Doppelsticke
Black Isle Brewery in Munlochy, Highland, Scotland 🏴
Collab with: The Kernel BreweryAltbier Special
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Score
7.38
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Douro Red Wine BA Doppelsticke
In Feb '24 Black Isle made two beers with The Kernel Brewery of London. The first was an Altbler, a traditional top-fermented German lager style, synonymous with the Rhineland. The second beer is a bit bigger, a Doppelsticke (literal translation 'Double Secret') which, if you want to butcher culture for ease of explanation, is a sort-of German Barley Wine.
Instead of bottling as a straight Doppelsticke, we've added a twist; 12 months in ex-Douro barrels.
What you now get is a timeless rendition of a German classic, infused with Highland spirit, London excellence, and Portuguese finesse.
In Feb '24 Black Isle made two beers with The Kernel Brewery of London. The first was an Altbler, a traditional top-fermented German lager style, synonymous with the Rhineland. The second beer is a bit bigger, a Doppelsticke (literal translation 'Double Secret') which, if you want to butcher culture for ease of explanation, is a sort-of German Barley Wine.
Instead of bottling as a straight Doppelsticke, we've added a twist; 12 months in ex-Douro barrels.
What you now get is a timeless rendition of a German classic, infused with Highland spirit, London excellence, and Portuguese finesse.
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8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Quite a nice drop. Malty but not overly sweet. Mellow dark berries and overarching red wine accents. A little funk maybe. Low bitterness, touches of earth. Minimal boozy kick. Really drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
at
The Kernel Taproom (Spa Road)
on 10 Jan 2026
at 18:29
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
500ml bottle, rare Kernel collab beer. Pours a deep reddy copper with a beige head. Aroma of red wine, oak, dried fruits. Taste prominently features the red wine barrels, oaky, dried fruits, leather, tangy vinous notes, semi sweet. Medium bodied. Relatively easy drinking for a "barleywine" under 8%.
Great beer, would never have guessed it was an Altbier, but to be fair it's not a style I'm at all familiar with.
Great beer, would never have guessed it was an Altbier, but to be fair it's not a style I'm at all familiar with.
Tried
from Bottle
from Hop Shop Aberdeen
on 22 Dec 2025
at 22:01
7.9/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle. Kernel advent box day 2. Deep red copper. Suds of lasting mucky beige. Not particularly a looker. Nose has loads of the red wine barrel coming across sweet juicy and lightly tangy. Some malt character behind. Taste is semi sweet and fruity with a red wine tang. Easy drinking and vinous. Juicy finish. It’s a lovely easy drinking bev but there’s no way I’d know this was supposed to be an Altbier. The red wine barrel dominates everything.
Tried
from Bottle
at
The Kernel Brewery
on 02 Dec 2025
at 18:55
7.8/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 8
Bottle from Westhill Service Station. It pours clear darkest red - brown with a bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet, juicy, bright, jammy, blueberry, bramble, raspberry, blueberry muffin, gummy candy, vinous, red wine, brown bread, leather and resin. The taste of smooth, juicy, bright, bitter - sweet, vinous, bramble, raspberry, blueberry, fruit cake, vinous, red wine, oak tannin, brown bread, cherry cola, toasty vibes, some warming booze, leafy and leather with a drying, toothy finale. Medium+ body and average carbonation. Nice depth of flavour and plenty of jammy berry character coming through from the red wine.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Westhill Service Station (Hop Shop Aberdeen)
on 10 Oct 2025
at 13:43
7.5/10
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Appearance 5
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
I have visited the Black Isle Brewery once, but didn't come away with anything this good. The barrel aged wine influence is huge here, in both aroma and taste. The latter allows some sweet dark-malts into the taste, which provide plenty of flavour. Texture is smoothish and very crisp.
Tried
from Draft
at
København
on 02 Oct 2025
at 18:22