Ayinger Celebrator

The Brewers:
Brewmaster: Hans-Jürgen Iwan
Company: Ayinger
Location: Münchener Straße 21 Aying, Germany
Website: http://en.ayinger-bier.de/?pid=263

The Beer:
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 6.7%
Brewed with: German malts and Hallertau hops
Served: 12 oz. bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of an 8 oz. Pilsner flute

Pours dark brown with a decent beige head.  Beer appears deep crimson when held to light.  Head dissipates quickly, but a trace hangs around and laces weakly.

Aroma is all malt, and traditional German malt at that.  Hefty roasted malt, with a typical German malty-sweetness and very mild smoke flavor with honey and molasses, some wheat maybe?

Beer starts with a decent carbonation level and an upfront, roasted malty-sweet tone, and has a flavor that is very reminiscent of dark molasses.  Middle is full-bodied and sweet, with continuing dominance of the German malt, and some roasted malt at the forefront.  From middle to finish, there is an increase in the malty-sweetness (caramel and toffee perhaps?) as well as a bready and nutty flavor.  Finish is moderate in length and full-bodied; no astringency or dryness is to be found with this beer, but a lingering flavor of molasses and bread/honey abounds.

Overall:
German beers, thanks to the Reinheitsgebot (Google please), almost always feel lacking to me, but this beer never disappoints.  Brewed like a lager, but with the flavor and body of an ale, this beer is what all those "lite" beers wish they could be.  The malts predominate in a beer like this, and neither hops nor yeast play a pivotal role in the flavor profile.  A full malt bill and a good ABV grant this beer a full body, but it is not as filling as some of its American or British counterparts.  A beer like this would go best with a full meal in any season, and is bound to please any beer drinker.  Ayinger Doppelbock is probably the best example of a German bock that exists in the world, and you'd be missing out if you overlooked this one.