7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Draught samples at Kennett Fest, 10/7/06
Very frothy, large, aerated head is a light cappucino color, providing excellent, sticky lace down the glass. Medium to medium-high retention. Tobacco/maple brown body shows low clarity and has some rust and beige tints.
Dry smoke in the nose is not overly meaty (salt, bacon, sausage) relative to a Schlenkerla, but shows a more reserved woodsmoke/tobacco/char aroma. Medium dry chocolate malt notes are intersparsed, delightfully, with dry coffee-like roast and soft vanilla-toffee hints. A very faint note of yellow raisins can even be found on the finish. Medium to medium-high strength of aroma, with no alcohol apparency. Very dry for a doppelbock, with some hints of lager yeast on the finish. Clean and properly lagered.
Dry chocolate and coffee bean crunchiness initially strips the palate, and only gradually is a light vanilla-cream and raisin-like sweetness added back. With warming, some base malts mix with the chocolate malts but also mingle with the oak-hickory-like smokiness and do not fully sweeten. Tobacco and some breadiness (perhaps paperiness) sit on the end, dryly, while light raisin and vanilla chewiness collects. A fair amount of acidity (smoked malt and/or dark malt phenol?) definitely builds up as well, unfortunately, and somewhat distracts from the drinkability (but does add an interesting dark berry-skin note). Carbonation is a bit loose and the beer has moments of wateriness on the finish. But even if the palate/mouthfeel are not quite up to par, the array of flavors and utter lack of any brewing flaws certainly wins back support. Yeast presence is low; some sparkle of lager yeast crispness is evident on the finish, but is minimal.