A Thing Worth Celebrating


Brewery and Country of Origin: Brauerei Aying of Munchner StraBe 21, 85653 Aying, Germany

Date Reviewed: 4-23-12

In today's world of selling as much to commercialized society as possible, words used (as names for products) to describe consumer goods are often over hyped or exaggerated to incite a purchase. Take the recently introduced Hyundai Veloster for example. It doesn't take a car enthusiast to know that the 1.6 liter, 4 cylinder, 138 hp engine doesn't make this a quick car. In fact it is, based on early reviews, quite a slow way to get to the store and back. But a name like "Veloster" (from Velocity) would have the uninformed potential car buyer believe otherwise. Bud Light Platinum (a sad excuse for over priced fermented human waste) is marketed as a "premium" style beer aimed at craft beer lovers (and when we say over priced, we mean you have to use money to pay for it). And to the rather indifferent, or lack of dismay of the manufactuers, AB InBev failed in the eyes of early reviewers as well. Again, something the majority of the public wouldn't be aware about. Fortunately, the Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock is different. This is a beer that lives up to its name. In truth, an example of fine brewing art, craftsmanship, and over a century of tradition. As the name of this brew suggests, this is something used to spur on the act of celebrating something. And boy, does it do the trick... quite well, in fact.
Date Sampled: 4-21-12 At: LIBA Craft Beer Meetup, Meadhall Bar, Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
Beer Style: Doppelbock
Alcohol by Volume: 6.70%
Serving Type: Keg, .3 L Stange Glass
Rating: 4.03

Look

This dark, deep, rich red colored beer pours smooth with a thin foam head. Very little lacing occurs as the beer is consumed. This beer is clear, filtered, and contains no sediment.

Aroma

Chocolate aromas fill your nostrils when you take one good wiff of this. This hints at malty, toasty, and sweet notes.

Feel

This beer has a moderate level of carbonation with a medium viscosity. There is no lingering aftertaste in the finish. Though this tastes like a sweeter and smoother beverage, it doesn't deserve to be quickly consumed, so drink appropriately and savor.

Taste

This is a chocolatey, malty, toasty, and somewhat sweet beer with a bitter finish with no lingering aftertaste. Well balanced flavors in the transition between beginning and end sensations of taste. This beer's flavors are pronounced, but not overpowering.

Our Take

This well balanced, bottom fermented beer is an easy drinking, smooth, sweet, and well crafted example of German tradition. A purely wonderful experience that may only slightly be hampered by a lack in boldness in flavor and a less than stellar finish. This brew is a great lager style doppelbock which even the inexperienced lager fan can appreciate; something that makes this such a great beer. It is its delicate balance between drinkability, and refined taste and feel that sets this nearly universally acclaimed, highly awarded, and astronomically ranked beer apart from other premium bocks. And no, mentioning "drinkability" does not mean we're talking about that other lager we mentioned earlier. This is genuinely great, and if you have the opportunity to find this gem on tap, give it a whirl. Life is full of things to celebrate, so you might as well do it right.


By Unquestionable Taste