Ayinger Celebrator

2020-11-22

Celebrator Dopplebock. Ayinger Brewery. Germany.

6.7% ABV.

Ever since I arrived in Rochester, MN, in September, I’ve been looking for a Dopplebock, not having experienced one in many years.

So I was super happy to find this on the shelves this week, and from Ayinger no less, who makes the only pilsner to have touched my heart.

So I’m excited about this.

Appearance

Pours with almost no head. Dark and flat looking.

It’s not appealing frankly.

The bottle, on the other hand, is lovely, with a detailed illustration; and tied around the neck is a little plastic trinket, what looks like a ram.

Packaging is a 5 for sure.

Super malty. Burnt caramel.

Aimee says “loquat leaf extract”, but I have no idea what that is.

Maybe licorice or anise, though I need to be reminded what anise actually smells like. Or molasses.

It smells like its going to be thick.

It’s fun to smell but I’m kind of trepidatious about tasting it.

It’s very one-dimensional. It’s a mouthful of malt drink.

It’s not so bad that I won’t finish the bottle though.

The lack of carbination really hurts the experience. This is flat and thick.

I have fond early memories of Spaten Optimator, of it being a legendary drink of adults, and full of flavor.

With my recent interest in strong, challending drinks, I was expecting my next dopplebock to be an enlightening experience.

I think I’ve learned something here, but I am not enlightened.