Plank II - Heavy Seas Beer

Pencible

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a clear black ruby with moderate tan head.
S: It smelled like earthy roasted barley and cola, with some honey wheat bread and molasses.
T: It tasted like roasted barley and honey wheat, with some cola and molasses and oaky toasted coconut. It had a somewhat clean and sweet aftertaste.
M: It was oily with a little carbonation. Full slick body.
D: This was a decent doppelbock, but it didn't show much barrel character. The scent and taste were a bit muddy, but the body was nice and the alcohol was well hidden. So it wasn't difficult to drink. Probably not for aging. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 21:26:01 | More by Pencible

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown with no real head. A skim ring of foam stays with the beer. Some ruby hues when held to the light.

Dark fruit, cherry woody notes in the nose. A touch mild here, but that is being picky.

Rich malt flavors with dark fruit, some beer soaked wood, over-ripe cherry, prune, vanilla, and a little booze. Flavors stay with you and yet the sweetness dries out to mild bitter at the end with a light bitter and fruit mix. Nice.

Full bodied, but a little swishy. Some light carbonation on the tongue. Wanted a bit more chew here.

Nice domestic doppel. Nice flavors and overall balance. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 23:41:11 | More by OtherShoe2

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks goes out to my boy beeruser for giving me this one to tick! 2012 vintage! Served from bottle into a RJ Rockers shaker. Poured dark red brown with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wheat, dark chocolate, and subtle spice. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark chocolate, dark fruit, and wheat. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. This one definitely did a nice job of incorporating loads of the flavors and aromas that one would come to expect from this style. The aroma however was a little weak in intensity which made it hard to pick up on things. The flavor on the other hand was very nicely balanced and complex which made it rather easy to drink and quite enjoyable. I thought that I had ticked this one before, but glad I got the chance to do so again due to not reviewing it. I suggest you try it as well.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 18:28:02 | More by thagr81us

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating(2012 bottling). Pours crystal clear very dark reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big caramel, toffee, molasses, raisin, prune, biscuit, toast, nuttiness, oak, herbal, earth, and light pepper. Very nice aromas with good strength, balance, and complexity. Taste of big caramel, toffee, toast, molasses, biscuit, nuttiness, prune, oak, herbal, earth, and light clove. Lingering notes of caramel, toffee, molasses, toast, biscuit, prune, oak, nuttiness, clove, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Great flavor balance and complexity; with no cloying sweetness at all. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very nice creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with almost no warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent doppelbock! Great flavor complexity and balance and extremely smooth to sip on for such a big beer. Definitely one of the best doppelbocks I have had.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 04:04:25 | More by superspak

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid dark brown color with a smallish beige head that lacks in size but makes up in retention. Smells of dark caramel and burnt sugar, some vanilla and lots of dark dried fruits and some bready pilsner malt. Clean inviting aroma, but could showcase some dark fruit a little better. The flavor is rich and malty with lots of caramel and brown sugar. Dark dried fruits, melanoidins, and hints of chocolate round out the flavor quite well. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet dark fruity syrupy mouthfeel. Nice American dopplebock, but is lacking that certain something that makes German style dopplebocks superior. Decoction mashing perhaps? Still a great dopplebock!
I had to edit this review a bit after I read the label, apparently this one has some oak added which I guess I didn't notice at first since it is quite subtle. I think the tannins from the wood actually detract from the beer rather than enhance. The wood probably provides some balance and drying against the sweetness of this malty beer, but also adds a harshness that I wasn't expecting in a clean lager beer. Still a good beer though.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 21:23:02 | More by johnnnniee

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good starting head, but it settles to a single layer of bubbles that leaves very little lace. The liquid is deep mahogany brown where light does shine through the center of the glass.

Smokey and earthy and attractive. Light semi-sweet chocolate, too.

Relatively thin bodied. but the carbonation is moderated. Full flavored with a good balance of mild sweetness and some darker malt flavors. There is alcohol in the background but it's notable.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 02:34:48 | More by smcolw

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep amber to black in color with a light tan head. In the aroma, a small roast, and a light fruitiness of white grape. In the taste, dry nuttiness to a fruitiness, but mellow. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small, dryness of fruits and nuts. The nuttiness is a bit different but nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 17:25:46 | More by OWSLEY069

jgasparine

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Been hanging onto a bottle for a few months now. Seems to have improved with age.

