The Bourbonator
Sudwerk Brewing Company in Davis, California, United States 🇺🇸
Bock - Doppelbock Regular|
Score
6.62
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The Bourbonator is a limited batch of Sudwerk's winter seasonal, Doppel Bock Ultimator, that has been aged in hand-selected Kentucky bourbon barrels. The brewers allow the beer to hibernate until it is time to uncage the beastly blend of flavors including vanilla, coconut, hints of bourbon, chocolate, toffee and the signature velvet smooth finish of the Doppel.
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8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 9/1/2016. Pours slightly hazy/cloudy deep ruby red, light copper/brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, chocolate, cocoa, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, chocolate, cocoa, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Mild herbal, grassy, peppery, roast bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Slight yeast tang/tartness. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, brown bread/crust, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, apricot, red apple, chocolate, cocoa, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Very clean lager flavors, not overly fruity/yeasty. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 9%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged doppelbock. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Awesomely soft feel for the style/ABV. Awesomely rich dark/Munich malt and Four Roses barrel presence/integration; with solid earthy hops. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. I got a slight hint of an infection note, but after 3 years it's probably just the melanoidin character. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on base style example with the extended age.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2019
at 19:42
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Pour is a dark cola brown with a small tan head. Aroma is bourbon barrel notes but also a odd vinegar. Flavor is a thin bourbon no real malt feel and again I get a big sour vinegar. I guess this bottle got infected along the way. I see what the brewer was trying to do but the vinegar sourness takes that all away.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Dec 2016
at 20:24
5.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
22oz bottle pours a muddy brown with some tan head. Nose has stale malt, some wood pulp, some blood orange. Flavor has raisins, orange peel, tart yogurt, wood pulp. Tart finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Sep 2016
at 02:24
5.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
[2/2/16] Draught at Barrel Head Brewhouse in San Francisco. Dark brown. Aroma of malt, caramel, dark fruits, alcohol. Sweet malt flavor with caramel, vanilla, booziness. Medium-bodied.
Tried
on 14 Feb 2016
at 06:42
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bomber from the Woodland Nugget. Pours darkly ruddy/brown with a slight tan head. Aroma of treacle with mixed bourbon/chocolate. Maybe a hint of alcohol. Full bodied. It’s bourbon/treacle/toast with a slight touch of heat on the tongue. Moves into chocolate with suggestions of dark fruits. I can imagine toasted coconut. There’s a lot going on here. It’s very nice stuff. Bourbon was not overdone.
Tried
from Can
on 19 Dec 2014
at 18:15