Tree Brewing Company - Captivator Doppelbock

Brewer: Tree Brewing Company

Beer: Captivator Doppelbock

Alc%: 8%

Where: Firefly Wines and Ales

Tree Brewing Company currently has three "Occasional Rarities", one of which is their Captivator Doppelbock.  I grabbed it off the shelf not yet having the chance to hear anything about it, let alone knowing what to expect.

The beer poured into a clear dark ruby colour with a very short maple coloured head that diminished fairly quickly.  The head provided very little lacing as well.  The first aromas to hit the nose were caramel, toffee and nuts.  There wasn't much of a hop presence.  If any, it was an underlying note of perfume and herbaceous characters.  The overall nose was sweetness,...more of a baking sweetness than a sugary one.

Upon the first taste, I got a pretty confectioned sweetness, almost bubble gummy.  That quickly led into a deep raisin/fig sweetness accompanied by brown sugar (cooking) and toffee.

The mouthfeel was very slick.  Not quite oily but one step past creamy.  I found the acidity to be lite aside from the 8% alcohol.  The flavour lasted but not notably long.

This beer has wrangled in some titles:

Silver Medal - 2010 North American Brewery Awards

Gold Medalist - 2010 Canadian Brewing Awards

Voted best Beer - Fest of Ale

It currently rings in an A- with Beer Advocate from 21 reviews.

Overall, it's a little more sweeter than I normally like, but I can see this fitting well with some hot summer patio afternoons this summer.

Cheers

Tree Brewing Company - Hop Head Double IPA

In my last post I gave an example of an easy introduction to the world of hoppy beers, for those who might be hesitant.  Well this time I'm throwing down a suggestion for those who are seasoned in the hopped world.  Tree Brewing Co. produce one of my current favourites when I'm looking for a solid hoppy drink.  Their Hop Head Double IPA is well balanced and a very drinkable beer.  The hop aroma hits you right away and lingers nicely.  It has a nice copper hue and a dull body.  I love this beer; the hops are strong and constant and the bitterness keeps me reaching for the glass.  When the hops roll back, you get a soft fruity and floral side coming through.  Just awesome!  I see on the Tree Brewing webpage that the stock was sold out for 2010.  Hopefully they get another batch out to the shelves soon. I'll have to add a few more to my collection just incase.  

Cheers