Paulaner Salvator Double Bock

Each time it happens, I still can't believe it. A classic beer is found to not be in the Nib. After seven years of this blog, there's still a few that haven't made it in. A lot of work to do. And this week, the Sample Man gave me some Paulaner beers, one of which has been covered here, the Hefe Weizen, but the doppelbock? The doppelbock, Salvator, hasn't made it in?

Time to correct that, and I'm going back and using notes from October of 2003:

Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock (Double Bock), 7.9% ABV, Paulaner Brewery, Munich, Germany.

Appearance: clear, gorgeous, deep garnet hue, with a fine, fuzzy cream-colored head.

Aroma: bready, yeasty, but soft, slightly hoppy and spicy, with some traces of fruit.

Taste: smooth flavor, but soon chocolate-y, caramel-y flavors, derived from malt, dominate the palate. Tasty, rich and malty, improving exponentially as we go.

Bright, shiny, delicious, with alcohol content eventually rearing it's powerful head. Flavor feels burnished, roasted, still fruity, and let us never forget, delicious. A world class beer, a champion doppelbock, and surprisingly approachable.

This unfiltered bottom fermented double bock beer has been brewed for over 375 years--always adhering to the original recipe. The taste is unmistakable, with its smooth chocolate flavor, robust dark caramel maltiness and a light note of hops--providing a nice intensity on the palate.