Paulaner Salvator Double Bock

Rating: 9 out of 10

Call me sentimental, but the Munich beers just seem to touch my heart. The Salvator Double Bock is a benchmark beer for me - one of the beers I use to compare all other beers. It's that good. Everything about this beer makes you understand why you love beer in the first place.

I had my first Salvator when I was home for Christmas visiting my family in late 2006. Dad had raved about the beer for some time but I was unable to find it in Charlotte at any of my beer locales. I told him before the trip that was one I had to try while I was home. He accommodated my request and as soon as I tasted it I fell in love.

The great thing about beer is there's no one right answer. What's right for me may not be right for you. This beer was the answer and the other beers we tried that night paled in comparison. I had to try it again but still couldn't find it in Charlotte. So, when my wife's parents decided to come visit for the weekend I had my dad run over a 6 pack of Salvator to her dad so he could bootleg it across 5 states to get it here. Fugitive beer.

Some background on the beer before the review - the Double Bock (Doppelbock) is defined as a stronger bock brew (a regular bock is defined as a stronger lager). Back in medieval days German monasteries would brew a strong beer for sustenance during their Lenten fasts - this stronger beer was a symbol of better times to come (Gotta love those monks!). The names of double bocks commonly end in -ator in honor of the original, Paulaner Salvator (Latin for Savior - and how true). Yes - Salvator is the original double bock.

Six pack in hand from my wife's dad I put it in the fridge and wait a day. A long wait. The next evening finally comes and I'm ready. I crack open the bottle and pour the beer. The color is dark amber with a creamy white head. The smell is part of the mystique - a terrific sweet smell with caramel, brown sugar, bread, honey, toffee and every other good thing you can think of. The taste is complex - rich and full - you primarily pick up the caramel. I love caramel so this is probably why I like the beer so much. The only knock I've ever seen on this beer is the sweet edge, but that's part of why I love it. You also pick up roasted malt, toffee, maple, coffee and a touch of fruit of some kind that I can't place. Also a little bit of hops. It feels terrific in your mouth and gets smoother the longer your drink it (perhaps as it warms up?). The finish continues to be smooth and sweet and clean. The beer itself is 7.9% ABV - a pretty good number. You feel the impact of the beer but not so much you're dizzy. You just feel warm and cozy, like you've been enveloped by a beer blanket. A delicious, perfect beer blanket.

By John on February 19, 2007 @ 8 PM with 0 Comments

Paulaner Salvator Double Bock

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