Brothers’ Reserve Cherry Oak Doppelbock is a very highly recommended doppel, whose oak and cherry essences are so well integrated into the beer that I wonder why all doppels aren’t this flavorful.

With this beer, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company of Portland, Oregon, has achieved a wonderful balance of malt, oak and cherry. No one flavor overshadows the other and all contribute to a smooth, satisfying beer.

Cherry Oak Doppelbock pours a dark honey-brown with a quick-to-fall tan head. The beer’s aroma is of toffee malt with undertones of cherry and minor notes of oak.

This doppel’s initial flavor is of sweet caramel and toffee malts that show an incredible depth of malt flavor that gains in intensity and richness at mid-tongue.

At mid-tongue, some small but very complimentary notes of oak flavor join in. The oak is so well integrated that you really have to search your taste buds for it, for this is no oak bomb.

However, the star at mid-tongue is the beer’s cherry flavors. However, as with the oak, these flavors are subtle but oh-so-important to the complexity of the beer.

Some dark chocolate malt flavors appear at the back of the throat as well as some piney hop flavors that serve to help balance the beer’s malt.

At 9% alcohol by volume, this doppel has a pleasant alcohol warmth that shows in the beer’s finish. That finish is long and is dominated by deep, flavorful malt accentuated by oak and some light cherry notes.

Summing up this beer’s flavor profile is pretty easy. Sweet-ish malt throughout, cherry forward at mid-tongue and oak forward at the back of the throat. However, be reminded that all flavors integrate wonderfully.

My only criticism of the beer is a very slight metallic note that shows deep in the back of throat.

Brothers’ Reserve Cherry Oak Doppelbock is very highly recommended and was purchased at Miller Liquor in North Sioux City, SD.

-Tim Hynds

The 2009 edition of Schell’s Snowstorm continues the trend of the New Ulm, Minn., brewery kicking out a top notch winter seasonal.

This year’s version of the beer – the style and recipe changes each year – is a Baltic porter. And, Schell’s take on the style is at once flavorful and delicate. I consider it a very accessible version of the style, but one that devotees of big malt beers can still enjoy.

However, if you are looking for a malt powerhouse, you will be disappointed.

Snowstorm pours a deep, opaque mahogany with a tall tan head that leaves lots of lacing on the glass. The beer’s initial aroma is of roast malt with some sourdough notes. Those aromas are combined with some  light cherry cola and gravelly hop scents.

Snowstorm’s initial flavor is moderate roasty malt with a modest bit of toffee sweetness.

Roasty malt flavors ramp up at mid-tongue, but is balanced with floral hop flavors that show at the sides of the tongue. Some moderate cherry cola (but not the cloying cola sweetness) flavors and anise make an appearance here.

Mouthfeel at mid-tongue is rather spritely, making the beer feel less heavy in the mouth than its flavors would otherwise lead you. It’s a feature that makes this brew go down rather easily and keeps Snowstorm from becoming a 40-weight version of the Baltic porter style.

Hop bitterness picks up slightly at the back of the throat and the malt takes on a dark fruit flavor (think light raisin and black cherry) with moderate to heavy malt roastiness.

The moderately long finish on this Baltic porter is rather dry and keys on roasty malt supported by floral hops.

I consider the 2009 edition of Snowstorm to be on the the lighter end of full flavored and medium bodied. It is highly recommended as a flavorful, but not heavy take on the Baltic porter style.

I’d love to let you know the beer’s alcohol by volume content and other stats, but Schell’s website still lists the 2008 Snowstorm (a fine Weihnachtsbier). In fact, Internet information says this beer isn’t scheduled to be released until Sunday (Nov. 1, 2009). My guess is that this beer will hover around 6% ABV. I’ll update with a comment when the information becomes available.

Schell’s Snowstorm was purchased at Miller Liquor in North Sioux City, SD.

-Tim Hynds

This is the 91st of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

What is decoction mashing? For bonus points, name one other type of mashing.

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Boo-hoo! No guesses. The correct answer is lite American lager, Dunkelweizen, English brown ale and Russian Imperial Stout. SRM is a measure of the color (darkness) of a beer.

This is the 90th of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

Using commonly accepted style guidelines, arrange these four beer types in ascending order of srm: English brown ale, Russian Imperial stout, dunkelweizen, lite American lager.

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Pass the boot to FredW who correctly answered bock to win this week’s quiz! He not only knew the correct answer, FredW  knows his German noun genders.

This is the 89th of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

Helles and eis are two sub-styles of what malty German beer style? For bonus points, name an additional sub-style.

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A Motor City shout out to FredW who was first to correctly answer this week’s quiz. Stroh’s of Detroit touted its beers as being fire brewed beers. This meant their brew kettle was heated by flame rather than by steam.

This is the 88th of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

What upper-midwest beer brand used the fact that it was “fire brewed” as a major part of its marketing? Bonus question: What the heck does “fire brewed” mean?

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Cheers to Mazour who remembered this obscure bit of trivia from his Ft. Collins brewery tour! The spent beechwood chips are indeed used as landscaping mulch on the brewery grounds!

 Also, thumbs up to Nicole for adding an additional bit of beechwood chip trivia!

 This is the 87th of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

What does Anheuser-Busch (now Anheuser-Busch InBev) do with the beechwood chips after they are spent from beechwood aging their flagship Budweiser?

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Pass the boot of dopplebock to Erik as he correctly answered  this week’s quiz! Also, a beer is said to be in kreusen it has a fluffy thick head while in fermentation.

This is the 86th of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

What is kreusening?

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Congrats to Glen who correctly answered this week’s question! Star San is a sanitizing agent used in the food processing and brewing industries, and according to the product’s MSDS, you should flush your skin with water if you come into contact with the chemical.

This is the 85th of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

What should a home brewer do if they get Star San on their skin?

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Congrats to Matt who correctly placed the beers in the following order: Gruit Ale, lite American lager, dry stout and American IPA.

According to the Beer Judge Certification Program’s 2008 stylebook, lite American lager ranges from 8-12 IBUs, dry stout from 30-45 IBUs and American IPAs from 40-70 IBUs. Griut Ales are brewed with no hops, so they can’t be “hoppy”.

This is the 84th of a weekly quiz on beer and all things beer related.

Arrange these four beer styles from least hoppy to most hoppy. Let generally accepted style guidelines be your guide.

American IPA

Gruit ale

Lite American lager

Dry stout

Answer by posting a comment.

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