Paulaner Salvator

Paulaner Salvator

Style: Doppelbock

Alcohol Content: 7.9%

From: Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney Upon Thames

http://www.paulaner.com/

Solang der alte Peter.......

Paulaner was established in 1634 in Munich by Minim friars of the Neudeck ob der Au cloister. The brewery is named after the founder Francis of Paola, the founder of the order. After many years of brewing, the Neudeck cloister was abolished in 1799 and the brewery was purchased by Franz Xaver Zacherl. Keen to keep the breweries traditions alive, he continued to produce their traditional Doppelbock (latin for saviour). After years of strong growth the brewery finally ended up in the hands of their current owners, BHI holdings (a joint venture between Heineken and Schörghuber Ventures). In 2010, Paulaner sold a total of 2.1 million hectolitres of beer and exported to around 70 countries. Not bad for a former cloister hey.

The subject of this review is Paulaner Salvator, which is considered by many to be one of the first doppelbocks and very true to the original style. The drink was originally brewed for the friars as a form of "liquid bread" during times of fasting. Some may consider this beer to be the original meal replacement. So let use our loaves and see what the beer has to offer shall we. 

Colour: Pours a deep, rich ruby red with a small amount of tan foam. This foam helps to provide excellent lacing throughout the life of the drink.

Aroma: As soon as you pop the cap, notes of honey, cinnamon and nutmeg will flow out of the bottle. Once poured, this will morph like a power ranger into heady notes of sweet caramel and the complex depth of roasted hazelnuts.

Body: As soon as you pour this drink, you will notice how dense it appears. In the mouth, this thickness is instantly apparent. As soon as this beer enters your mouth it will coat your tongue and leave A thick, sweet stickiness clogging on the back of your throat. The beautifully light carbonation then cleanses the stickiness away leaving your mouth refreshed and awaiting more.

Taste: The first sip will provide notes of sweet caramel, promptly followed by hints of over ripe fruits such a plums, currants, raisins and sultanas. As you swallow the warmth of the alcohol will start to shine through. If you mix these sensations together, it will feel like you have just eaten a slice of your mum's Christmas fruit cake. Rich and very fulfilling. As the drink warms, flavours of yeast and cocoa begin to develop helping to round out this beer perfectly. I first came across this beer at a German Restaurant in Kingston and instantly fell in love with it. It's sweet, strong flavours worked beautiful against the heavy meat and potato dish I devoured. A truly excellent version of a doppelbock that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/thwaites-crafty-dan-big-ben.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/tiny-rebel-full-nelson.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Alken-Maes Judas

Alken-Maes Judas

Style: Golden Ale

Alcohol Content: 8.5%

From: Waarloos, Kontich, Belgium

Purchased From: Brought back from Calais by my Friend Jon

http://www.alken-maes.be/fr

Alken-Maes was created out of the 1988 merger of two small breweries, Maes located at Kontich-Waarloos and Cristal-Alken located at Alken. Both had specialized in pils (Maes was producing Maes pils and Alken Cristal pils) until Maes purchased the Union brewery (based in Jumet) in 1978, which produced Grimbergen beer among others.

After the merger, the group continued to purchase other breweries to expand their offer to a larger panel of beers. In 1989, the new brewery purchased a 50% stake in De Keersmaeker brewery, which specialized in spontaneous fermentation beers such as Mort Subite. In 2000, it bought Ciney and Brugs Witbier as well as the other 50% of De Keersmaeker.

In the same year, the brewery was bought by British company Scottish & Newcastle, which in turn was bought by the Carlsberg/Heineken consortium in 2007.

Rising from the depths of hell?

Judas was first brewed in 1986, probably as a Golden Ale that could compete with the highly successful Duvel  beer made by its rival, Moortgat Brewery. The similarities in title, label and goblet are evident. Can this drink live up to its devilish name? Lets find out.

Colour: From the bottle, this drink pours a bright golden colour with a thick white head. The head will dissipate slightly but it does stay around for the duration of the drink.

Aroma: Slight hints of lemon mixed with sweet lavender honey. There are also lovely spicy aromas that burn the nostrils slightly if you hold the glass close to your nose.

Body: Very light  mouthfeel for such a potent drink. Once poured into the glass, the drink will fizz up rapidly due to the high level of carbonation. This then dies down very suddenly to leave a very smooth liquid which when drunk, slides down very easily.

Taste: The overwhelming taste is that of wholemeal bread mixed with fresh lemons. This lemon sensation can be quite sharp so be careful if you take a large gulp (I did, and it was not a pleasurable experience). This beer has a slight sour ending due to the pre mentioned lemons mixed with freshly cut grass notes. As the drink warms, the strength of the alcohol become more apparent and the beer takes on whiskey like qualities. Slight hints of peat move to the fore of the flavour profile. That being said, the drink is not as potent as the the Duvel I reviewed earlier in this blog. It tastes like a more refined version of the original strong golden ale. Just be careful the drink doesn't stab you in the back with the alcohol content!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/duvel.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kernel-brewery-ipa-columbus.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery