Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel - Klosterbrauerei Andechs

sfprint

Germany

2.85/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Beautiful dark auburn color. A color I've never seen in a beer. Hardly any head.

Smells sweet and malty. Quite nice.

It has this mouth puckering sourness to it. Bitter and sour. Malty, it tastes a bit like liquor. There's a strong alcohol flavor, which is stronger than the percentage it contains, which I don't find pleasant.

Stings the tongue with carbonation. Not bad, but interesting

Ultimately I find the flavor too strange to drink extensively. It doesn't sit on my taste buds in a great way.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2010 20:13:09 | More by sfprint

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Sweetwater mini-snifter.

Goin' after some big fish here, the current top-rated doppelbock. Let's dance: It pours a dark-ish sienna topped by a finger of sandy khaki foam. The nose comprises dry toffee and lightly-toasted biscuit. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some light vanilla bean and watered-down cocoa. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, this stuff is about as painfully average as you can get. Something tells me it's all about unattainability here: Because this stuff requires at least an overseas trade or a vacation or a lucky hookup, it's perceived as better than it really is. (I call it Westy syndrome.) Sometimes, it's still good, but it's never nearly as good as reputations hold it to be. Huge case-in-point here.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 21:38:14 | More by TMoney2591

homebrew311

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Deep reddish amber appearance with a layer of beige head. Nose is very malty with hints of smoke, cereal grains, a bit of vegetal character and some notes of corn. I get some aroma of dry dog food as well... Ehhh... Not so good. Taste has a one dimensional fruity sweetness with notes of grape. A bit of a tart turn at the end. Taste is a bit sloppy. Mouthfeel is moderate with light carbonation. Overall, not a huge fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:06:26 | More by homebrew311

3frog

Arizona

2.9/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

purchased in the Munich airport.

Appearance: nice deep red; 1/2 finger head off-white head which dissolved quickly and left little trace.

Smell: roasty; maybe some worcestershire/soy in there.

Taste: continues the roast and soy; slight malt sweetness (but could use more) and hint of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: lighter body than I'd expect; low carbonation.

Drinkability: I want to like this, but there's so little to recommend. Other reviews trend higher, but most other examples I've had of this style are better.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2006 19:49:02 | More by 3frog

Brabander

Netherlands

3.05/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had some expectations of this beer. Bought it in Germany a few weeks ago. Poured the beer in a Palm glass. The beer gives a very nice lightbrown to red head with some red rings which come up!! Haven't seen this before. The beer itself is darkred rubybrown with a bit of carbonation.

The rest is average. The smell is reasonable, i smell a bit of the malt which is used.

The taste is not spectacular, also the mouthfeel.

I drank the beer during a game of cards. Then it's very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 00:06:14 | More by Brabander

laituegonflable

Australia

3.08/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark red colour, very Hellish with a bright shiny quality to it. Head is surprisingly light, but nice bubbling. Lace is amazingly dense and sticky. Looks heavy in some ways but the head is great.

Nose is very grainy and nutty. So much honey on that as well, it just reeks of honey oat bread and just is way too sweet, bordering on insipid. It's weak as far as complexity goes, and just simple. A disappointment.

Taste is better, but still big, sweet and grainy with honey-oat notes on the front. Develops more complex, and stronger, red wine characters towards the back but still falls short of pleasant complex sweetness. Bit of a citric twang late-mid which is the most interesting note cutting through a fairly insipid malt-bomb. I'm not a big fan of this style at times and this is a particularly simplistic example.

Slightly sticky mouthfeel, mostly thin to carry this mostly uninspiring palate.

Yeah, I'm not particularly impressed with this. It's a malt bomb; it's quite plain. I don't like beers that are this sweet but this commits the double sin of lacking nuance or complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 06:21:48 | More by laituegonflable

boss302

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Andechs Klosterbier Doppelbock dunkel, draft

A Dark clear, not much head, didn't last at all. 3.5 

S Caramel sweet, no diacetyl, no hops. Appropriate for the style, but would have liked more toasty aromas. 3.5

T Sweet dark malt taste. A little too cloying, but probably OK for style. Easy to drink, not offensive, no harsh dark malt flavors, good for those that aren't dark malt fans. 3.5

M Thin, carbonation is low. Non inspirational. 3

D Good, but for me, not really worth having another. 3

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2010 03:36:14 | More by boss302

dqrull

Sweden

3.43/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'll start off by saying that I had really high hopes for this beer, it being ranked highest of the doppelbocks on BA and all. But I really wasnt impressed.

Pours a beautiful red, almost wine-red with a thick head with large bubles lasting for quite some time and leaving a good bit of lacing on the glass.

I smell a lot of fudge, a bit of dark fruits, but not as much as I had hoped for, some raisins, a little bit of figs as well though, not too intense smell of anything though.

On the taste departement I was dissapointed, while still smelling fairly promising I thnk this (highly praised) beer did not deliver. I get an initial sweetness, followed by a musty breadiness that carries the beer all the way to and through the aftertaste . Some small hints of fruits and hops in the middle ,but really not very prominent.

Soft carbonation and a creamy foam-up on the toungue makes it fairly easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 22:14:43 | More by dqrull

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to FooFaa for sharing this with a group of us on 10/5/09.

A - Poured a clear caramel/copper-colored body with thin beige head that reduced to a patchy veil and left a bit of lacing.

S - Malty sweetness with a dark fruit character and lots of sweet notes reminiscent of maple syrup, brown sugar and molasses. Bitterness is virtually non-existent.

T - Initial flavor is extremely sweet and candy-like. Tastes like a Sugar Daddy... remember those caramel lollipops? Plenty of toffee, caramel and molasses, this is malty to the core. Actually, it's a bit too sweet overall.

M - Medium bodied with a thick, syrupy texture and soft carbonation. Not much bitterness at all. Extremely sweet on the tongue.

D - Overly sweet and very candy-like, this is a pretty good Dopplebock overall. But the best ever? Hmmmm. We sampled this side by side with Celebrator, and this definitely fell short.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2009 02:37:28 | More by ffejherb

far333

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Slightly hazed caramel orangey-reddish with a low beige head.

Aroma of fig and caramel, some low notes of corn and grassy notes.

Flavor of fig and raisin, low cocoa notes, a slight metallic note, some brown sugar and yeastiness. Roasty malt flavors emerge, mixed with some charred bark and root beer flavors. Noticeable residual sweetness, not overly so. Finishes with some spiciness.

Even mouthfeel, a bit slick, finishes somewhat powdery and dry. Tasty beer, decent drinkability, but could use more complexity. I expected much more based on the over-the-top reviews. Thanks to BuckeyeNation for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2009 01:57:03 | More by far333

phiberoptik

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Jason for the taste. Next time I will Rosetta Stone some German so we can read the bottle...

Pours a reddish brown with some golden hues. I didnt note any noticeable carbonation from the pour.

Smells of spent barley, very much full of grain notes and a sweetness from the malt sugars.

I taste so much grain in this. Again there is a noticeable sweetness, but wet spent grain is what I taste. My wife mentioned it reminded her of rice crispies.

Nice carbonation on the tongue, lighter in body than the color would suggest.

This was a nice taste and I am glad to get to try one of the highest rated doppelbocks, but the graininess is a bit much for me. I am much more of an ale drinker.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 16:38:41 | More by phiberoptik

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.58/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a darkbrown and deep red beer with a coarse head that collapses in a couple of minutes into a thin layer sticking to the glass.

Smell is malty and defenitely bottom fermented with some sulfuric notes, a roasted and burned taste with some chocolate, caramel and cocao whiffs. Also some vanilla comes through after intensive sniffing. All smells very heavy and full-bodied, a true all-grain beer.

Taste is even more intense than the smell, a big malt backbone with a caramellic top-layer, burned or toasted in a mild way and a maltbitter. Some vanilla makes it taste like a good icecream. Nothing too extra-ordinairy, but decent. I don't really inderstand why this such a fantastic beer.
I think the body of the beer is too heavy which seriously inhibits the drinkability of the beer, it is just too sweet and sticky.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2006 15:45:25 | More by Absumaster

weissbierdrinker

Belgium

3.58/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a .5L bottle into a tall weiss beer glass.

Color is a dark redish brown.

Smell is a strong malty, burnt, coffee type.

Tastes starts out like a coffee and then turns to a rich leathery burnt taste that finishes slightly bitter. As the beer goes down you start to feel the alcohol a bit, but not in an unpleasent way.

It's a smooth destinctive beer whose interesting taste leave you wanting to take anther swig just to feel the burnt coffee, leathery notes bounce around on your tongue.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2008 11:54:53 | More by weissbierdrinker

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.58/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Don't think I've ever been so mesmorised by a beer while pouring it. With its rich deep brown colour and deep rich tan head, it certainly is one the most gorgeous beers I've ever seen. As a result I nearly spilt four or five mouthfuls just by gawking at the damn thing.
On the nose there was almost a burnt bready woody medicinal smell. On the tongue it is pretty dry, vinous with a flavour reminiscent of treacle and molasses. Tasty but it does not have the richness of classic Aventinus and I can't help but feel as if it was almost closed like a young tannic wine. Makes it slightly on the stern side as well. Very good but despite its initial promise in the end it flatters to deceive.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 22:48:46 | More by Zimbo

THECPJ

Delaware

3.58/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes 2/8/2011

A: copper-red brown, with a 1 finger tan head, leaves decent lacing

S: caramel, sweetness, malt, dried dark fruits

T: nothing but malts on this one, could not even distinguish a hop presence, nothing really lingers for very long

M: mild carbonation, thick, creamy, kind of sticks to the tongue--not necessarily the flavor, just the feeling

D: not my particular favorite style of beer, it's drinkable (aka, not the worst beer I've had), but not something I would routinely seek out.

Cheers!
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 00:07:07 | More by THECPJ

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from World Wide Spirits
Best by 2012-09-20
Poured into a Celebrator doppelbock glass

Finally able to try the celebrated Andechser doppelbock, I find myself generally disappointed with this bottle's qualities. While I'm not sure as to how the bottle itself was stored at WWS, the date indicates that it should still be fresh enough to be interesting. The maltiness of the beer was mildly complex, but nothing above standard for a doppelbock, and the flavors and aromas were, in general, not robust enough. I'm not sure what this means as far as brewing techniques go, and while I'd give this another chance on tap at the brewery, I don't think I'd go to the same extent for another bottle, given that Celebrator and/or Maximator are usually easily available and more delicious for me.

Pours a modest 2cm head of dense foam, small bubbles, light tan in color. Had has average retention and leaves some modest lacing along sides of glass as it reduces to a thin ring around the glass. Body is a transparent red-brown amber color with visible, though sluggish, carbonation.

Aroma of prunes, dates, and very dark bread, slight yeast, and caramel. Pleasant, but not particularly bold: subtle and subdued. Not what I was expecting after reading reviews and the high status of the beer.

Tasting opens with sweetness, almost cordial-like with some tones of cherries. Dark, dried fruit esters are abundant throughout. Mid-palate ads in brown sugar, dried figs, and dates, with a bit of a sage+chocolate flavor that is rather noticeable and at times actually a bit unpleasant. Not sure if the bottle I had was exposed or had some other defect. Closes with drying, slightly spicy phenols and malt sweetness. Aftertaste is largely bready and sweet, with a bit of light brown sugar. Overall, though there are many flavors, none of them are as bold or expressive as I would expect a top doppelbock to be, and I'm left rather disappointed.

Beer is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, creating a smooth mouthfeel that's a bit pillowy and creamy. Slightly warming from ethanol, but this is expected. Finishes dry with some stickiness on the lips.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 17:45:00 | More by falloutsnow

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.6/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam.

From a bottle into a mug.

APPEARANCE: Pours a medium sized off-white head that is very thin for the style. Head quickly dissipates to a very thin film, but soon everything vanishes. Colour is dark brown, like sienna or burnt umber. Next to zero carbonation evident.

SMELL: A medium scent of caramel malt and toffee. A slight hint of spiciness in the nose as well, which is nice. Not bad, though it could be stronger.

TASTE: Some sweet caramel malt, toffee, and some sweet wood in there as well. Very sweet and malty initially. Aftertaste is mild but long lasting, including some sweet wood and some spiciness, with a touch of hop bitterness at the end. Alcohol is very well hidden. Nice and relatively well balanced, but a bit too weak.

PALATE: Thinner bodied with lower end carbonation. Smooth on the palate, goes down smooth with a little bite at the end. Finishes with the right amount of stickiness on the palate.

OVERALL: Quite drinkable, goes down very easy, but unfortunately it's not quite memorable. Kind of neutral and overrated in my view. This is one I'd have again, but wouldn't go out of my way to find.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2009 09:39:15 | More by Jeffo

ricke

Sweden

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Deep reddish brown with a thick tanned head of about 2 cm. The head settles after a while and leaves some lacings.

S: A rather big smell, very malty. Caramel, roasted malts, coffee and dark fruits. Grassy and spicy hop notes.

T: The taste is better than the smell would have you believe. It's not overly sweet, but here's still plenty of malty sweetness. I like how the expected caramel and bready malts are complimented by roasted malts and coffee - interesting and not very common. Lots of date-like fruity notes. Wood and a subtle herbal hop note. The finish is mildly bitter with a well integrated alcohol flavor and lingering malts.

M: Rather full bodied and very smooth. Quite a lot of carbonation.

