Hacker-Pschorr Animator - Hacker-Pschorr Bräu GmbH

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Consumed vom Fass at Donisil in the Marienplatz area of Munich - several times - during my 09 March through 19 March visit.

Pours deep and rich mahogany in color, with a head that left a 2-finger head and nice layer of lacing. Huge aromas of dark fruits dark stone fruit standing out in front. Some welcome hotness from the prevalent alcohol came to play.
Heavy on the maltiness with lacings of chocolate and dark carmelized stone fruits. The alcohol definitely became more noticeable as the Bier warmed. Full bodied and incredibly smooth. Great mothfeel. Perhaps the quintessential nightcap while in Bavaria.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 00:47:27 | More by goindownsouth

Necronomad

Switzerland

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

04-15-2013 20:39:05 | More by Necronomad

Ciocanelu

Romania

3.5/5  rDev -10%

02-12-2013 23:42:07 | More by Ciocanelu

HalfFull

California

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml. flip top bottle poured into a wine glass. Pours a clear deep gold/copper with perhaps a touch of haze. Half inch cap show moderate retention.

Offers a classic bock nose with a caramel, almost woody aroma. Shows a light hop profile. Still more of a festbier in a sense given the lack of potent caramel notes and that's not such a bad thing.

Taste follows the aroma. Smooth and with light but not overly sweet caramel flavor. A moderate level of carbonation is quite befitting of the style. Light caramel yet dry vs. sweet and lacking the cloying nature often stumbled upon.

Offers a nice full feel and again reminds me of an Marzen style brew yet at 8% it hides things well in the Doppel Realm. A nice yet not too caramel sweet bock and with a bit more depth than most.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 04:37:26 | More by HalfFull

sDon

2.9/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I am rating this beer after trying these other better -- as far as popular opinion goes -- doppelbocks: Celebrator, Andechser doppelbock dunkel, Salvator, Maximator, Triumphator, and the Schneider Weisse Aventinus (though not all on the same night). That said, I agree that the Animator deserves a place below these other doppelbocks.

The beer has a clear caramel color and prominent carbonation, but with the usual low head retention. The taste is initially of raisins and coffee, but this quickly disappears behind its hoppiness, which leaves nothing more complex afterwards. At first I noticed the alcohol a lot, but once this potent brew went to my head and dulled my senses, it was not as annoying. I have nothing against hops, but I feel like I am just drinking a highly alcoholic Jever and not a complex doppelbock.

If you can, try a doppelbock higher on the list.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 23:08:45 | More by sDon

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

10-12-2012 20:15:01 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. Weizen glass. Notes dated on mar´11. Deep orange color, hazy appearance. Off-white, creamy, slowly dissipated froth. Caramel malt, toffee hints & dried dark fruit to the nose. Sweet upfront with raisin hues followed by low bitterness & slightly spicy flavor that linger into the finish. Medium to full body, moderate carbonation. Subtle candies & chocolate on the aftertaste. Flavorful & delightful.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 22:40:37 | More by GONZALOYANNA

klipper

Michigan

4/5  rDev +2.8%

06-04-2012 10:01:10 | More by klipper

edglodek

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +2.8%

04-09-2012 00:06:26 | More by edglodek

tbeer40

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.8%

01-12-2012 23:43:01 | More by tbeer40

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

50cl bottle poured into seidel

BBE Oct 2011

A- Ruby body with excellent clarity. 2 finger head that reduces to a thin crown, lacing is pretty much non existent.

S- Treacle and toffee in spades, maybe a hint of coconut????

T- Toffee and treacle malts up front with toastier malts toward the finish which linger well in the full bodied smooth finish.

M- Full body, lager clean, medium carbonation. No mention of alcohol heat at all,very smooth

D- Depth of malt complexity is excellent. I get that good satisfied feeling after drinking a doppelbock It just doesnt look very good. Put it to the nose and taste and its another story. Food for the soul in that respect, just not the eyes!

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 21:39:51 | More by seanyfo

IPA35

Netherlands

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Looks quite boring actually, light brown with a white head. Transparant.

The smell is malty, some sweet herbal hops.

Totally not what I expected.
The taste is full of melanoids, must be the Munich malts, sweetish and quite hoppy. EDIT: And raisins and some alcohol.

Medium body, a little watery prehaps. medium carbonation.

