Troutbrook Thomas Hooker Liberator

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle pours a nice dark brown cup o’ coffee with off white head. Wow! This has an amazing initial mouth watering lip smackin’ aroma with roasty malts, rich molasses, brewing pre hoped wort percolating over the flame and caramel. In time the aroma did subside in intensity but was still very nice. The flavors were roasty to slightly burnt malts, rich molasses, caramel candy, nice chunk of pale maltiness. Then I get a chocolate maltiness and hints of coffee. Very nice.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Finding an American doppelbock is rare, finding one that’s good, is even rarer. This particular example, is outstanding. The pour is mahogany in color, eith a thin tight creamy light tan colored head. The aroma is dark fruit, caramel, bread, and yeast. Mouthfeel is full and creamy. Flavor is sweet with the bread and caramel in the forefront, but it is capped with a nice bitter finish.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

12oz bottle .. . pours a rust brown .. light foam .. . i'm bill curtis .. . deep syrup and caramel .. . light mouthfeel .. . pretty nice interpretation of the style .. . i'm bill curtis!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Finally tried this because of the 50% clearance. Would say worth the $4 and change, but couldn't see spending over $8. Solid beer still...think Ayinger's Celebrator is the way to go though in this style. Best part about this is the creamy mouthfeel texture along with the super-dark brown (near black) appearance. Has potential to be slightly better with the flavor, but could have been the bottle was close to a year old. Slightly rusty/metallic in the end. Worth the try for the price slash, but not sure if I would get again.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Pours an inviting, barely transparent chocolate brown with a substantial light tan head that leaves some good lacing. Yeasty aroma has malty, caramel, citrus and nutty notes. Flavor has a firm yeasty overtone and caramel, nutty, malty and woody notes, as well as a fishy undertone that actually complements the other flavors rather than fighting them or detracting from the overall taste. Full-bodied texture is fairly fizzy and leaves a nice yeasty finish with hints of caramel and anchovy. Prosit!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

The aroma is massively malty and sweet with huge amounts of roasted aromas with some chocolate as well as some licorice coming through with some chalky hoppiness as well. The appearance is a very murky, deep mahogany to burgundy when held to the light with a medium-sized head on top that is light-tan in color and diminishes to a light lacing that coats the glass and is bubbly. The mouthfeel is creamy and very frothy with excellent balance; I was worried the maltiness would be too strong, and has a palate that is wet-like but a bit dry. The flavor starts malty sweet with some figs, brown sugar, licorice, and roastiness with an aftertaste that becomes a bit bitter with some coffee as well with a finish that is smooth, clean, not astringent at all and is just so damn tasty. Overall, this may be my favorite doppelbock I have had in a while and truly competes with Celebrator; probably the granddaddy of all doppelbocks-style brews. This was a damn tasty beer with only slight hints of alcohol in the finish; I bet this would age well...recommended for sure.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

This beer poured beautifully, nearly black color with a tan head that ringed the glass downward. Laced all the way down. Dark fruit nose with toastiness to boot. Maybe a bit of chocolate? Flavor: Malt. Definite hop presence. Chocolate, maybe a bit of coffee. Sweet, dry finish. Very good. For the price, Yep, I'll do it again. Addendum: for homebrewers, the 1/2 ltr flipper is quite useful.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Poured a dark brown nice tan head. Aroma was of light fruits and a little sweet. Flavor was lots of coffee hops and was very dry. Aganist the others from this style thie one is up there, different though.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Thanks to Cottrell for this one, made for a great doppelbock evening against Celebrator, Andechser, Maximator, Bajuvator, and Consecrator. The appearance was dark brown amber, tan head, porter-like appearance. There was lots of candy, light fruit aromas comign from the bottle and poured glasses, just pretty, although I was anticipating something sweet and sticky based on the aroma. Flavor was strong coffee for a doppelbock, licorice, dry-ness, hops to balance it out, almost schwarzbier-like, no breadiness, some spicey hops, the hops stick around in the after aftertaste, minutes after the last sip. Dry is the mouthfeel, very well attenuated lager, firm body, but again, lager-like. Enjoyable. These guys can brew good beers, no doubt.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Beer poured really dark brown with nice head and lacing. Aroma was really rich fruit and also some piney smelling hops. The flavor was really full and really, really sweet. Dark roastiness with sweet flavor and some dark fruits, with a significant hop present. Nice and complex. Really more reminiscent of a stout than a dopplebock. Really good.