Beer Review: Leinenkugel's Big Butt Doppelbock
I'm exhausted from work and exhausted from reading for class, so I'm taking a break. This is the second review that I promised last night. I guess I had a craving for seasonals because I bought a six pack of Leinenkugel's Big Butt Doppelbock to go with my New Glarus Staghorn. Big Butt Doppelbock has a special place in my heart, mostly because of a story involving it, a long night at a bar, and a certain waitress. But that one's not for the blog. There are a lot of those "not for the blog" stories, including last night, but I digress. On to the review.
The Big Butt Doppelbock is a doppelbock. What's a doppelbock? I'm glad you asked. It's a kind of bock. What's a bock? I'm glad you asked. A bock is a German-style lager that is darkened with malts. Bocks have a long Catholic tradition too. Fasting monks used to brew and drink bocks because they are full of life sustaining nutrients. Think of it as liquid bread. I think the monks liked to party too, but that's just a theory. Doppelbocks (double bocks) are another Catholic creation. They are almost always very dark and full bodied. Because I'd rather not go into a long description of decoction mashing and the fermentation process, I'll just say that the secret to the doppelbock is in the malts.
The Big Butt Doppelbock is very dark red. It's not totally opaque if you hold it up to the light, but it's not exactly a Miller High Life. The aroma is nice. You can really smell the chocolate and caramel malts. You can also really taste them. The flavor is full bodied and rich. It's sort of a burnt, nutty flavor. The problem that I have with this beer is that it's so tame. The flavor is excellent, but it has no follow through. The alcohol content is low for a bock, so there's no kick to it. Basically, it's doppelbock training wheels. Don't get me wrong. It's a tasty beer and I'm not going to struggle getting through this one. I just wish that they hadn't changed the recipe (the late 90's version was a real doppelbock). Order one anyway. The name is fun to say.
The Big Butt Doppelbock is a doppelbock. What's a doppelbock? I'm glad you asked. It's a kind of bock. What's a bock? I'm glad you asked. A bock is a German-style lager that is darkened with malts. Bocks have a long Catholic tradition too. Fasting monks used to brew and drink bocks because they are full of life sustaining nutrients. Think of it as liquid bread. I think the monks liked to party too, but that's just a theory. Doppelbocks (double bocks) are another Catholic creation. They are almost always very dark and full bodied. Because I'd rather not go into a long description of decoction mashing and the fermentation process, I'll just say that the secret to the doppelbock is in the malts.
The Big Butt Doppelbock is very dark red. It's not totally opaque if you hold it up to the light, but it's not exactly a Miller High Life. The aroma is nice. You can really smell the chocolate and caramel malts. You can also really taste them. The flavor is full bodied and rich. It's sort of a burnt, nutty flavor. The problem that I have with this beer is that it's so tame. The flavor is excellent, but it has no follow through. The alcohol content is low for a bock, so there's no kick to it. Basically, it's doppelbock training wheels. Don't get me wrong. It's a tasty beer and I'm not going to struggle getting through this one. I just wish that they hadn't changed the recipe (the late 90's version was a real doppelbock). Order one anyway. The name is fun to say.