My first Doppelbock. I expected it to be more like a bitter or a brown ale but this is different. Not bad though, not bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 18:00:23 | More by IPA35

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours ruby/dark amber with a small fading head.
Nose shows lots of caramel, bready malt and melanoidins. Pretty nice stuff.
Very similar flavours, bready malt and melanoidins really dominating. Also a fair whack of booze.
Nice syrupy body. Carbonation could be a bit higher.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 10:22:58 | More by CrazyDavros

crnipeter

Slovenia

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A souvenir from Munich, one of many brought back home from my business trip to Germany earlier this year. The color is enhanced by melanoidins giving an immense depth to dark-coppery body capped by thin, short-lived beige head whose rather poor retention can be attributed to relatively high alcohol content and not entirely unexpected.
Rich malt aroma with melanoidin-toasty character and deep chocolate qualities, caramel, plumy and grape-like fruitiness coming from the malts used instead of yeast-derived esters, and mild alcohol in the background.
The beer is sweet yet enough attenuated to avoid being sticky or cloying on the palate, with strong malt-flavor having obvious melanoidin-toasty qualities, dark chocolate with light roast-touch and alcohol warmth that helps to balance the malt. Towards the finish emerge mild spicy hops. Medium-full bodied with somewhat flat carbonation. Above the average example of the style albeit not on the same level as Celebrator or Andechser. (500 ml, freshness date November 2011, into tulip.)

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 14:16:52 | More by crnipeter

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy, glowing burnt orange/light brown color. The head has a a similar hue and a dense, frothy texture. Retention is very good, and a nice splattering of lacing sticks o the glass.

S: Sweet malty notes of toffee, caramel, and brown sugar. I get big honeyish notes as well. Light fruity notes, with some leafy/herbal hop aromas. Faint alcohol as well.

T: Firm malt sweetness up front. Toffee/caramel and honey are plentiful. Some mild dark fruit notes and faint tartness. Bitterness is moderate, providing some good balance. Leafy hop flavor is most noticeable. Finishing alcohol is slightly reminiscent of white rum.

M: Fairly full-bodied. Carbonation is light, creamy, and smooth. A bit of stickiness.

D: A very good doppelbock. Big maltiness is met pretty nicely by a measured dose of hops to prevent cloying sweetness. I enjoy the depth of maltiness. Definitely worthwhile if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 01:39:51 | More by Clydesdale

stoepsel

Spain

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brown body with reddish touch.
Heavy and very sweet smell like baked apples.
Surprisingly taste is not sweet at all but rather roasty and even slightly bitter.
A clumsy aroma of baked fruits pervades the in other respects well balanced and malty finish.
A difficult and rather heavy Doppelbock.
Interesting though.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 21:20:13 | More by stoepsel

koolk

Australia

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice looking nutty brown with only a slight head and little to no retention. Seems to be the way with the style.

Dark spice, liquorice, toffee and caramel on the nose. Deep with a spicy burn, this is pretty smart.

Full flavour of toffee, caramel and more spice. Some really sweet malt noted on the finish.

Full bodied, slightly bitter and somewhat sweet but very well balanced. Full and rich.

Good beer. Not the best doppel ever, but enjoyable. Check it out.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 10:08:59 | More by koolk

david18

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer replaced the Spaten bock on the draft selection at the amsterdam Ale House in New York City. That was the problem. The Spaten was outstanding and this was not as good. Good golden color, nice carbonation, good flavor; just not the most outstanding german beer i've had.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2010 22:25:58 | More by david18

dgilks

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Moderate bready aroma with some hints of dark fruits.

Hazy, deep amber colour. Medium sized, light tan head. Relatively poor head retention.

Big, malt flavour. Bready melanoidins, dried figs and raisins, light alcohol, a touch of tartness. Overall, there is something missing here and the whole things doesn't quite come together for me.

Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. Suitable.

A decent doppelbock but certainly not the best I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2010 08:27:38 | More by dgilks

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had some lunch at the Altes Hackerhaus in München on 22SEP09 and spotted this Doppelbock on the menu. Come to Papa!! (0.5l - 3.90Eu).

Poured a deep, clear chestnut; a lovely color! Head was light tan, creamy, and maintained a 1/4" cover for some time while leaving nice lacing behind. Nose has a great malty sweetness with caramel wafting about. Body is medium all the way, with a really smooth feel on the tongue.

Flavor has lots of malt here; solidly sweet with strong caramel yet not cloying at all. The malts coat the palate nicely, with a good touch of floral hops rounding things out. A tasty, solid Doppelbock.

Prosit!

4.1
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

1165

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2009 12:37:29 | More by Bierman9

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice swing top bottle which uncaps with a satisfying thunking pop.

