 06:11:34 | More by jtmartino

deebo

Minnesota

2.68/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A-Dark ruby red yet clear, a tight yet short beige head without staying power.

S-Candied fruits dominate, cooked sugary malt. Aromas of molasses and raisins.

T-Intense carmelized fruits that builds into a burny and rotten fruit. Some weaks hint of smoked wood.

M-Moderate to heavy carbonation and medium bodied. Mouthfeel/body is nice upfront but lingers too long into a bitter finish.

O-Reminds me a bit of a doppelbock/dubbel hybrid but the combination doesn't work. I like the upfront taste but it doesn't end well.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2012 00:42:24 | More by deebo

musicforairports

New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown color, ruby hues in the light. Decent head and minor lacing.

Smells of chocolate, caramel, sweet dark fruits. Gets more complex as it warms.

Flavors of dark caramel, vanilla, figs, light chocolate. Moderately sweet. Smooth.

Medium mouthfeel; clean and smooth. Lightly creamy.

One of the better doppelbocks I've had. Definitely opts for a more complex malt character over heavy sweetness. Glad I was able to pick a 4-pack up while traveling.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 03:44:28 | More by musicforairports

Extrajoker00

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A : amber to brown,with a good one finger head 4.0

S : yeasty exotic with fruit caramel and vanilla 4.0

T : very big and well balanced flavor.complex aftertaste 3.75

M : heavier then many, robust but with a ever softening finish 3.5

D : smooth and drinkable, despite its heavier ABV and character 3.75

Great Lakes is a favorite brewery of mine, and again I am reminded why

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 03:38:09 | More by Extrajoker00

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass, color is near perfect on this one, nice dark amber to brown with a light tan head.

Smell is molassesy upfront, hints of bourbon and caramel and toasted malts light honey in there as well and maybe some vanilla.

Taste is sweeter caramel like malt hints of molasses and honey and toasted malts. Flavors are less intense then nose.

Mouthfeel is pretty solid, probably not as strong on the tongue as most doppelbocks and also a little drying.

Overall, very solid doppelbock, I love the nose on this beer, pretty complex, the taste was less so and it was a bit drying. this would be a very good beer to try on draft.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 01:18:19 | More by mvanaskie13

atr2605

New York

4.35/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-pours a very dark amber with a 2 finger width tan head that has excellent retention and leaves a lace around the glass
S-Sweet malt, honey, and molasses
T-Light brown sugar and honey, the hops provide enough bitterness to keep the malt from being too sweet but doesn't contribute a ton of flavor.
M-medium-full bodied
O-Excellent beer and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 02:32:47 | More by atr2605