Flying Dog - Wild Dog Collaborator Doppelbock

The third installment in the Flying Dog promo session is the Collaborator Doppelbock. All in all, my least favorite of the three, as it didn’t really distinguish itself as much as the other two I tried. The pour yielded a nice mahogany color and a smallish head. There was not a lot on the nose, but it was nice and sweet, with a hint of fruit and grain. It’s a pleasant and drinkable beer, with a nice nutty malt flavor and sweetness, balanced with a medium carbonation and bitter finish. It improved as it warmed and exposed a few more of it’s subtle qualities, which I wish were a little more pronounced overall. Something just feels young about this beer - I’d like to try it again with a few months age on it. Overall, I’d say that it hints at a really nice and complex brew, but at this point, feels a little unfinished. Based on some of the other offerings from Flying Dog recently, which feel fully mature and refined, I’m confident that a great beer is in there somewhere, just maybe not quite yet. Cheers ~G

score - 3.5

Ayinger - Celebrator

The Celebrator is a beer I’ve seen for years but, for whatever reason, never ended up buying. I’ve never been a *huge* bock fan and a doppelbock seemed, well, doubly less appealing. Umm…I was wrong. This is an outstanding and very enjoyable beer which is highly drinkable and complex without being overbearing. Actually, the fact that it’s a doppelbock makes it a deeper, richer brew, which negates some of the things I don’t find particularly satisfying with your typical bock. I paired the Celebrator with a Texas Brisket with chili sauce and it was a perfect compliment. The subtle sweetness of the bock matched up with the tomato base in the sauce, while the coffee and hop bitterness finished off each bite with a crisp conclusion. The mouthfeel was creamy and not as heavy as I had anticipated, which made it easy to put away a couple of pints without getting stuffed. Overall, this beer is great by itself and outstanding when paired with the right food. It’s a little on the spendy side, but would make a nice gift and perfect for special occasions. Cheers ~G

score - 4.5