Pours a really, really lovely mahogany hued red-amber, with an initially vivacious and frothy head of taupe foam. Slight haze in the body is perfect. Retention is a little weak, which is a shame, but otherwise this is an absolutely stunning looking beer. Really top notch.

Very sweet and malty on the nose. Lots of honey, even treacle and molasses, and something a little floral too. Smells like a garden on a hot summer's day. Very rich and sweet.

More of the same on the palate, although there is a pleasant clean bitterness on the back and a phenolic alcohol vector which cuts through much of the syrup. Mouthfeel is round, chewy and full, which somewhat emphasises the incredibly thick and sweet nature of the palate. It pulls no punches, this beer; it's going for huge malt, thickness and body.

Hard to fault it for effort - this is a huge rich malty bomb. While I may have found myself craving more sharpness, a slightly lighter body, or a palate cleansing burst of finishing hops, that's not what this beer is designed to do. Try it when you're after a bucketload of malt and you won't be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2009 07:51:33 | More by lacqueredmouse

laituegonflable

Australia

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a purplish-red colour, scarlet really, with a thick beige head, about a finger's worth, that sticks around nicely. Steady but slow carbonation in the glass, while lacing is sticky and good. A bit lighter than I had expected, but still very good indeed.

Nose is rich and complex with pleasant tart fruit aromas; brandied cherry and plum blended with a sweet toffee character and a caramelly malt underlying. Slight peppery notes as well, just a very pleasant strong bock aroma, a bit timid but a joy to behold.

Taste is predominantly sweet and sticky, with a lot of rich toffee characters and a thick, treacle-esque malt base. A little bit of tartness on the mid, very subtle and clean though, just adds to the profile without strangling the palate. A pleasant brandy character is produced towards the back, the sweetness and richness of the malt with a delightful alcohol kick as it goes down. Alcohol is not really prominent though, at 8.1% it's incredible smooth drinking, very well masked.

Overall though I'd have to call this a little too sweet. It's very pleasant but just a touch more bitterness or tartness here or there would hugely enrich what is already a pleasant drop. It just seems slightl simple, it doesn't have the challenging complexity of the Celebrator, although I think this is also due to the mouthfeel, which is a bit flat, although nicely thick from the malt.

It all feels just a bit lacking. Very enjoyable, meshes together well, it just doesn't make you take a step back to admire the beer and reflect "I have just tasted God's essence." Not that I expect to find God's essence in a swingtop bottle, it would definitely need a cork. If I haven't said it already, very pleasant though, good drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2009 00:39:11 | More by laituegonflable

bac37

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had this beer during a trip to Augsburg Germany, while attending a college class! At first glance, this beer seemed to be a lower class Doppelbock but it earned its keep.

A - Its a mild yellow with decent head
S - The smell could be better, its a little sharp with only suttle hints of grains.
T - The taste is very up front with an almost tangy, metalic finish. The more i drank, however, the more it grew on me and i actually enjoyed the very predominent flavor.
M - a little lacking in mouthfeel. its pretty light making it a little boring on the tongue.
D - Definitly drinkable. A decent all around beer thats worth the try if you have the chance to come across it.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 14:55:44 | More by bac37

TheSarge

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I decided to try this brew at about 60F, to see if I can get all the nuances out of this beer.

Animator produces a bit more head than the usual doppelbock that I've tried in the past. It's khaki in color, and sticks together quite tightly. The body is dark and ruby red, and is well filtered.

Aroma characteristics are sweet, blunt biscuit, maple, cola, and herbal... Quite a complex aroma!

The taste is vanilla and cherry dominant, and finishes with a slight booziness. Warming to the palate, and sticky as well.

This is one of the more complex doppels that I've tried, and it's up there with Ayinger's offering, Celebrator.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2009 17:11:23 | More by TheSarge

JohnW

United Kingdom (England)

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from swing top style bottle, dark mahogany, with hint of red. Rich creamy off white head. Aroma is very malts oriented, rich, slightly sweet little or no hoppiness at all. Flavour matches this, very smooth malty flavours, slighted toasted, caramels, also a slight tingle on the tongue. Only a hint of any hop bitterness in the finish, but smooth, rich and very satisfying. Though maybe not a beer for "hop-heads!"

A rich, warming smooth slightly sweet beer, very satisfying, though I would not class it as a "session" beer, too rich and strong for that, but a great beer to finish an evening with!

Highly recommended.

JohnW
B'ham UK April 2009

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2009 08:07:56 | More by JohnW