Appearance- Poured cola-brown with a thin tan head, which slowly receded, leaving little bits of lacing on the edge of the glass.

Aroma- The aroma was quite faint until the beer warmed. Then, some big stewed malts were met with some impressions of toffee and a slight woodiness.

Flavor- Malt up-front, with some impressions of toffee, chocolate and leather. Then becomes a bit drier on the mid-palate, cut by some woody tannins. The finish lingers for a short while, with a malty and woody note, and just a slight tannic bitterness. No fruity esters.

Moutheel- Medium to medium-plus body. Soft carbonation. Slight astringency from the wood tannins.

Overall- A clean dopplebock that plays well with the wood aging.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 14:50:23 | More by jgasparine

Brenden

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes are recent.

This one is what I expect from a doppel, a dark brown color with a finger tall tan head on top. The head sticks around for a good while and leaves thick lacing as it falls.
The nose showcases that this one is heavy on the malts, but with less of a focus on the anise, licorice or molasses notes that define the style. The distinctive molasses-like sweetness is there, but lightly. The aroma is a bit light overall as well. A bit of dark fruits and a touch of wood smoke A ghost of smokiness, more the woody aspect) come out underneath. The flavor brings out a heaviness in the sweetness of it along with the alcohol and lets it sit on top of the malts, though it weighs it down just a bit. What wood does to a doppelbock is very interesting. A hint of cocoa and some herbal hops come out in the finish.
This is a thick beer, not on the heavy side for a doppel but full-bodied, as it should be. Crispness is low but keeps things going, focusing more on flow and smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 12:30:50 | More by Brenden

mdfb79

New York

3.48/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 06/07/12 notes. 22 oz. bottle ordered at RFD before Lupulin, poured into a pint glass.

a - Pours a dark murky brown color with one finger of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of cedar, a bit musty, bready malts, grains, wood. Smells kind of old and musty, guessing from the wood. Pretty average.

t - Tastes of sweet dark fruits, molasses, wood, oak, bread, grains. Much better than the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty easy to drink for 8.5% ABV.

o - Overall a decent doppelbock; I think I like it a little more than I remember liking Plank I. The nose was a bit woody and musty, but some nice fruit came through in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 18:18:00 | More by mdfb79

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've been looking to experiment with the whole "Plank" style in my own homebrewing practice.

Served in a DFH oversized snifter.

A: Dark, dark reddish brown, with a very foamy, one finger or less head that looked like a beautiful whipped cream on top of the liquid.

S: I got the whole Doppelbock profile in spades: pure malt, red wine, chocolate, and raisons. Not much in the way of wood aging so far... but we shall see.

T: Delicious! I got the whole DB malt compound here: semi-sweet chocolate, dark fruit, cranberry juice, and red grapes. I didn't get any wood aging, but overall, I'm usually not a fan of this style because of its "rough around the edges" malty and uber sweet character that is completely devoid of any hop components. Perhaps the "plank" technique helped soften this?

M: The carbonation was done to perfection, the sweetness was kept in check (again, maybe the "plank" contribution?), and the lacing was perfectly realized (small) for this style.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 04:13:52 | More by Chaney

ckollias

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 22 oz bomber bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a dark brown hue with a tan 2-finger head that quickly dissipates and leaves a wispy lace with a slight trail down the glass.

S: Strong sweet malty caramel aroma with dark fruit in the background and an alcoholic twinge.

T: Dark rich ale with a generous malt caramel sweetness. Mild chocolate overtones, with a slight wood flavor.

M: Pretty strong and boozy. Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Excellent doppelbock - great aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 02:11:36 | More by ckollias

billab914

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into my Mad Fox glass. It poured dark brown in color with a thin head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma has a pretty big malty sweetness to it with caramel and dark fruit flavors playing a prominent role. I get some notes of cherry to it, which I really like. I get a little chocolate along with a touch of wood, but the wood is very faint.

The taste follows through with more of the malty, dark fruit flavors. Cherry, caramel, a touch of caramel and a little bit of roasted malts helping to give it a little balance in the finish. Again, the wood aging is very light and I probably wouldn't even notice it had it been a blind tasting.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style with carbonation being moderate. Overall I thought it was a pretty solid Doppelbock. I didn't get much of the wood aging to it, but I liked the beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 22:22:23 | More by billab914

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22-ounce bottle into a Barrington Brewery pint glass.

