Nothing will ever come close to Celebrator in the Doppelbock category but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some other good ones out there. This is a fine example of that fact. Pours a dark brown color with a reddish halo. Thin, dense beige head and thin lacing. The aroma is sweet roasted malt, nuts and dark fruit. Medium-bodied and smooth with a well-rounded array of flavors, from malt, caramel and vanilla to nuts and hops. The only downside is the flavor disappears quickly. The upside is taking that next drink to refresh the flavor isn’t hard at all. The finish is mostly sweet malt with a touch of raisins. Good work on this one by Capital.

2004 bottle Huge thanks to Heemer77 for getting this one for me. Had been wanting to try it for a long time. Good auburn mixed with amber colored body on it, clear, with a small dark yellow/light tan head. Fruity notes are given off, as is a thick, robust caramel malt. Notes of alcohol are well intertwined with the sweetness, producing a fiery, rich smell. Flavor is much the same, though perhaps even more sweet than the aroma had set me up for. Sticky, coating caramel and toffee sweetness, with a light fruitiness in the background. Light creamy maple fudge notes add to the sweetness. Alcohol attempts to dry out the body, but dosent succeed in doing so. Spicy notes mix with the candied sweetness on the end and the finish is relatively quick. Medium body, with more flavor, sweetness, alcohol and hops than the body seems to support. Not overly complex, but pretty tastey. The Fish Tale Doppelbock later in the night would prove to be more complex.

Aged bottle from Styles drunk in early March ’07
Not exactly sure how old, but it definitely shows no negative signs of aging. Actually one of the best German beers I’ve had and much better than the more fresh bottle I had. I guess it couldnt be more than a 1.5 years old as it still poured a large head and was retained well.
The flavor and mouthfeel were about as perfect as I can imagine for a doppelbock. Delicious mix of light fruitiness, vanilla-cream maltiness, slight bits of toffee chewiness, moderate caramel and just a hint of spicy hops (earth, herbs, leafiness, clove) to give it a pinch of bitterness. Sweetness is perfect. Enough to give it a wonderful malty-creamy texture but not to the point of being cloying or inhibiting drinkability. Even a bit of red fruitiness (red apples, berries, cherries) to add complexity. Breadiness and acidity seem to have vanished (not that they are that persistent in this beer to begin with). I really like that, who needs all the sourness/breadiness/acidity? I don’t see what it adds, other than maybe a more authentic feel. Mouthfeel is perfect on this. I think I drank my glass in 4 sips and almost opened the second bottle that Chris sent me. Score is for this bottle.