#365: Double Bocked

It's a bit of a surprise, given Weihenstephaner's wide availability on the Irish market, that this year marks the first time I've come across Korbinian, a name I associate with doppelbock about as much as Salvator or Celebrator.

Korbinian lands somewhere between the two. Unsurprisingly it's a melanoidin bonanza, all raisin and toast. Its exceptionaly clean and every ounce a lager, almost to the point of quaffability for a beer of 7.4%. You could nearly go so far as to call it by-the-numbers for a Bavarian dark lager, lacking some of the real heft and concentration of other doppelbocks, but that is to overlook its own wonderful qualities. Still, given the alcohol and price, I'd sooner go for Weihenstephaner's dark lager for a similarly enjoyable experience. 

I figured an appropriate comparison for the Korbinian is another of the more elusive doppelbocks from a classic Bavarian brewery; Augustiner Maximator, pulled from the archive.

Many years ago, my parents owned a mahogany furniture set, inherited from a previous generation. When polished, the table was a beautiful chocolate brown with a ruby shine to it, and that is the colour of Maximator, to my mind the perfect hue for a clean, strong dark lager. 

There are no surprises here. A touch of toffee, brown sugar and again some raisin, remaining on the lighter side much like the above, and not drifting in to the boozy, rich and rum-soaked effect you might get in a dubbel or quad. Drinkabilty here is once again off the charts evenn at 7.5%, but that's hardly very surprising given the producers.

Another fine doppelbock, even if it isn't iconic as Augustiner's Helles. Plus, have a look at that label.