A: Rich, brownish read color with a creamy, two-finger head of off-white foam. Carbonation seems fine and lacing is sorta minimal.

S: Complex, fruity malt aroma with some spicy sweetness, boozy notes and a distinct, woody scent.

T: Sweet, fruity and almost cloying roasted caramel flavors are laid on thick at first. A mild, malt and hop derived bitterness cuts the palate a bit before laying down some woody tobacco and whiskey flavors. The finish is smooth, sweet, but still a little hot. The woody aging smooths things over pretty nicely.

M: Full-bodied, rich, sweet and complex with a smooth, malty booziness and velvety wood touch.

O: A pretty nice, wood-aged Americanized doppelbock from Heavy Seas. More refined than their Hang Ten or other forays into bock territory, the 8.5% ABV Plank II has a place alongside Great'er Pumpkin as a favored Heavy Seas wood-aged Mutiny Fleet offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 00:48:16 | More by Gambrinus1184

larryi86

Delaware

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass

A- Brown with a four finger tan head.

S- Caramel malts, dark fruits, hints of wood, kind or weak.

T- Caramel malts, wood really stands out, dark fruits, some chocolate and earthy spices, a lot bigger than the smell let's on.

M- Smooth, creamy, medium body.

O- The nose is weak, but other than that Heavy Seas did a great job with this beer. Good price, definitely will pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 23:17:58 | More by larryi86

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I missed Plank I so it was nice to find this bomber for under 8 bucks at my Giant Eagle (RT.8 one)

A - Damn that's a dark color for a Dopplebock. Almost black tinted brown with a 1/2 inch of mocha head. Lacing is OK.

S - Not getting much smell wise maybe some mild plank and caramel but again it's faint.

T - Well it's not the most flavorful but it is pretty balanced. No detectable ABV mixes well with mild caramel and toffee flavors. Maybe I am also tasting some bread and the Plank comes in mid-palate giving that much needed "wood" flavor. Not bad.

M - Medium and chewy. Great for the style.

Overall I am not sure why people would would want more barrel since this beer delivers the mild qualities of the Eucalyptus wood and good Dopplebock undertones.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 01:05:14 | More by DrDemento456

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. I found the poplar to be quite interesting in Plank I. Now, I get poplar AND eucalyptus. What else could I ask for?

2.5 A: Dark brown/black color. One finger of fizzy light brown head that fizzes away quickly and leaves no lacing.

3.0 S: Yep, we have some poplar again. It's seems to make sense with beer. I wish other breweries would toy around with it. The Eucalyptus is harder to figure out. I'm not sure if I'm mistaking it for a portion of the poplar or a portion of the base beer. Speaking of the base beer, it is unusually tame. Subtle and muted. The strongest aromas include a light roastiness, chocolate, and caramel. Give me more power and this would be a great smelling poplary beer.

3.5 T: I think I might have figured out what the Eucalyptus is doing. While the poplar gives a "juicy" woodiness, the Eucalyptus is giving a "pithy" woodiness. Either that, or I'm just full of shit (which I most likely am). Anyway, the woodinesses are solid. The base beer opens up a lot more in the taste, but it still isn't overly impressive. Light roastiness, big caramel, chocolate, and moderate neutral malt sweetness with the characteristic lager yeast taste.

4.0 M: Heavier medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Nice creaminess in this. Solid here.

3.5 D: Another tasty poplar beer from Heavy Seas. If they made the base beer a little better, this would be a huge hit. In any case, I look forward to Plank III.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 01:07:17 | More by DavoleBomb

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into my Heavy Seas pint glass from a 22 oz bottle. A finger of light tan head quickly subsides, leaving behind the slightest ring around the glass, and not a whole lot of lacing. The body is an enticingly deep mahogany. Almost pitch dark, really.

The aroma is initially of sweet maltiness, and some raisin. Not atypical of doppelbocks, but nothing special. The taste is similarly sweet, with a toasty raisin and malt throughout. The finish is clean, and luckily gains some dryness from a pleasant woodiness.

As the beer warms up, it really comes to life. The aroma gains a fine, dry, fresh cut wood. The taste then gains a unique woody mintiness, from the eucalyptus, I assume. This mint is especially noticeable when you breath in, along with a hint of alcohol. Sweet, silky chocolate is the last flavor to join the foray, for those patient enough to look for it.

