Mutiny Fleet Plank II: Doppelbock Style Lager

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.

Pours clear dark brown with tan head. Aromas of toasted malts, toffee and dark fruits. Sweet toffee, toasted malt and raisin flavors with some yeast. Overly sweet and slightly medicinal. Medium to full body with soft carbonation.

Pours clear dark brown with a minimal off-white head. Aroma has toasted malt and some fruit. The flavor is lightly sweet and malty as expected. Decent.

Pours dark mahogany into a stem glass. Mocha head with good retention recedes to skim surface. Sweet molasses and toffee aromas. Dry plum and prune from front to back. Lasting sweet molasses and mild wood in the finish.

22oz bottle at RFD pours a hazy, mahogany brown with some thin, white head. Nose is malty, lightly fruity, plum, apple. Flavor is sweet, caramel, apples, plum, light coconut, sugary malt. Full bodied, malty finish.

From the 6/2012 3R6P tasting +++ Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a very dark brown color with a medium sized foamy beige head that left a bit of lacing. The aroma was malty molasses, dark fruits, bubblegum and soy sauce. The flavor was tangy dark fruits, molasses and touches of wood and raisin. Medium finish and moderately full bodied. Solid.

Cask version at Barley’s 9th Annual Mini RAF (05/12/12): This beer pours brownish-black with a medium thin light tan head that dissipates quickly. Stringy lacing on the glass. The aroma is mint, malt and fruit. Medium body with a minty character and notes of chocolate malt, vanilla and dark fruit. The finish is fresh mint and malt. Above average overall.

Draft. Clear maroon color, small tan head, decent lacing. Aroma of lemon and chocolate, an odd combo. Taste is bitter chocolate and caramel. Not bad. Earlier Rating: 4/14/2012 Total Score: 3.7Cask. Almost black, tan large bubble head. Aroma of subtle peppermint and chocolate. Taste is vanilla, prunes, raisins, plums. Nice.

Bomber from Whole Foods Market Charlottesville. Pours a clear dark brown color with a medium sized frothy tan head. Good head retention. Aroma of toffee, wood notes, herbal notes, coconut and something unpleasantly medicinal. The taste is toffee, raisin, wood, chocolate, wood notes, vanilla and something a bit herbal and almost minty. Medium-full bodied, low carbonation and booze is evident. Beyond the aroma, this stuff is awesome.