Brewery: Paulaner Brauerel GmbH & Co, Munich, Germany.

Brewery Description: Couldn’t find one on the site for some reason. I did find a commercial description for it elsewhere: “The first authentic dopplebock (double bock) beer. A very rich, full, hearty body. Yet superbly balanced, true to its world-renowned reputation.”

Brew Style: Doppelbock, 7.5% ABV

Recommended Glass: Dimpled mug, Stein, Stem

The Ugly Truth: Oh boy, here we go. I have to tell you, I love dopplebocks. They are usually strong, higher ABV beers with great taste to them. This one, the taste is not so great. I had to try four different types of glass before I managed to find the one that made the beer taste decent. For those who don’t know, drinking beer from the bottle is an affront against God and Nature. Beers, at least everything other than Budweiser and it’s various clones, are meant to be poured into a glass and drunk. Additionally, there are a number of beers which have an ideal glass type for them. I had to try pint, imperial pint and pilsner before landing on a dimpled mug to get the taste right. Most quality beers make allowances for using different types of beer glasses, this one did not. By the time I found the right glass, I was getting tired of the taste of this stuff. It’s very bitter for a doppelbock, and it hits right away and kills any other tastes that are there. Even the bitterness, however, tastes flat and unappealing. It starts off sharp on the tongue, and then just slides into the intense bitterness that just didn’t do much for me. It weighs in at a respectable 7.5% ABV, but any enjoyment from that is killed by the bad taste of this stuff. There are better doppelbocks out there, so I would skip this one and move to something else.

Verdict: Best I can do is give it a 3 out of 10, which is doppel for 1.5.