D: As for doppelbocks go - a style I sometimes have a hard time dealing with due to the cloying sweetness some of them showcase - this is one of the better I've had. The sweetness is not overly powerful and the "dunkel element" in this one adds lots of levels and flavors. Nicely balanced. But still, it's not the most interesting beer in the world, and after one bottle I've had more than enough.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2009 22:01:55 | More by ricke

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Mahogany-bronze pour, nice head and lacing.

Smell: Medium-dark roasted malt and brown bread, along with dark-ish fruit.

Taste: Booze starts out a bit hot and fades as I get into it. After that, malt and dark fruits lead the charge, followed by brown bread and faint bananas. Perhaps a bit bitter.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is lightly tingly and spot-on for what I epxected for the style, does a good job of coating the mouth and is very smooth on the finish.

Drinkability: Don't serve this too cold, it definitely got better as it warmed a bit; ABV was a bit higher than I expected (and was felt/tasted)

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2010 02:49:35 | More by craytonic

rarbring

Sweden

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is clear red-brown, with a tan head leaving some lacing.

The smell is fruity ,grassy and yeasty, dry and fresh grass, some honey.

The taste is rather sweet, raisins and dates, acidity - green apples and pears.

Medium carbonation, medium complexity, a somewhat sticky feeling.

Not at all bad. Sampled at a "blind" beer tasting at De Klomp, Linköping, Sweden. We did nail it.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 15:56:37 | More by rarbring

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased from Slowbeer in Melbourne as part of an order. Sent to Sydney and shared with @LaitueGonflable and @tobeerornottobe, to celebrate my 1200th beer review.

Pours a lovely burnished red-brown colour, with a fine and full head off off-white foam. Lacing is patchy and spotty, but subsists well enough. Body isn't that thick, but the carbonation is so fine that it produces static lacing when tilted. Looks very good.

Nose is classically German, given some phenolic characters of sharp crushed organics, along with a genuine robust grain character, along with a freshly baked bread sweetness. Not huge, but extremely classic, and perfectly fitting in the genre.

Taste is clean and clear, with a pleasant grainy overtone that demarcates it into the German style quite comfortably. Smooth entry with some bready yeast on the finish, and a thick body that gives it some heft.

Despite the heft, the body feels a little empty—it doesn't have a lot of fullness on the palate, or the complexity to keep it going.

It's not a bad brew, but it's far less complex and far less exciting than some of the other brews I've had the privilege to try this evening. I feel I've had much better doppelbocks, and I'm a little disappointed that I saved this one for my 1200th review.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 08:39:43 | More by lacqueredmouse

kojevergas

California

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on-draught into a .5 litre Andechs glass in Germany. Reviewed from notes taken June 2010.

A: Pours a 2.5 finger head of lovely cream and thickness. Great retention. Colour is a dark ruby. Nontransparent.

Sm: Dark fruit, caramel, chocolate, and pleasant dark esters.

T: Dark fruit, caramel, layered beautiful yet minimal hops. Brilliant shining esters (but not berry) on the climax. The full-bodied barley body is subtle and well malted. Very well balanced and built. No alcohol comes through. Perhaps a touch too sweet, but I quite like it.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Complements the flavours nciely. Maybe a bit syrupy, but it's forgivable; this style demands thickness and presence.

Dr: Very easy to drink, even refreshing. A fantastic Doppelbock - definitely one of the best I've ever had. Give her a spin; you won't be disappointed. I'd have to have a side by side, but I think I prefer this to Celebrator.

B

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 19:38:11 | More by kojevergas

CrazyDavros

Australia

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

Pours ruby with a large but fading head.
Nose shows loads of caramelised, bready malt, with a faint hint of soft alcohol.
Equally malty flavours, with loads of caramel and toasty note, and again, some soft alcohol.
Creamy slick mouthfeel, with soft carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 01:36:33 | More by CrazyDavros

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

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

Beer has a great mahogany colour, is smooth without too much carbonation but I just drank a cheap french lager. Can smell smoked dark chocolate, it also tastes like smoked beer. There are hints of coffee and dark chocolate. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Too heavy to session but still very good. This is a beer I can recomend to fans of doppelbock but I won't be drinking it every weekend

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 18:09:45 | More by jonb5

genog

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass this beer was a light to medium amber color, had decent lacing.

The aroma from this beer is of roasted malt, some slight spice, and strong clove, and a some hint of banana maybe?.

The taste is sweet, some caramel, and a lingering aftertaste. I could also taste a little of the alcohol as well. This was a good beer, but not the best I had on the trip. Some questionable mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 01:11:32 | More by genog