Can we first take a moment to marvel at the artwork on the can? All Inn have taken the traditional -ator suffix for naming a doppelbock, and applied it in the way that tickles the 90s nostalgia many of us have for Arnie films. And if it looks like we’re shedding a tear for the sacrificial destruction of a robot assassin that served as a father figure for a rebellious teen, be assured it’s just the pollen in the air at this time of year.
Ahem. The beer.
At first glance, I thought Dopplenator was the colour of cola, but when light touched the glass it shone with the red of the T-800’s right eye.†
When it comes to the smell, there’s a little caramel and chocolate and light alcohol fume, but the aroma is mainly that of rich cherry skins, rising from the liquid like the T-1000 rising from its puddle of liquid metal. It reached my nose as a blend of kirsch and Dr Pepper (which I always thought of as cherry, but is apparently a blend of 23 flavours).
In the mouth there’s more malt complexity – not just cherries but other dark fruits as well, which join with spice and alcohol to give a mulled wine vibe – followed by a cyborg†† finish that’s part sweet, part dry.
Mick Wüst
†Yes, right eye, despite the artwork on the can.
††I do know that neither of the Terminators in this film is actually a cyborg, but I’m running out of references. I’ve seen this movie literally once about 20 years ago. I think I’m doing pretty well, all things considered.
- Style
- Doppelbock
- ABV
- 7.2%