Th mouthfeel is a tad light, but does well by providing a moderately dry finish. The sweetness of the beer is never perceived as being too much.

Plank II is definitely a beer to get ahold of. Part of me wishes the base beer was a little more complex, but the other part of me thinks the wood aspects might not shine as well if that were the case. Either way, I'm looking forward to Plank III...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 04:42:05 | More by troysoy2

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Deep mahogany color, really a beautiful looking beer with a nice 2 finger tan head that has a moderate retention and leaves behind a good amount of lacing.

S: A relatively weak aroma, full of rich caramel and dark fruits. It smells good, i just wish that there was more of it.

T: The flavor is much stronger than the aroma. Big malty flavor, slightly smoky with caramel, chocolate and raisins. There is a hint of nutty wood at the end, that reminds one of chewing on a green stick or sapling, only much more pleasant.

M: Hefty body and relatively light on the carbonation, almost chewy mouthfeel and sticky to boot.

O: I wish that I had the Plank I and plain ole doppelbock to compare side by side with this beer, but it's a good beer on it's own. Big, rich flavors, not cloyingly sweet and fairly well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 00:28:22 | More by DaveBlack

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Strong aroma is mainly fruity and yeasty. It pours a deep, opaque sable that is just a couple whiskers above black, with a fairly thick, if not too persistent, light tan head. Flavor exceeds the expectations of the aroma: strongly malty with yeasty and caramel notes and a fruity hint. Smooth texture has good body and good fizz. Look forward to more planks in this series!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 00:05:59 | More by Cyberkedi

smakawhat

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a pilsner style tall glass, Vintage 2012.

This is a very dark doppelbock. Black walnut brown just like a good stout, some rising carbonation, and a little bit of light gets through to show some transparency in the bottom of nice chestnut. Head has some retention, off brown sort of muted swadust brown color.

Nose has a nice woody character to it. Splintery and giving to almost tree sap. Small dense malt character with a light little roast. Very nice, like this mellow balsalm like wood bent it seems.

Taste brings a very mellow and rounded malt presence. Feels like a good doppel, but has a real wood bent to it. Faint nut of toasty almond comes out upon further sips. Body seems to have a bit of light character to it, but luckily doesn't distract. Nothing too fizzy either in feel.

Overall really nice job on the wooden angle here, I really like this sucker. Great job.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 23:23:24 | More by smakawhat

oberon

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 1/2 liter stein deep deep brown with a tinge of ruby,a thinner tan colored head atop.Alot of caramel in the nose along with a bit of toast and sweet grain alcohol.A nice feel in the mouth,almost chewey in the back end.Sweet caramel malts and alcohol on the palate,faint but noticable toasty wood lingers.It's a little one sided in the sweetness,for me it just lacks a little breadiness and complexity,it is still a good doppelbock though and I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 20:54:50 | More by oberon

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle. Served in a mug, the beer pours a dark reddish/brown color with a half inch tan head that went away quickly. There's a small amount of lacing. Aroma is rich and malty, the brew smells like caramel, toasted/bready malt, wood, and some dark fruit. The taste is similar to the aroma, but there's the addition of some molasses. It's a mostly sweet tasting beer, but there's also a slight bitter finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit sticky and very smooth with moderate carbonation. I think it's a good overall brew, I liked it. For $7.99 a bomber, I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 23:09:58 | More by bluejacket74

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my crystal mug, the beer is a clear dark brown with red, when held into the light.
The nose is caramel, brown sugar, some dark fruit and malt.
Tasting the beer, this is pretty much the sequence of appearance as well.
Nice and sweet Doppelbock, very drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:10:48 | More by Hopfenpeter

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

appearance: Dark brown with crimson highlights. Slight tan head.
smell: malt, bready depth. From the site, "matured with specially treated Eucalyptus and Poplar wood planks." This is in the subtle school of wood, barrel treatments as I gotta strain to get any wood smell at all. Pleasant enough to be sure.
taste: Very tasty indeed. Smooth, though lacks complexity. Not a complaint, but if I didn't know bout the wood thing, I wouldn't have guessed.
overall: very tasty, very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 23:10:39 | More by cindyjeffsmith